self tanning lotion

I wanted to know if anyone could give me an opinion on self-tanners. I thought it would be logical to post it here since most body builders (at least competitive ones) have nice tans. It takes a lot of time for me to get a natural one. Also, I have a very fair complexion, and I' m afraid of turning orange. If anyone uses/has used self-tanners would you please share your opions of them.
Thanks

-Nikki

Actually the nice tan you are reffering to is from tanning the old fashion way. Or through tanning salons.

Bodybuilders use self tanners to get excessivly dark for competitions because anyone would look pasty under 50,000 watts of lights!
The self tanners that bodybuilders are purposly designed to give that " orange" or bronze look. So you might be better off just kicking back in the sun.

Yeah, lying out in the sun is great if you want cancer and/or premature aging. I would advise going with a fake tan, always. Do you want to look like a shriveled piece of leather? I don' t think so! Remember that any natural tan from the real sun is actually skin damage. I could go on and on, but this is not the place. ;-)

So anyway, I' ve been getting a Mystic Tan lately, and it' s been working out great. It doesn' t cost a lot, and it gives you a natural-looking all-over tan with no tan lines and no streaking. Lots of tanning salons are carrying these machines now. The tanner is simply sprayed onto you. I prefer this to the self-tanner you have to apply yourself, because no matter what I do I ALWAYS end up with streaks and/or tanner on my palms or something. So this has been great for me. If you go to the website and input an address, it will show you what salons close to you carry it:

www.mystictan.com

Marc C. David
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Fair enough. I think we' re actually saying similar things in a different way. I' m sure that like everything else the body adjusts and like you said if you don' t get blistering burns (which I have) you MAY be ok. But it really depends. And in my case, I' d rather not find out.

Oh yea, if you do get a nice dark tank, I think making sure that you use skin care products so it doesn' t dry out is CRITICAL. Otherwise you' ll be like my friend. But that' s probably another long discussion.

Do you want to look like a shriveled piece of leather?

Good question. Ponder this though... when you turn 60 would you rather be tan but rinkled.... or bleached white with blue veins popping out everywhere from your pale disfigured skin?

- Kris

ORIGINAL: Kris

... from your pale disfigured skin?

- Kris

Disfigured? From what? I can see pale.. aka.. no sun.. blue veins.. only if you are older and have a low bodyfat.. but disfigured?

I say, tan moderately and use sunscreen and moisturizer all thru your life.

Marc C. David
Support DB! Buy your supplements at Supplements101.com

Well I think that has to do with your overall health and level of fitness. Bodybuilders keep tan all year round for year and years. even when they are 50+ they don' t look like it.

Arnold, Draper, lou ferigno, dorian yates, and one of my favorite, skip lacour who is over 40 and still looks awesome. And he has been tanning 4-5 times a week for YEARS on-top of natural sun tanning.

And it not even just bodybuilders. Think of all of the different sports that spend months and months on end practicing out under the hot summer sun. What about alaska where they have 6months of sun straight?

I know I' m a little skeptical of just about everything, but I think there is more to it that just the sun. Plus the association to cancer has more to do with obtaining a blistering burn from the sun, not just being in it.

Marc C. David
Support DB! Buy your supplements at Supplements101.com

Disfigured? From what?

I was " exaggerating" the effects from being pale. I always notice more defects and lumps in peoples skin when they are pale. Tan skin seems to smooth out all the " disfigurements."

- Kris

To actually answer your question, a lot of the over-the-counter tanners work quite well, albeit temporarily. I recommend Coppertone.

I've been using the Jergens Natural Glow lotion, which only has a tiny amount of self-tanning agents in it.  You apply it every day like you would regular lotion and gradually a really nice and natural-looking color builds up.  I'm very impressed with this product, especially since I have pale skin and freckles.

~**Outline your life in pencil**~

I'm very fair skinned and am prepping for my first contest in 8 weeks, very new to the whole process...  I'm not going to be using any tanning beds, will be going the spray route, do you think that's ok?  And, how many times will I need to get the spray tan (i.e. Mystic Tan), how many days in advance of the contest, and then do I also apply Pro Tan myself and if so when?
 
Thanks!!!
 
Dave

I'm not an expert, and certainly not a doctor (look at my name), but I heard that tanning lotions can be dangerous too if used excessively. Perhaps the right way is to use them in some combination with your usual tanning bed, after consulting the guy at your local tanning-bed parlor of course for advice.

Remember - better advice for living professionals you meet face-to-face than some random guy on the Internet, and of course that includes me in the latter category. :D

GoChi
FreeLife Supplements

Mindell Zincosamine

you guys are looking into this too much....when the summer rolls around and you hit the beach, lotion it up alot. i got a bad sunburn on my shoulders this summer which is still darkened looking. so just be very careful.

"A severed foot is the ultimate stocking-stuffer" "Obsession is what the LAZY use to describe dedication" "You put your faith in Christianity. I put mine in artillery"

I try to avoid natural tans as much as possible.  I don't want to risk skin cancer to look a little tanner.  I've tried the Mystic Tan machine and it's worked well for me.

I'm currently trying a 10 day body detox and I feel great.

Are you drinking enough water ?

 Doesn't Mystic tan stain everything you touch for a whole day?

President of the Emancipation Detoxification. DBB's oldest forum group, punching baby seals since 2/12/08