With the onset of the warmer weather, the layers of jumpers are being peeled away to reveal your Winter-white skin.  Obviously it is not warm enough yet to sit outside and sunbathe but with the advances in self-tanning products that have been made in recent years you might want to consider a fake tan.

Whether you choose to do it yourself at home or go to a salon to have it professionally applied, here are our top 10 tanning tips...

1. Exfoliate - All the self-tanner in the world will do you no good if it attaches itself to dead skin that is about to come off your body! Use a good exfoliant and loofah sponge in the bath the night before your tan to remove those dead skin cells. Pay particular attention to your elbows, knees and ankles.

2. Moisturize - Applying a good water based moisturizer a few hours before you tan is a great way to make sure your skin is ready to accept the self-tanner.

3. Shave – Shave before you tan using baby oil instead of a shave gel/foam to leave your skin silky smooth

4. You know when you’ve been Tangoed… It's a little-known fact that applying most fake tans to alkaline surfaces creates the orange Tango look. So, if you've just had a shower or bath with an alkaline soap, wait at least half an hour until your skin returns to normal pH before applying.

5. Protect your nails – If you apply vaseline to your cuticles and nails before you apply your bronzer you will prevent unsightly staining on your finger and toe nails.

6. Follow the Instructions  Whether you are going to a beauty salon or doing it yourself at home, follow the instructions! Self-tanning booths typically have a handout, so read up, and make sure you know what to do before stepping inside the booth! Similarly, if you have bought a product that takes 24 hours to fully take effect don't reapply after 2 hours assuming that it hasn't worked.

7. Apply tanner limb by limb. Starting with your legs, apply over the shin and calf of a leg, sweeping tanner down over your ankle, foot and toes. Then apply tanner to your thigh from front to back, using the excess to cover your knee. Repeat on your other leg. For the final step, apply tanner to your hips, stomach and torso, following with your shoulders and arms.
If you use a formula that gives a tint when you apply, so you can see where it's gone on already and you can blend to avoid streaks. Once you've applied your tan (sparingly on knees, elbows and ankles, liberally everywhere else), wait five minutes and then rub damp hands over the whole area to blend everything in. (Damp, not sopping wet. You're blending, not removing!)

8. Worried about tanned hands? Wear gloves during the application. You could use thin latex plastic gloves (not washing-up gloves). Even while wearing gloves, be careful of the inside of your wrists - these can pick up tan when you're applying and blending.

9. No Sweat - Wait at least 10 minutes to dry before dressing and avoid any excessive activity that will make you sweat for a few hours. If your tan hasn't set, sweat could cause streaking.

10. So you messed up, uh-oh  If you end up with a streaky tan, you can fix with an astringent toner or even toothpaste, you can also buy tan-corrector products. Exfoliate to even out a patchy application. Missed a bit? Fill in the missed area carefully with a cotton bud (this is where tan with a tint helps). Not dark enough? Repeat the procedure. Just make sure you gave the tan enough time to develop.