It's no secret that olive oil is a natural beauty aid that will strengthen nails and add shine to hair. Did you know that olive oil is also great for tanning? Its moisturizing minerals will soak into your skin, making it smoother and softer, and the shininess of the olive oil attracts the sun's rays better than any suntan lotion. You will be left with a deeper, browner tan, and you'll be less likely to burn with short tanning sessions.
Lay a large towel over your tanning chair.
Set the timer for 30 minutes and place it next to your tanning chair. This is a good amount of time to start with. When you see how your skin reacts, you can adjust the time spent tanning.
Apply the olive oil liberally to the small, dry rag and then rub the olive oil all over the exposed skin on the front of your body. Make sure your skin is also dry.
Begin the timer as you lay down on your back. Close your eyes while tanning.
When the 30 minutes is up, repeat step 3 to the exposed skin on your back side. You can wipe the olive oil off your face now if necessary.
Set the timer for another 30 minutes, lay face down and close your eyes.
When you are done tanning, use soap to remove the olive oil in the shower.
Tip
Don't stay in direct sunlight with olive oil on for more than an hour on each side, you could begin to burn as the olive oil is absorbed into your skin.
Make sure you rub the olive oil on and you are applying enough, but it shouldn't be so much that it's dripping off.
Warning
Olive oil is expensive, but you don't need to get the most expensive brand to get the best results. Any brand will do.
Overexposure to sun can lead to skin cancer, premature aging and eye damage. It is very dangerous. Tan with caution at all times.
Writer Bio
Carolina Arana has been writing professionally since 2003. She has been published online and in "Cypress Dome," as well as academic research conducted for the University of Central Florida and various private companies such as Leading and Learning Inc. Arana is a graduate of the University of Central Florida with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in biology.