As a teenager, my white-as-a-ghost skin was routinely used for measuring my friends' success at tanning, so I understand all too well the appeal of sunless tanning products. Besides providing a safe alternative to the sun's skin-damaging rays, bottled bronzers help eliminate the need to wear pantyhose in the summer and make painful sunburns and subsequent peeling things of the past.

But sunless tanning, even for the most experienced, can be intimidating. It does, after all, change the color of your skin for several days. And who among us hasn't survived at least one orange-streaked self-tanning disaster?

Not to worry, though. "Technology has changed so much in the last 30 years since the first self-tanning products were introduced," says Diana Howard, ph.d., vice president of technical development at Dermalogica, whose products are available through skin-care centers, dermatologists, and beauty spas.

Sunless tanners contain dihydroxyacetone (dha), a chemical that interacts with proteins in the top layer of skin to darken pigment. Today's formulations also contain complementary ingredients that help create a more natural color than yesteryear's orange. The concentration of dha in self-tanning products can range from 2.5 percent to 10 percent but is usually somewhere between three and five percent; the higher the concentration, the darker your skin will be after applying. Products with lower concentrations tend to produce better results when applied to rough skin surfaces. For a faux tan that looks anything but, follow these golden rules.

1. Test-drive each product. Because body chemistry varies from person to person, a self-tanner that works well for someone else may give you less-than-glowing results, so try several until you find one that leaves you believably bronzed. In some cases, you can do this at the beauty counter using a spot that's inconspicuous or that you typically keep covered—like the inside of your arm.

Also, keep in mind that dha has a strong chemical odor; some sunless tanning products do a better job of masking it than others. Sniff around until you find one with a scent you like.

2. Forgo the savage tan. Tempting as it may be to immediately go for a deep, dark tan, don't. If you're new to sunless tanners, start with a pale or medium shade, which will probably look more natural than a formula that promises a deep tan, especially if you use too much or apply it unevenly. As you become more experienced with these products, you can graduate to darker shades.

3. Prep your skin. Your tan will last longer and be more even if you remove dead skin first. Exfoliate with a loofah or washcloth, and shave your legs. Wait about 15 minutes after bathing to apply the tanner—warm, moist skin tends to "grab" more product, which may result in streaking.

4. Don gloves and rub the right way. Since brown palms are a sure bottled-tan giveaway, wear disposable plastic or latex gloves to avoid staining. If you're covering your whole body, don't start from the top and work your way down—when you bend from your waist to reach your legs, you crease your skin, which makes the color blotchy. Instead, start at your ankles and work your way up, concentrating on one area at a time.

5. Apply with long, sweeping movements up and down your arms and legs; use circular motions on your abdomen. "Work the tanning liquid into each section of the skin for a couple of minutes," says Barbara Salomone, ceo of Bioelements, a skin- and hair-care line. Patience, she says, is the key to achieving streak-free color. Think thin layers. Heavier layers of sunless tanner will result in blotchiness, not in a deeper color. A light, even-handed application gives you the most natural appearance.

6. Watch out for trouble spots. Go easy on thicker-skinned areas like knees, elbows, and backs of feet, where pigment tends to collect, producing an unnaturally dark or dirty effect. Rather than applying the lotion directly onto these areas, move excess tanner from your thighs onto your knees and feet, and use surplus tanner from arms to do elbows. Or moisturize these areas before application so the tanner will glide more evenly over them (the moisturizer won't hamper color development). Also, avoid applying tanner around your eyebrows and hairline, since it can discolor hair. (These areas don't usually get dark from the sun anyway.)

7. Air-dry. Wait 20 to 30 minutes after applying tanner before dressing, and consider leaving your humid bathroom to speed the process. Waiting in a cool, dry room will help prevent uneven color and clothes stains.

8. Schedule your reapplication. To keep your tan, you'll have to reapply the product every two or three days; to deepen it, reapply every day until desired color is achieved.

9. Wear sunscreen. Most sunless tanners don't offer significant sun protection. Unless the label specifically states a sun protection factor, assume that there is none. Because artificially tanned skin affords little protection against uv-b rays, remember to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an spf of 15 or higher before you venture outdoors.