Before applying the tan, I took a quick shower and exfoliated my whole body, with emphasis on rough places like my knees and elbows, to prep my skin for the application of the fake tanning solution. (Exfoliating removes dead skin and helps even out dry patches, which allows self-tanner to blend into your skin evenly and be absorbed better. If you don't exfoliate first, the self-tanning solution will sit on the skin's surface instead of blending in and it will stick to any dry or rough patches and make them look darker than the rest of your skin.)
Just a note, sides of my back were tanner than the middle of my back, because despite wearing sunscreen, I've gotten some natural colour from wearing tank tops and workout clothes. Due to this, I knew I needed to focus on evening out my tan by adding more tanner to the middle of my back.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Lauren Harano