Day 10: Canning My Tan

I have never been very good at sun tanning. Either I’d get too bored and go back inside, or I’d get too comfy and fall asleep, waking to a horrible burn. It always took considerable effort to get three days’ worth of color, after which it would fade and I’d be back at square one. And square one on me is not pretty. I’m as white as a hotel bathtub.

Add the threat of skin cancer to this already non-productive pastime, and you can count me out altogether! I decided long ago that there simply had to be other ways of getting a great tan without all that risk. Tanning beds were never an option for me because of all the horror stories I heard when they first came into use. Yeah, I’m that old.

Enter the spray tan, and as they say in Texas, “Yaaaah-hooo!” I first tried an airbrush tan at a salon about two years ago. It was a nice little change of pace, except for the part where I had to strip down to half my skivvies and strike embarrassing poses while a stranger sprayed dye all over me. Let’s just say I’ve only done that once. But a nice little airbrush spray that I can handle on my own, costs $8.98 a can, and actually smells pretty decent has me hooked on the spray tan. At least until I started learning about product ingredients.

My dear little tan-in-a-can has everything harmful and then some. What’s a girl to do?!! I have been researching my butt off (see?) to find a suitable organic sunless tanner. There is no shortage of them, be assured. But the prices. Oh, my dear goodness, the prices!! I found a moderately reasonable one for *cough, choke* fifty bucks.

I imagine if I internet-order from California then $50 for a thimble full of sunless tanner should be expected. But I’m in Louisiana, and I do not compute $50 for spray tan into the budget. To satisfy my insane curiosity, and even more insane need for a summer glow, I have GOT to stop by Drug Emporium and check out their selection.

If they don’t have a suitable option, I have found a recipe to make my own. The coloring comes from tea. How ME is that?!! All I need is some organic lanolin…and probably a lot more patience.

I’ll keep you posted on my tan. ;)