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" With all of the advancements in self-tanning, there are no more excuses for relying on damaging UV light from the sun for your tan. However, if you&amp;#039;re new to the sunless tanning game, here are a few tips for maintaining a natural-looking glow: 1. Use a gradual tanner first. If you&amp;#039;re worried about uneven application or orange streaks, start with a gradual self-tanner to slowly darken your color over a few days. If you already own a tanner and want the same gradual effect, mix it with your daily moisturizer to dilute the color. 2. Never rush your color. If you&amp;#039;re trying to get a nice glow before an event, don&amp;#039;t wait until the last minute. Traditional self-tanners can take up to seven hours to fully develop. If you want to use a gradual self-tanner, start the process a week in advance. 3. Exfoliate your entire body. It&amp;#039;s a must-do if you want an even and long-lasting tan. Concentrate on your ankles, knees, and elbows, and wherever else you have dry, rough spots. If you don&amp;#039;t have a body scrub on hand, try baking soda and a warm, damp washcloth. 4. Take your time to blend evenly. To avoid streaks, you need to spend enough time blending the product onto your body. When we evaluated gradual self-tanners, we also scored on the ease of application. If you&amp;#039;re using a traditional self-tanner, consider using a hand mitt. The flat surface helps prevent streaks and also keeps your hands clean. I&amp;#039;ve become a big fan of the Vita Liberata Tanning Mitt ($6.50, sephora.com), which is reusable. 5. Be thorough. Don&amp;#039;t forget some of these hard-to-remember spots: the tops of your feet, the backs of your arms, and your shoulders. If you&amp;#039;re self-tanning your face, blend the product all the way down your neck, too. 6. Moisturize to maintain your color. Keeping your skin moisturized should help your tan last a day or two longer. Now that you&amp;#039;re a pro at applying sunless tanners, there are three options to consider: traditional self-tanners, gradual self-tanners, or body bronzers.  Self-Tanners While we haven&amp;#039;t conducted a lab test on traditional self-tanners in a while, we like L&amp;#039;Oreal Sublime Glow Towelettes ($11, ulta.com) and Vita Liberata Rich Tinted Tan Lotion ($37.50, sephora.com). The towelettes are especially great for avoiding streaks thanks to their broad surface area. Just make sure you&amp;#039;re blending fully.  Gradual Self-Tanners During our testing, we found that gradual self-tanners don&amp;#039;t have the same harsh smell as traditional self-tanners. While you may not be able to achieve the same depth of color with a gradual tanner, two of the top four products from our test were Suave Professionals Visible Glow ($7, walmart.com) and Nivea Sun Kissed Radiance ($8, target.com).  Body Bronzers These temporary tanners are great for when you&amp;#039;re in a pinch for time and can&amp;#039;t wait for a self-tanner to develop, or if you just want to boost what you have. Our testers preferred the Victoria&amp;#039;s Secret Instant Bronzing Tinted Body Spray ($15, victoriassecret.com) and St. Tropez One Night Only Instant Glow Body Lotion ($18, sephora.com). Mary Clarke is the senior product analyst in the Good Housekeeping Research Institute Beauty Lab. Photo credits: The Image Bank/Getty Images; Courtesy of Retailers NEXT: Faking It \u2014 The Best Self-Tanners \u00BB "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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