Our neighborhood pool closed at the end of September… Oh, the terror!! Going to the pool was one of our favorite ways to spend the summer, especially because our little Ella learned to swim! It was such a joy to watch her play and have fun. Our hours in the sun left us with a nice brown glow… but I can already see it fading! Are you in the same boat?? What do we do, friends?!

I’ve never really been into tanning…. There was a brief period in college where the world whispered in my ear the lies of its importance, and I got a super cheap tanning membership… (I know, I KNOW.) It was one of those situations where the gym I went to had a tanning salon right next door, and they basically PAID me to be a member. I’m not going to lie. I would LOVE to tan all the time if it wasn’t terrible for me. The feeling of those rays on your skin is magical… Especially if you have a good imagination and can simultaneously dream you’re on a private Italian island… Mmmmmmm…… But let’s be real. Going to the tanning bed and exposing yourself to those toxic rays is no bueno for your skin…

So as quickly as my tanning hobby started, it ended… I could only convince myself for so long that it was “totally fine” and “just like being in the sun”… I’ve always looked so much better with some color on my skin though. This was made especially clear to me by a co-worker one time: I worked at J.Crew in high school and college on breaks (……let’s all take a moment to swoon…….), and after returning from a beach vacation, one of my fabulous male bosses looked at me and said “Girl, what did you do? You look amazing!”

“Um…. I just got back from the beach?”

“Oh, that’s it! You’re so tan! You look wonderful. You need to tan year round!”

“Thanks…….?” haha. So it’s confirmed. I clearly look way better tan. So over the years I’ve tried a few tanning products here and there, but 1) I knew these chemicals couldn’t be good, which always dissuaded me from using them, and 2) I could never get the look I wanted without the obvious streak down my entire leg….. sigh….

Australian self-tanning creme Eco Tan’s founder Sonya Driver found out just how severe the effects of the sun’s rays can be the hard way. After spending too many years in the gorgeous Australian sun, her 30 year old sister was diagnosed with a melanoma. Thankfully they caught it early enough, and she was only left with a scar. They both wanted to avoid the sun’s devastating UV rays, but still loved the look of being tan…

It seemed like spray tans were their next best option… But quickly Sonya realized, just as I thought too, that these harsh chemicals they were exposing their bodies too weren’t good either!! With a true entrepreneurial spirit, Sonya started creating her own 100% natural and organic alternative to all of the other self tanning creams on the market. Eco Tan products are Australia’s first *Certified Organic* tanning creams!

Sonya’s 8 year old daughter sums up their story so well, “God took something bad, mixed it with something good, to make something beautiful.”

Eco Tan Review

I was so excited to give some Eco Tan products a try- they certainly seemed like the perfect tanning solution! And guys, I can tell you earnestly that they are as wonderful as they sound!! And, as you can see, they are SO all natural with no nasties that I even felt comfortable using them while over eight months pregnant!!

I tried the “Winter Skin” tanning cream… After just two applications in a two-hour period I was satisfied with the color! Especially for holding onto the last of that summer skin and ushering in the winter. Be sure to see my before and after pics below!

   

My tips for getting the perfect tan:

• Exfoliate! I am so glad I got the “Winter Skin” tanning cream with  their amazing “Extreme Exfoliant Glove.” I am all about exfoliation… If my face wash and body wash don’t have an exfoliating aspect to them, I feel like they’re not working 🙂 (for the record, they probably are working haha!). I used the “Extreme Exfoliant Glove” in the shower with some soap all over my face and body before applying my “Winter Skin” tanning cream…. GUYS. My skin has NEVER been softer!!! Seriously. It was incredible!! And exfoliating before your tanning cream application helps it to stay longer- win win!
• The pump is your friend! The “Winter Skin” comes with a handy pump, so it’s easy to measure just how much you’re using. Use the same amount of “pumps” per each section of your body… If you use two pumps for your entire left leg, use two pumps for your right!
• More isn’t always better… I found that the “Winter Skin” is less of a gradual tan than others I’ve used, so keep that in mind and use accordingly. I think it’s better to use small amounts and reapply another layer rather than applying a LOT all at one time. (If you have medium to olive skin tones and want more of a one-time application, get the “Invisible Tan!”)
• Rub, rub, rub! You want to feel the same amount of lotion all over your body. Any “extra” you feel will turn into a streak, because more lotion is accumulated in that spot than others. So rub, rub, rub until the lotion feels perfectly distributed everywhere.

Follow @oliveyouwhole and @ecotan on instagram to enter to win your own “Winter Skin” Tanning Creme and the “Extreme Exfoliant Glove!”