tried and true: best sunless tanners and tanning strategies

There are countless self-tanners on the market, and dozens that you'll see when you walk into pretty much any store right now. It's that season - everyone's showing off their beach bodies! The sun has started to shine again, and clothes are coming off...

I strongly believe that a good, healthy tan is one of the best ways to improve your look for the summer (or any time!). A golden tan helps make your skin look more firm and healthy, and will increase muscle definition. Who doesn't want that bronzed, fresh-out-of-the sunshine look for the summer?

However, spending too much time directly in the sun can be harmful to your skin. And tanning beds are definitely not good! I have spent many years trying to perfect the art of tanning, indoors and out, and am passing on the things I've learned through much experimentation and studying.

OUTDOOR TANNING is an art that needs to be practised with care. At least, that's the way I look at it. But this doesn't mean that you have to put a ton of effort into getting a beautiful, even outdoor tan! The key to a strong, long-lasting sun tan is regularly building with protection. I recommend spending time in the sun every day, an hour or less, with a lower-level SPF sunscreen (I use 30 SPF) with broad spectrum protection. An all-natural sunscreen option to consider is coconut oil, though limit your exposure even further if you choose this. It also helps to exfoliate beforehand, so the skin you are trying to tan is new and won't slough off for a while.

Though it will be difficult to get colour while wearing sunscreen, when you earn your tan after careful daily exposure, it will be more healthy, deep, and will last far longer than the burn you get after spending a whole day outdoors without any protection. This strategy may sound counter-intuitive, because sunscreen is supposed to stop the sun from getting to your skin. However, the sunscreen will let enough sun through to tan your skin (without burning!) if you do this on a regular basis. If you expose your skin with no protection, it will burn, killing and removing the layers that you are trying to tan! It's damaging those cells and after your burn peels off, you'll have to start from scratch. Tanning with a moderate amount of sunscreen will protect your skin enough to build a truly deep, long-lasting tan.

It is also very important to moisturise after exposure! Keeping your skin moisturised and nourished (even when you aren't burnt) will lock in and preserve your tan, and you will avoid dry and brittle skin. Make sure to avoid mineral oil in your tanning and moisturising products: it will strip away the colour you've been building up. Australian Gold Moisture Lock is my favourite after-sun moisturiser: this tan extender is soothing and mineral oil-free.

INDOOR TANNING should always be done in a bathroom, not in a bed! The risks of tannings beds are too high to justify using them, and there are so many safer options. Sunless tanning lotions and sprays are safe and easy to apply: I highly recommend this option instead! I feel like I've tried almost every sunless tanning lotion and spray out there, and I'll describe my favourites here.

Cheaper: Australian Gold is my favourite cheap-ish tanning brand. Their products can usually be found in drugstores, and their Self Tanning Lotion sells for $8.99 online. Several of their sunscreens also include a light self-tanner, and I feel that their products offer a more natural colour than others at this price range. Several friends of mine (who prefer a spray-on option) use Tanwise Tanning Spray, which looks very natural and can be applied smoothly. You can get a light to medium-dark tan with this spray, depending on how often you use it, and it's $9.00 a can.

Middle Budget: I use Mary Kay Subtle Tanning Lotion every day in the winter, and it gives me just enough colour that I don't look like a vampire, but not enough to look fake. This is a great, natural-looking daily bronzer for light colour. It sells for $16.00 on Mary Kay's website, and $14.00 on Amazon.

Higher Budget: St. Tropez is frequently rated as the best luxury line of suncare products. They have a very extensive range of lotions, mousses, and sprays, from a Gradual Tan Lotion (with anti-ageing and firming options too!), Self Tan Bronzing Mousse, and Self Tan Dark Mousse.  Their mousse products are a great streak-free alternative to lotion. The gradual tan and self tan products allow for very natural, light-to-medium colour. In the summer I use the dark mousse, and the unique thing about this lotion is its olive tint. Many dark self tanners tend to just be a darker shade of gold or orange, which never looks good, but the St. Tropez dark range has an olive tone that will look much more natural. Since this shade is so dark, I usually blend it with a dab of my daily moisturiser to soften the colour. You will also definitely want to use gloves when you apply this one (unless you opt for the spray) - they have an Applicator Mitt on their website, but I usually just use latex gloves from the drugstore. However, this beautiful dark tan will cost you - the St. Tropez products run between $30-44 per bottle.

Protecting your skin over the summer should be a top priority. Whether you go about it by wearing a light, daily sunscreen or using an indoor tanning product, make sure you take care of your health first!! It is very possible to have beautiful, bronzed, and safe skin this summer. Happy tanning!