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Why You Shouldn't Quit Self-Tanner Cold Turkey

Learn how to wean yourself off of a faux summer glow in baby steps
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Moisturize Like You Live in the Desert
Cutting back on self-tanning lotion doesn't mean you can skip a moisturizing routine altogether, particularly in the winter when your skin is prone to getting dry and flaky. "I highly recommend moisturizing before bedtime to get maximum hydration into the skin when the temperature gets cold," says Evans. As you moisturize, try to pat the skin dry rather than rubbing, which can take off too much of old tanning lotion residue. Lubriderm Daily Moisture Shea + Enriching Cocoa Butter Lotion, $8.49 and Beecology Original Honey Hand & Body Cream, $13, are TotalBeauty.com reviewer favorites.

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Buh-Bye Bronze, Hello Glow
Your skin doesn't have to look like you've lived underground for a year just because the temperature drops and deep, shimmery bronze lotions are out of season. Take a page from the Autumn/Winter runways of London Fashion Week and mix a dab of illuminator (we love Origins Halo Effect Instant Illuminator, $20 ) into a rich body butter like Chanel No. 5 Velvet Body Cream, $80, or Ahava Pure Spa Body Sorbet Caress, $26. Evans suggests using an applicator mitt to apply the mixture over contours and curves.

I'm not ashamed to admit it: I love self-tanner. I work all summer to get the perfect glow, then fall comes around and my bronze tan suddenly makes me feel like George Hamilton. Unfortunately, you can't just snap your fingers and go back to the Snow White winter look when fall still calls for a little bare skin in skirts, short sleeves and, well, your face. Quit cold turkey and bad things happen. Skin starts to flake, color fades unevenly, and you're left with patchy spots that make you look like you have a skin disease. I had a feeling there had to be some sort of protocol for transitioning from a summer tan back to my natural color. To find out the process for weaning myself off of self-tanner, I spoke with Sophie Evans, a skin-finishing expert for St. Tropez.
BY HAYLEY MASON | SEP 23, 2013 | SHARES
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