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I had to share two of my favorite products in the tanning department. One is for protecting your skin, so that you keep it until you die. The other is for those of you who may seek a little help for your "paler-than-pale" skin.You guessed it. I'm talking about sunscreen and sunless tanner. Two products that I have found incredibly difficult to buy over the years.

Call me vain. Go ahead. You may. I won't bristle. I do use sunless tanners to liven up my pale skin. Not all of the time. However, this time of year, when I want to wear the summer fashions that look so great with a little bronze skin tone...well, let's just say I'd rather use the sunless tanner than suffer through sunburns and potential skin cancers to get that look.

So, here are my top picks for sunscreen and sunless tanner to help keep your skin glowing this summer. And remember, you only get one body. So protect it with your life. You don't want to be one of those wrinkly, leather ladies...or gents. Come on. Do you?

Drum roll, please...

And in first place for sunscreen is...

Neutragena Fresh Cool Body Mist Sunblock, SPF 45

This product delivers as it promises. It protects your skin while providing a refreshing mist on your skin during application. Frankly, I don't give a hoot how great it feels while going on my skin if it doesn' t do the job it's intended to do, but this one does, so it gets an A+ in my book. It sprays on from any direction, requires no rubbing, and I even spray it on my face (which is technically against the directions). The bottle/can reports that it is the #1 dermatologist recommended suncare, as well. It lasts well and is waterproof and protects from both UVA and UVB rays.

Coppertone Sport (also the spray variety), SPF 30

This product is a close second. In fact, the only difference here is that it has a lower SPF and doesn't smell as good as the Neutragena.

In first (and in my book only...) place for sunless tanners is...

Neutragena Micro Mist Tanning Sunless Spray

Now, being that I am practically an albino myself, I prefer to opt for the Medium - 2 Shades Darker variety. If I were to go with the 3 Shades Darker version, my friends and family would be asking me snide questions like, "How many months long was your cruise" and other such queries. You see my point...

As with any sunless tanner, it's important to exfoliate before using this product. This prepares your skin to properly receive the product.

What I LOVE:

• It goes on smoothly and evenly with very little effort on my part.
• You don't have to wash your hands every 30 seconds to avoid having them turn brown along with the rest of your skin.
• In fact, you don't have to "rub" this product on at all. Just spray it on, and you are finished.
• Although it does have a scent, it is not objectionable, even to my picky husband!
• You can get dressed within just a few minutes of applying it.
• I even spray it on my face. (Close your eyes, and "purse" your lips inside your mouth. Do not overdo it.)
• Color begins to develop within about 2 hours.
• The color looks very natural. Not orangey like many others.
• If you find that you had a mistake, such as a drip (which I find to be rare with this product), you can pretty easily take care of this one of two ways:
  • Rub it out by exfoliating that area.
  • Apply another "coat" to that area to even things out.
• It works at any angle - even upside down.
• It lasts five to seven days.
• If you apply another "coat" sooner, you will build upon what you already have.

What I DON'T Love:

• You will still find that occasionally the product will wear off or stain your clothing, especially lighter colored clothes.
• Shaving your legs can cause the "layer" of product to come off somewhat.
• It concerns me to spray something on my skin that leaves a semi-permanent residue. What if there are toxic effects?

Ulitmately, I love this product. It satisfies the vanity within me when I need that extra boost of color. I truly would rather use this product than be really tan in the summer. That is to say, I'd rather have this type of tan than the damage I know that my skin would sustain from a real tan. Call me paranoid, but there is a huge history of cancer in my family, and I am not going to get skin cancer from too much sun. Not gonna' do it.