Professional tanning artist James Read shares everything you need to know to get a streak-free self-tan at home. 

We all love the <a href="https://www.lofficiel.co.uk/Fashion/british-summer-dresses-to-buy">sunkissed look </a>of a summer tan, but&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficiel.co.uk/beauty/sunburn-recovery-to-know-tips" rel="noopener" target="_blank">sun safety</a>&nbsp;is a priority for maintaining healthy skin. Instead of quite literally baking yourself under the harmful UV rays, self-tanner is the ideal alternative, allowing you to control your tan all season (or even year) long. Sunless tanning is a not-so-secret <a href="https://www.lofficiel.co.uk/beauty/scalp-facial-haircare-tips-to-try-at-home">beauty treatment</a> that celebrities swear by so they always step onto the red carpet glowing. Professional tanning artist&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jamesreadtan.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">James Read</a>&nbsp;is a go-to for models and stars, and he also has his own self-tanning line, plus an arsenal of tips for applying self-tanner at home.&nbsp;

While self-tanner has a reputation for user-error, leaving streaky marks, patchy spots, or orange limbs when applied unevenly, achieving a natural-looking, seamless self-tan is totally doable. Here,&nbsp;L&#39;OFFICIEL&nbsp;consults Read on everything to know about achieving the perfect at-home self-tan.

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Types of Self-Tanner

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With so many self-tanning products available, there are numerous ways to achieve a <a href="https://www.lofficiel.co.uk/beauty/laura-harrier-beauty-secrets-perfect-glow-skincare">glow,</a> but not all are created equal. Depending on your skin and what type of tan you&#39;re going for, a tanning mousse might be a better fit than a tanning oil, for example. To help decode the options, Read walks us through the most common self-tanning products:

Mousse:&nbsp;&quot;Mousses are great for people that like<a href="https://www.lofficiel.co.uk/beauty/skincare-beauty-treament-to-prepare-to-the-sunlight"> an instant tan</a>. They are easy to apply as you can see where the product goes. Use a tanning mitt for the perfect application. Express mousses are good to customize your tan, the longer you leave them on the deeper the tan.&quot;

Lotion:&nbsp;&quot;Lotions are great for hydration. They are easy to apply on the skin, especially overnight creams/serums as they allow you to apply and then go to bed.&quot;

Drops:&nbsp;&quot;Tanning drops allow you to measure your tan, the more drops you add the more you glow. They work with your beauty routine.&quot;

Oil:&nbsp;&quot;Oils are great to give your skin that light reflecting finish, supermodel legs, and extra hydration.&quot;

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Before Self-Tanning, Prep the Skin

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Once you&#39;ve picked what type of self-tanner you want to use, there are several steps you should take to prepare your skin for the most even results. The day before you self-tan, shave and exfoliate to ensure you have a smooth canvas to work with. It&#39;s also a good idea to moisturize typically dry areas of the body, like your elbows. &quot;Areas that are dryer can absorb more tan, leaving you with a patchy or uneven color,&quot; Read warns. Once you&#39;re exfoliated, moisturized, and ready for your tan, Read says to use a cleansing wipe on your skin before you apply the self-tanner for the best results.&nbsp;

Get Your Glow On

When you&#39;re ready to apply tanner, it&#39;s best to start with the face because you&#39;ll want to carefully build up the tan there, rather than dive in with color. &quot;When it comes to the face, less is more,&quot; Read says. &quot;It&rsquo;s best to build your tan up over a few days so you never go too tanned and it allows you to match your face to your body.&quot; You&#39;ll want to use your bare hands to apply self-tanner to the face, but remember to wash them right after. To blend the tanner on your face with the rest of your body, Read reccommends &quot;dabbing cotton balls in self tan and then lightly patting them over the face, down the neck, and around the jawline. This will create a more natural look and transition.&quot; Another pro-tip is to rub an ice cube over your face. Read says &quot;this will help to close the pores and prevent uneven, dark patches.&quot; But don&#39;t forget to dry your skin before applying the tanner. Water can dilute the product and cause streaks when it dries. You may also find that the self-tan may buildup in your eyebrows or create an obvious color mismatch at the hairline&mdash;to avoid the former, Read advises dabbing a small amount of coconut oil in the brows, and for the latter, he says rubbing a cotton swab dipped in toner along the hairline will help soften the transition once the tanner is applied.

For the rest of the body, Read likes using a mitt to apply product. To ensure a symmetrical finish, you&#39;ll want to mirror your application on both sides of your body. Note the direction you&#39;re applying the self-tanner and copy that on the other. For hard to reach places like the back, have a friend lend a hand or get resourceful and secure a tanning mitt to a wooden spoon or spatula so you can reach all areas yourself.&nbsp;

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Mistakes to Avoid When Applying the Self-Tan

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Applying self-tanner sounds easy enough, but we&#39;re too often left with patchy color or an orange final result. To get a streak-free, seamless tan that will leave you looking sunkissed rather than like an Oompa Loompa, Read shares five common self-tanning mistakes to avoid.

Over-applying:&nbsp;&quot;This is the biggest mistake I see people make!&nbsp;It can make the tan look orange and unnatural.&quot;

Not using a tanning mitt:&nbsp;&quot;Avoid having too-tanned hands by applying your body tanner with a tanning mitt. I don&rsquo;t use latex gloves as they can leave you with a streaky, uneven tan.&quot;

Washing your hands right away:&nbsp;&quot;Once you&rsquo;ve applied your self-tanner, avoid washing your hands for several hours if you can. You don&rsquo;t want to remove the tanner from the top of your hands&mdash;it may leave you with tan arms and super pale hands.&quot;

Not applying the tanner in the right direction:&nbsp;&quot;I always start from the top of the body and work down, using sweeping motions. Hands and feet should be done last.&quot;&nbsp;

Not drinking through a straw after tanning:&nbsp;&quot;Avoid turning your top lip white and removing self tanner by drinking through a straw after application to avoid getting this area wet.&quot;

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How to Maintain Your Tan

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Now that you have all of the steps to apply self-tan like a professional, you&#39;ll want to know how to maintain your glow.&nbsp;&quot;Once you have achieved your ideal tan, I recommend enjoying it for several days (four to five) and then exfoliating to help it fade evenly,&quot; Read says. The tanning artist prefers to reapply a fresh tan than layering on top of old tanner for the best results. But he also says that ther are some ways to help your self-tan last longer. &quot;After-sun products are great to prolong a self-tan,&quot; Read shares. &quot;Also using a waterproof SPF can protect your tan. Applying a hydrating mask to the face a few days after your initial tan can also help extend your bronze&quot;&nbsp;

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A Complete Guide to Mastering the Perfect Self-Tan

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