Having that sun-kissed glow year round is a great way to beat the winter blues. Who doesn’t love to look like they just frolicked across the beach?

With current science, there is absolutely no way to deny how harmful tanning beds are. The risk of cancer is increased by 75 percent when tanning beds are used before the age of 35, according to the FDA.

So why risk it? It’s time to adopt a really great self-tanning routine to get that bronzed look. Start off by exfoliating the entire body. Body scrubbing gloves — found for a few dollars in the beauty section at most stores — will do the trick or make an at-home exfoliant by mixing honey and sugar. Having freshly exfoliated skin is needed to scrub away any built-up dead skin. This will help the self tanner apply more evenly to the skin and help it soak in so the tan will last longer.

Be sure to moisturize after exfoliating. Focus on moisturizing the feet, knees, elbows and hands. These are areas that tend to be extra dry and will soak in way more self tanner if left un-moisturized. This means these areas will look extra dark and throw that natural looking tan out the window.

Picking out a tanner can seem like an endless task. Many brands and different tones are available to purchase. A drugstore brand that is highly recommended across many blogs is Jergens Natural Glow. Picking one shade above the natural skin tone will give the most natural results. If store-bought self tanner is too pricey or a homemade tanner is more appealing, test out this concoction.

Mix a small spoonful of coco powder with vanilla lotion. Add more coco powder according to the desired tan. This is a less permanent tan but it will smell like a heavenly chocolate bar and give a nice glow to the skin.

Brewing a dark batch of black tea and putting it in a spray bottle is another home remedy to look more golden. Mist it onto the desired areas in multiple thin layers, letting the tea dry in between each layer. This will last longer than the lotion and coco powder mix.

Be sure to exfoliate that sun-kissed skin between each use of self tanner and bask in the beauty of glowing healthy skin that wasn’t put at risk for cancer or the harmful rays of a tanning bed.