This Easy DIY Self-Tanner Only Requires 2 Natural Ingredients

Updated on 1/4/2015 at 2:01 PM

Winter season is here, which means you're probably dealing with seriously pasty skin. During these cold months, those seeking a bronze glow have very few options: buy a ticket to Cancun or start using self-tanner. As tempting as a Mexican beach vacation sounds during this stormy season, this DIY self-tanner will make your choice easy! Townhouse Spa's owner and creative director, Jamie Ahn, came up with this DHA-free concoction . . . It's so simple that you'll wonder how you ever lived without tan skin.

By combining cacao powder and the lotion of your choice, you can create a self-tanner that Ahn describes as "a type of body makeup, temporarily staining the skin." These ingredients are simple but effective, allowing beauty buffs to choose all-natural products if they choose. "The body lotion will moisturize the skin while the cacao powder will stain it, and the mixture creates an even application," states Ahn of the tanner's two ingredients. You'll love this project because it's easy and fades naturally, not to mention its yummy chocolate scent! Read on to learn the simple steps for gaining a bronze Winter complexion.

What You'll Need

1/4 cup of lotion, preferably unscented
1/4 cup of 100 percent cacao powder

Instructions

Combine the cacao powder and lotion.
Blend until the cacao powder dissolves into the lotion. Add more powder for a darker desired effect.

This makes one application.

To Use

While the mixture looks dark, it will appear much lighter during application. Simply rub in like normal, then follow with other moisturizing products if you wish. "It can stain clothes, so wear cotton blend attire right after," Ahn reminds DIY-ers, adding that the bronzed effect naturally fades within two days.