My Self Tanning Routine

I have experienced many years of fake tanning and tried loads of different products and techniques (quite a few dodgy ones at that). I have been using Bondi Sands for a few years now and I'd never go back to anything else. It's the only tan I've really proper loved and spend every last penny on.

I always prep the day before I want to tan. I hop in the shower, shave wherever needs to be shaved and then exfoliate my whole body to get rid of any dead skin cells. I either use a scrub from The Body Shop or one from Soap & Glory - both brands are great! If I have old tan on from the week before, I pump some of Bondi Sands self tan eraser onto an exfoliating glove and just go over my body which loosens the tan, then I lightly exfoliate over to remove the rest and then shave as normal. After drying myself off, I moisturise my whole body as I usually would after a normal shower.

Before applying my tan, I moisturise my chest, hands, elbows, knees, feet and ankles, just any areas that are dry and that tan would cling to. I do this about 20-30 minutes before I tan so it gives the moisturiser time to sink in. I've been switching between the Bondi Sands self tanning foam in light/medium and their dark foam. I used to use the dark tan all the time but because I'm so pale I had quite a few people say it looked too dark.

So I only now really use the dark one for an occasion or if I'm going out at the weekend (which is hardly ever!). The light/medium shade is the perfect colour for me, it gives me a healthy glow but nothing too drastic. I squirt two or three pumps onto a mitt and start at my feet and work my way up in circular motions. I usually have Liam about to tan my back for me, if not, I tie my mitt onto a clothes hanger with a hairband and reach around to my back, it works a treat!

 I'm not gonna lie, it does have a slight biscuity smell that everyone hates (apart from me), but it's not too overpowering like other tans on the market, you can also actually smell a twinge of coconut so it's not too bad.
Depending on what I'm doing on the day of tanning, I sometimes sleep in it or let it develop during the day. If I tan during the day, I leave it on for 3 or 4 hours and put on some loose, dark clothing. Or if I sleep in it, it's obviously left on for a longer amount of time, but to be honest it doesn't go that much darker.
When I wash it off, I don't use body wash I just rinse with the showerhead until the water runs clear. I then pat myself dry with a dark coloured towel.

I've never found the light/medium shade to have a noticeable fade, it actually fades out really nicely. Whereas the dark shade was a lot more noticeable. To maintain the tan, I very lightly exfoliate in the shower every few days. I also moisturise every day, especially my feet and hands. I have quite dry hands anyway, so I also use hand cream more often throughout the day too. In the summer I like to have more of a glow, so I tend to use the Bondi Sands Everyday Liquid Gold after a few days of applying my usual tan. It's a gradual tanning dry oil so it just boosts your tan and gives it a little refresh.

Are you a tanner? What do you use?