Take a Tanning Timeout: Self-tanner should only be used in moderation

It’s the week of the Sweetheart dance. All I can see in the hallway is a flood of orange students, trying to avoid washing their hands, no matter the cost. 

Learning about self-tanner is a canon event. You didn’t know your mom’s lotion had tanner in it, and now you have orange streaks all over your legs. All teenage girls know the feeling

What doesn’t need to be a canon event is turning yourself orange for every school dance in an attempt to recover your glowy, tan skin from summer. There’s no need to make it a habit.

As each school dance rolls around, I pray that my peers consider the long term effect tanning might have on their skin, such as long term discoloration, not to mention the short-term inconveniences of not showering and trying not to stain your clothes. Whether I see the fake tans in the hallways or on Instagram, I wish there was a way to suggest a more understated approach, like matching your tan to your natural skin tone.

Now, I have no problem with subtle self-tanning that isn’t five shades too dark, or even a one time self-tan mistake. Self-tans and spray-tans do have potential to be a nice touch to your school dance look. But, there’s a big difference between being sun kissed and matching the vibrant sunset’s orange hue. You don’t want to distract from your dress or hairstyle because of how vibrant your skin is. 

It’s when the tans become extreme; if your skin is comparable to a pumpkin, chances are you’ve gone too far, it’s simply not flattering. Typically, I’m all for self care. I enjoy wearing fun earrings and making sure I’ve moisturized on a daily basis. That being said, Cinderella’s fairy godmother turned a pumpkin into a carriage, not her goddaughter into a pumpkin. You want to look more like Cinderella at the ball than the carriage that took her to it for your special night.

So this Sweetheart season, please be conservative with your spray tans and strive for your perfect sun kissed look, rather than an overdone sunburn. In the end, the goal is to enhance your natural beauty, rather than take away from it.