Natural Tanning Help

For reference, I am the bridesmaid with the braid, who is to the left of the bride in this photo. Maybe it was the way the photographer edited the photos but my leg looks almost porcelain!!

View Quoted Comment Yes the photographer didn’t do a very good job with the editing! 😆 I think it’s worth a shot to try tanning! Better to try it and see if it works than use tanning beds or spray. If your dress is long, then probably no one will see your legs anyway. That said, I’m less fair than you and get somewhat tan just from working outside.


Funny story my sister went hiking a week or so before her wedding and got burnt where her neckline and backpack straps were. She had a very odd tan line on her wedding day 😂

View Quoted Comment I swear my leg was NOT that white in real life 😂 so this gives me hope. Hopefully my photographer will be better! I think you are right and it will be just fine. My dress has a slit in it and I am very excited to show it off. I, also, am moving to TX this summer and my wedding is in September so I am sure I will get some color just by walking around since the sun is so strong. Thank you for your feedback. Definitely helps ☺️

View Quoted Comment I didn’t think so, you look a lot tanner in your profile picture than that picture 😂 You’re welcome! Just start a garden or go hiking or find another outdoor activity you enjoy and you will most certainly be fine! 😊

Just make sure you're still using a good strong SPF, natural tanning can be just as dangerous as a bed if you're not protecting your skin

I am naturally very pale and wanted the same thing except for my arms. I switched to wearing slightly less covering clothing. Short periods of sun exposure over a long period of time really add up. For example, sitting in the sun or taking a walk on my lunch break. If you are outside for any lenth of time then definitely use sunscreen. Over the course of an entire summer, I got more tanned. My skin just got some color on it but anyone who looks at me would still say I am pale. But I no longer am as white as a sheet of paper!

I'd add to be mindful of how your dress is cut. I normally lay out in a bikini with a bandeau top to get some color and avoid weird strap tan lines, but my dress has an open back that I would hate to ruin with a tan line lol.

I agree with others that even if you're tanning outside, make sure to apply the proper SPF every hour. Your lips and eyes need protection, too. I've always found that gardening is a good way to get tan.

I'm also very pale, so for my October wedding I just spent as much time outside as possible. Gardening, hiking, picnics, walking through town. I LOADED up on sunscreen because I didn't want to burn on any tan lines. I ended up relatively dark on my wedding day.


However, my dress had sleeves, so I could hide shoulder strap tan lines a little better for day wear in the summer. Take into account your dress shape and what you'd need to avoid tan lines. If you have a low cut, low back, strapless dress, for example, you may be better off in a tanning bed (or nude beach, lol)

"...since these aren't the best for women's bodies."

Neither is "natural" tanning.

UV radiation is UV radiation, it doesn't matter whether it's the sun or a tanning bed.

Any cellular damage from a fake tan will be less than from a real tan, including from the sun.

It's fine if you want to tan "naturally", but don't fool yourself thinking it's somehow better for your body than tanning beds or fake tans.

I am super fair as well and have had a very hard time finding a self-tan that doesn't streak or isn't too dark and let me tell you! THIS! This is probably the best self-tan I have tried so far; it doesn't streak, it is a super natural looking color while still giving you a tan, it has never left my hands orange, and it is not hard to apply. I highly recommend this product, it's what I will be using for my wedding!

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Some professional photographers' contracts charge an extra fee for editing images for brides who use the self-tan lotions. At least it might help to try some test photos with your photographer to see if the color will be manageable so that the contract requirement would not be included.

Any luck? I’m not sure how to avoid any farmer tan lines all summer and early fall. It will be hot to wear Hat with long sleeve top, but What are my options really if my dress is strapless. I’m just even imagining the daily walk with the dogs when it’s in the 80s and 90s I don’t do great in the heat so for me to cover up like that will be annoying. I tan pretty well it’s just I don’t know how to avoid all the lines. I’m not a sun worshiper I just tend to tan just from coming and going and doing ordinary stuff not necessarily from laying out. But like you I am pale.

Okay, PLEASE hear me out and give this a try. I'm super pale, to put it in perspective my foundation color is called "eggshell" . I use a self tanning foam called Loving Tan and their mit applicator. I swear....this stuff has changed my LIFE. It's so easy to apply, and never comes out streaky. If you have similar undertones as me, I highly rec! Spray tans have such a bad rep but they're amazing!

First one is with the tan, second is without!

View Quoted Comment Agree with this. I’m super pale and I’m ok with that. I will do the occasional spray tan via over the counter at CVS or at a salon within a natural shade so it doesn’t come out orange. But I haven’t been able to tan via sitting in the sun, burn yes, and it’s not something I care to risk. Do what works for you.