Ask Lydia: Farmer's Tan

Being in So. Cal and having horses, my biggest problem every year is farmer's tan. I wear sun screen, still get tanned. I can't wear long sleeves because it's like a billion degrees in the summer. So how do you fake our a farmer's tan? I thought about blending the lines...but I don't know. What's even worse...white as snow legs. I was wondering if you found anything that covers a situation like that?

Oh, this is a great question! I'm ghostly-white, but every year I seem to get trucker's tan (tan only on my left arm from driving), which is even less attractive that farmer's tan. Because I am terrified of the sun, and because I am so pale, I'm not one for tanning beds or sun-worshiping in general.

That said, I would deal with overly obvious tan lines in one of three ways:

1. Spray-on tan. A lot of tanning salons now have spray-on tan booths like Mystic Tan. The spray-on approach provides an even, all-over, natural color without the harmful, cancer causing UV rays you get from the sun or tanning beds. The tanning agents in the spray-ons work with your skin to continue to darken the skin several hours after the tanning session. Since the booths are private, you can get an all-over tan quickly and effectively. Plus spray-on tans won't wipe off or streak, which is a huge plus.
   
   
2. Tan in a bottle. Self-tanners have been on the market for ages, and their formulas and application have become so much better. To help with a farmer's tan, you may want to blend in a self-tanning lotion into your whiter areas, working it in to the tanner parts of your skin. There are a lot of different formulas out there--ones that provide an instant tan, and others that continually darken the skin with continual application--so you'll have to decide what's best for you and how much time you're willing to deal with applying the lotion.
   
   
3. Bare it all. Since you can't wear long sleeves, how about a tank top? That way your upper arms will be exposed and you'll have a more even look without having to work too hard. Changing what you wear may be all you need to do to combat the dreaded farmer's tan.
   

I'm a certified sun-phobe, so these are the only three options I would even consider. How about the rest of you? How do you deal with farmer's tan? Leave me a comment and help out a fellow reader!