TOASTY BY A FIRE? GOOD. TOASTY IN A TANNING BED? BAD.

Melanoma is the second most common cancer in young women. And just one indoor-tanning session can up the risk of squamous-cell carcinoma by 67 percent!

Step 3

Wean Yourself

Go cold turkey and you might relapse. Instead, decrease sun exposure over time, says Jenifer Cullen, PhD, a clinical psychologist at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts. So if you tan three days a week, try twice a week for a month, then just once weekly. If outside, swap oils for SPF 30, and don’ t get your rays during peak hours( 10 a. m. to 4 p. m.). Tan less and less until you’ re able to stop completely. Alternating real tans with spray tans is another way to cut back without giving up that golden glow.

Step 4

Reward Good Behavior

Buy apparel that allows you to enjoy the sun worry-free. Cosmo editors love Mott 50: The clothes are minimalist chic with an Ultraviolet Protection Factor( UPF) of 50— a major jump from the average white cotton tee, which has a UPF of 5.( Don’ t forget SPF on your face, hands, and feet.)

Step 5

Glow From the Inside Out

Luminescence can be had naturally: Eating fruits and veggies heavy on water, vitamins, and antioxidants( like berries, tomatoes, watermelon, and kale) keeps skin radiant, says Dr. Day. As will brightening serums with vitamin C and peptides. Try Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Hydra-Pure Vitamin C Brightening Serum($ 95, sephora. com).

S tep 6

Fake It Well

Self-tanners have improved massively, insists makeup artist Joyce Bonelli. Pick one with argan oil to fight winter flakiness. For a quick color shift, use St. Tropez Tanning Essentials Express Bronzing Mousse($ 44, sephora. com), which rinses off. Or add a little bit of Cocoa Brown’ s Instant Tan Bronzing Gel($ 10, rickys nyc. com) to foundation.

Step 7

Get Happy

“ Addictive behaviors are often motivated by mood,” says psychologist Sherry Pagoto, PhD, professor of preventive and behavioral medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. If you use UV rays to deal with stress, get that tanner’ s high from a healthier source: Hit the gym, watch a comedy, or have sex( solo counts).

Step 8

Invest in a Light Box

Sun boosts the happiness chemical serotonin in your brain. A light box does the same but without the UV rays. Get a box that provides 10,000 lux, like Verilux HappyLight Liberty Natural Spectrum Energy Lamp($ 100, bedbathandbeyond. com). Flip it on for 30 minutes in the morning while you’ re eating breakfast.

Step 9

Eat Your D

“ Many women lie out under the guise of getting vitamin D, but that’ s so false— incidental sun exposure provides most women

with plenty,” says Dr. Day.“ If you’ re truly deficient, take a supplement or consume D-rich foods, such as salmon, tuna, egg yolks, or fortified milk.”

Step 10

Exercise

If you head to the bed to mask imperfections like cellulite, working out is a more sustainable solution.“ The most effective way to blast fat is intense interval training,” says exercise physiologist Michele Olson, PhD. Do all-out cardio for 20 seconds, followed by 20 seconds of rest, for 20 rounds. Defining your muscles with strength training disguises cellulite. Holding 10-pound weights, do 3 sets of 20 lunges and 20 squats.

Step 11

Contour Right

Contouring can create the same chiseled cheekbones and structured jaw that tanning seems to. Try Bonelli’ s goof-proof tip:“ Using a matte one shade darker than your foundation, draw a three on each side of your face, hitting the outer corners of your forehead, under your cheekbones, and your jawline.”

Step 12

Rock Pale Skin

A tan isn’ t the only way to look hot and healthy.

Eyebrow tinting and semipermanent lashes create contrast.

Red lipstick with blue undertones flatters a blank canvas of fairer skin.

Light-infused liquid foundation has a silkier finish than powder. ■

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