Soap Opera Digest
July 11, 2000
Product Queen

Well gals, summer is upon us, and you know what that means. Yup, dust off those bikinis (yeah, right!) and shorts. Okay, so maybe you wouldn't be caught dead in a swimsuit, but at least you want to have a tan in case someone spies you in your schoolgirl cotton undies! My hide hasn't seen a bikini in public in quite some time, and I'm not allowed to go out in the sun. But I do love a good fake bake and that's why I'm so big on self tanners.

Last year, I wrote about a self tanner from France made by Sothys. The only problem was that it is a spa item and not found in many stores. So, I contacted my favorite spa Web site, www.spaCadet.com, and alerted them that I would be writing about Sothys. They agreed to carry it, so give them a click and get that tan revved up. I like this product because of the beautiful golden glow it gives my otherwise turkey meat white skin. Being tan makes me feel better about those last five pounds I can't lose, and it always makes my husband give me a good chase around the apartment. That alone is worth 24 bucks.

If you don't want to spend that much, there is a good alternative made by Bain de Soleil that can be found in many drugstores. It comes in a spray or cream, although I don't recommend the spray if your skin tends to be dry. It also comes in different strengths, so don't buy the dark tan if you're fair-skinned. Start light and build with this one.

On to a few tips about fake baking. You have to exfoliate before applying to get rid of dry, dead skin and to make your tan look really fab. Make sure that your skin is totally dry before you apply a self tanner. And make sure to dilute the tanner with a body lotion when you apply it to your feet and hands and wash your hands really well or your palms will be a mess. It's an art, but well worth learning.

As far as exfoliators go, my faves are Origins Salt Rub (in ginger or citrus), which is oil-based or Scrub-A-Dub True Grit (for those with moist skin). I also love St. Ives Apricot Scrub--it's cheap! If you can, stand in the bathtub in all your naked glory and rub the exfoliator from the rooter to the tooter. Then take a bath or shower, and that bod will be ready for tanning.

Last but not least, put the self tanner on before going to bed and wear something loose so you don't make marks. It sounds like a lot of work, but really, it's not. And it's well worth it when you wake up a bronzed goddess. Who knows? Maybe we will get that bathing suit out this year!