Ah, summertime. It brings nothing but joy to me, except for one little thing. When the warm weather hits and it’s time to trade in the sweaters for summer dresses, I face what I like to call: translucent pasty skin syndrome. I genuinely think I glow in the dark. I’m not big into tanning, for the obvious reasons, but especially because skin cancer is really common in our family. Now, gradually over the summer from being outdoors, I get a nice bronze tan, but what to do in the mean time?! It’s almost embarresing wearing a dress with these TPS legs.
I used to buy those gradual tan creams, but aside from making me smell like baking bread (not in a good way), and staining all my nice white clothes, they’re laden with all kinds of weird chemicals. So, I though to myself, there must be a natural way to do this. Well, there is my friends, there is.
Follow me over to the kitchen spa, and I’ll show you what I’m talking about.
Now, these ingredients and their benefits are exactly the same as my lavender lotion, so I won’t bore you with it all again. (Click the link if you want to know). As for the added ingredients, cocoa and cinnamon not only makes this look and smell like dessert, but they naturally stain your skin. It’s temporary, but I find that it lasts through 2 or 3 showers, once it’s set in the skin.
The best part about this lotion is that you can control how dark it makes you by adding more cocoa. I tend to start with a small amount and spot test as I go, until I reach the desired shade. It’s also important to know that some people’s skin may be sensitive to cocoa or cinnamon, so always spot test. (You can easily leave out the cinnamon, too!)
Here’s how simple it is to make:
Homemade, All Natural Bronzing Lotion
What You’ll Need:
+ 1 cup (4 ounces) unrefined coconut oil
+ 1/2 cup shea butter
+ 1/8 cup olive oil (or grapeseed oil)
+ 1/8 cup cocoa powder (add more to your liking)
+ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Whip all together in a stand mixer until fully combined and fluffy. Store in a jar at a cool room temperature for up to 6 months.
A Pinch Here, A Dash There 