How to make self-tanner yourself?

With summer approaching, it’s only natural that we want to show the world a beautiful tan so that we look great in a bathing suit. What can you do to take care of your tan using home methods?

How should a home self-tanner work?

It’s usually hard to get a beautiful tan at the beginning of summer. That’s why we decide to use self-tanning lotions to give our skin an appropriate shade. Commonly used self-tanning sprays and gels often stain clothes and leave ugly spots on the skin. What’s more, their unpleasant smell and high price make them uncomfortable to use.

That’s why it’s worth opting for a homemade self-tanner which, if used regularly, will not only give your skin the right color but also moisturize it. What’s more, the use of natural ingredients means that both allergy sufferers and those looking for a natural tan will be able to use it. The length of use depends on how intense a shade of tan you want.

How to prepare skin for self-tanning?

Before you start preparing your self-tanning lotion, remember that your skin has to be properly prepared first. This is necessary if you want to achieve satisfactory results. So what should we do?

At the beginning we should get rid of keratinized and exfoliated epidermis. It is enough that our whole body is thoroughly brushed with a massage brush. Do it under the shower 2 days before applying self-tanner. On the next day, be sure to do a coarse-grained scrub. Pay attention to your ankles, elbows and knees. If you’ve done this, you’re ready to apply the self-tanner, and all you have to do is take a shower right before and moisturize your knees and elbows with lotion

Now all you need to do is have the right self-tanner ready. It is best to make one of the following.

Self-tanner with cocoa

The first suggested home self-tanner is the one prepared with cocoa. Its preparation is extremely simple. What we need are:

• half a glass of body lotion – we should choose white, uncolored!
• one third of a cup of cocoa powder.

The ingredients are combined and mixed until they reach a creamy consistency. Apply the product for several days on the surface of the whole body. If you do not see satisfactory results, you can add more cocoa to the self-tanner.

Self-tanner for coffee lovers

Another self-tanner is as simple as the previous one. In this case, we need:

• 5-6 teaspoons of coffee,
• a cup (250 ml) of boiling water,
• an atomizer bottle – optional!

Self-tanner from coffee can be prepared in two ways. In both cases we start by brewing coffee in 250 ml of boiling water. Then you need to drain the brew and leave it to cool. Here it is worth remembering that we can use the grounds for an exfoliating scrub, so it is better not to throw them away. The cold, drained coffee can be used in two ways:

1. Pour the cold liquid into a bottle with an atomizer, and then spray it on your body once every few days.
2. Mix the cooled coffee infusion with an unpigmented body lotion (as in the case of self-tanner with cocoa) until you achieve the right consistency and color. Apply the prepared self-tanner on your skin.

How to prepare self-tanner from black tea?

The last suggested self-tanner is one that we will make from black tea. In this case we need:

• 200-250 ml of boiling water (preferably less than a glass),
• 4 black tea bags,
• an atomizer bottle or a sponge.

First of all, we should brew black tea in less than a glass of boiling water. The brewing process should take about 15 minutes. When we have done this, we need to set the liquid aside to cool down. Next, we have two choices:

1. Bottle with atomizer – we pour the cooled tea into a bottle and spray it on our body.
2. Sponge – use a sponge to apply the tea to clean, dry skin.

Regardless of the solution you choose, you must repeat the process in order to obtain a suitably dark tan. It is essential to wait until the liquid is completely absorbed by the skin before putting on your clothes. Otherwise, we may stain them.

Main photo: Tamara Bellis/unsplash.com