When I was younger, I ABSOLUTELY HATED getting a tan because after being in the sun for a while, my skin would have a dirty looking tint to it instead of a golden/bronze glow.  It wasn’t until a few years ago, I didn’t mind having a nice golden glow in the summer from a tan.  I realized that exfoliating before and after tanning helps give you a nice, even, glowing tan, instead of looking dark & dirty.

Your skin is made up of millions of tiny skin cells. These cells don’t live long, and eventually they die and fall off. Don’t worry, there are more getting made every second of every day. But the important thing is to realize that they do die and they do fall off.

So when you tan, it only reaches the very top layer. It stands to reason that you want that top layer to be as new and alive as possible doesn’t it? Therefore you need to get rid of all the old, dried up, dead skin cells prior to your tan. If you have not exfoliated for a while then you might like to do it a couple of nights in a row leading up to whenyou will sunbathe.   Without exfoliating first, the sun tanning can actually cause blotches and discolorations.

Bringing a timer with you when you tan can be very handy. You do not want to stay out in the sun too long and when you are laying, relaxing in the warm sun, the time can really get away from you. Carry a timer in order to time when you should turn over so that y ou tan evenly on each side of your body. A timer or stopwatch can help to avoid ‘over baking’ out in the hot sun.

DON’T FORGET THE SUNBLOCK!  I use Aveeno’s Continuous Protection Sublock Spray SPF 70
FYI: The Higher the SPF, the longer it will take you to tan. So for my darker skinned sisters, you’d probably want to use SPF 70 & higher

What I use to exfoliate?
Mesh Gloves, which can be found at your local CVS or Duane Reade for $3.49.  Never use a sea salt scrub after sun bathing, it will cause your skin to burn like you poured alcohol onto a wound! OMG!!! I learned my lesson .:lol:.

Also, I use Johnson & Johnson’s baby oil gel after exfoliating, which makes my skin extra smooth & glowy. 

New York City makeup artist, beauty and mom blogger . I immensely enjoy helping myself and others feel beautiful inside and out, which is why I started this blog and my YouTube channel. If you have a beauty or makeup related question, contact me. Your question could be featured on the site! I also accept guest post submissions, check the guidelines. ***Brands and PR firms sometime provide press samples of products for review consideration. These brands are not guaranteed a review on Makeup by Kim Porter Blog, nor do we accept payment of any kind for our reviews. For more on our disclosure policies, please see my terms .

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