With the last few sunny days ahead of us and the prospect of a long and cold winter ahead, those of you wanting to retain that summer look will be turning to alternative methods to maintain that tan.

Unfortunately, not everyone can afford two holidays in these modern day times of recession and penny pinching, so the option of a winter break for a tan top up is most likely not going to be on the cards. If you’re not a fan of sun beds and are rightly wary of the associated health risks of overusing them, then your only other option is spray tanning.

Unfortunately, spray tanning can often carry a bit of a bad reputation – not because it’s any lesser a method than other beauty treatments or natural sun bathing for getting your tan – but because it’s often done wrong. Who can forget that Friends episode with Ross in the tanning salon? How many pictures have we seen of Katie Price and the girls of TOWIE to see examples of spray tanning gone bad? So what tips are there for getting that all important natural looking spray tan this winter?

Firstly, there are two common areas which can cause bad results, the quality of the tanning solution itself, and the quality of the spray tanning equipment. Don’t compromise on either of these if you don’t want to get bad results. For a natural looking tan, you need to ensure you are using the best spray tan kit on the market.

A really good tip is to exfoliate your body from head to toe to remove old skin and give your spray tan an even playing field to begin with. By moisturising thoroughly following your exfoliation you can prevent any uneven tan and patchiness which can occur from areas of dry skin. If you don’t follow this tip, in places where you do have dry skin, you can expect your spray tan to appear more orange than you would like.

A true sign of a bad spray tan is by looking at the knees and elbows. Most poorly executed spray tans will leave you with orange areas on your knees and orange areas on your elbows. Again, some due care and attention with moisturising in these areas prior to your spray tan will help act as a barrier so the tan isn’t too strong and “collects”.