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Preparation: Thorough exfoliation is crucial (do it at home pretreatment, or have it done at the salon), says cosmetologist Aldona Roth of the Paul Labrecque salon—color goes on more smoothly.
Application: Make sure you or the technician blends to get rid of any unevenness.
Longevity: Expect your tan to last five to seven days. Because there may be rub-off, wear loose, dark clothes and avoid sweating or bathing for eight to ten hours posttreatment.
Maintenance: Use a light moisturizer to avert flakiness. Sunbathing is okay (with SPF, please!), but swimming in chlorinated pools is not. Take quickie showers with minimal soaping, and skip heavy exercise: Sweating can dissipate the tan.
Safety: The chemical in spray-on tanners—dihydroxyacetone (DHA)—is FDA approved for external application only; wear a mask on your nose and mouth during application (use a cream to tan your face), and limit treatments to twice yearly.
Want to DIY? Try Victoria's Secret Bare Bronze Self-tanning body spray (above), $18, VictoriasSecret.com. See more of our picks for the best self-tanning products
Spray Tanning 101
Photo: J Muckle/Studio D
That glow on the horizon means spray-on bronzing treatments are sweeping the country. Here's how to get yours.
From the June 2006 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine
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O, The Oprah Magazine: Beauty
