How To Apply Self Tanner Like A Pro | St. Tropez (2025)

Achieving a flawless, natural-looking glow with no tell-tale signs isn’t as difficult as it looks. All you need is to follow our guide on how to applyself tannerand you’ll be flaunting a gorgeous bronze in no time! Keep reading to find out how to tan your body, back, hands, feet, and face.

  • How to apply self tan
  • How to tan your back
  • How to tan your face
  • How to tan feet
  • How to self tan your hands

How to apply self tanner

Step 1: Exfoliate

Exfoliating andself tanninggo hand in hand. Whetheryou’reusing a mousse, gel or mist, you’ll need a fresh base to work with to create a smooth, patch-freeglow.

Our advice?24 hours prior to tanning, massage ourTan Enhancing Exfoliatorinto the skin, working from the legs upwards. Focus on particularly dry areas, like the elbows, knees and anklesto remove any dry patches of skin that tan might cling to.

Top Tip: If you need to remove an old layer of tan, use our Tan Remover Mousse to wash it away in just 5 minutes, with no need to scrub!

Step 2: Moisturize

To preventyour selftanner from clinging to dry areas or looking patchy, apply a light layer of moisturizer onto dry areas of skin. Don’t forget to cover your elbows, knees,hands, and feet(particularly the ankles, knuckles and creases).

We recommend using an oil-free moisturizer, like our Tan Enhancing Body Moisturizer. Oil-based lotions can cause tan to break down and spoil your golden finish.

Step 3:Apply with a mitt

To achieve an even-looking glow,self tannershould always be applied using a tanning mitt. You should also start with the legs and work your way upwards.

  • Applying tanning mousses and gels: Pump your self tanner onto a tanning mitt, then sweep over the skin using circular motions to achieve an even-looking and streaky-free finish.
  • Applying tanning mists: Spritz onto the body, then blend with atanning mitt to achieve a natural-looking bronze.

If you’re still nervous about tanning thetrickier and harder-to-reach areas (like your back, hands, feet, and face), don’t panic! We break it down below.

How to self tan your back

Forgettrying to awkwardly sweep a tanning mitt over your back, the easiestand fastest way toself tanyour back is with a tanning bodymist, like our Purity Vitamins Body Mist.

  • Bow your head slightly
  • Reach over your shoulder and spritz the mist from side to side, holding the bottle at neck level
  • Bring your arm down (level with your belly button) and spritz on either side to create a gorgeous, even-looking finish

How to self tan your face

The best time toself tanyour face is in the evening, as it allows the product to develop overnight.

  • Make sure you have clean, makeup-free skin
  • Lightly moisturize around the nostrils and other dry spots with an oil-free moisturizer
  • Spritz theSt.Tropez Purity Face Mist3 to 5 times onto the skin, while moving the bottle clockwise around your face to ensure an even coverage.A healthy-looking glow will subtly develop over 4-8 hours, with no need to rinse.

How to tan feet

Tanning your feet isn’t as difficult as it looks, we promise! The trick is to remember that less is more. When you’ve finished applying self tan to your body, use the leftover product on the mitt to cover your feet.

  • Make sure you’ve exfoliated and moisturized the back of the heels
  • Rub a makeup brush along the mitt to gather the excess tan
  • Sweep the brush over the top of the feet, along the toes, down the sides, and across the back of the ankles
  • Blend into the creases and toes
  • Wipe the toenails and the soles of the feet to remove any excess

How to self tan your hands

It’s no secret that hands are one of the trickiest areas to get right – but don’t worry, our simple guide will help you toself tanyour hands like a pro.Just remember toalwaystan your hands last!

  • Make sure you’re not wearing any jewelry
  • Gently exfoliate and moisturize your hands
  • Take a blending makeup brush and sweep it over the tanning mitt to collect any leftover product (it will be enough, trust us!)
  • Pretend to hold a tennis ball and make a clay-like shape with your hands
  • Sweep the brush over the hands and down each finger
  • Straighten the fingers and repeat to reach all of the creases
  • Gently wipe the nails and cuticles to remove any excess

Top Tip:You can also spritz our Purity Face Mist over your hands. It will create a beautiful, even-looking finish with no need to blend!

– and that’s how to apply self tanner! Explore our full range of self tanners now.

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How To Apply Self Tanner Like A Pro | St. Tropez (2025)
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