TANS can make us look healthier and feel more confident but beauty can come at a cost.

Health experts are constantly warning of the dangers associated with exposure to the sun and sun beds, with the risk of skin cancer and ageing effects on the skin.

Thinning of the ozone layer means that harmful ultraviolet rays are stronger, increasing the dangers of tanning.

But if you want to have a healthy glow without any of the side-effects, there is always the trusty self-tanning method.

There are plenty of self tanning products these days, and with new formulas on the market you can easily avoid the orange David Dickinson look.

I went to Beauty With Sara in Wrexham to find out more. Sara Shoemark, owner of the salon, said: 'I am passionate about looking after skin. It's so important to tan safely.'

But some of us have the English rose complexion and others are olive-skinned.

Sara says: 'Tans have got paler and people want to look sun-kissed rather than mahogany nowadays.'

Senior beauty therapist Naomi Edwards gave me a Decl or tanning treatment to demonstrate the benefits of safe, sunless tanning.

Naomi began by exfoliating my skin with Decl or Creme Exfoliator. It is vital to exfoliate first to get rid of dead skin cells so that the tan lasts longer. This was then washed off, leaving my skill feeling really moisturised and smooth.

Naomi then began using Decl or's Aroma Sun tanning spray. The smell was quite pleasant, not at all like older products on the market.

Aroma Sun is an aerosol spray that distributes a fine mist evenly. Naomi massaged in the product, making sure there were no dreaded streaks. She concentrated on not applying too much tan to dry areas such as elbows and knees. By varying the amount of the product used, Naomi recreated the effect of natural tanning, achieving darker and lighter shades on areas like the arms and legs.

Because Decl or Aroma Sun is a spray, my skin was dry after about five minutes.

Naomi applied two coats of Aroma Sun for my treatment. The tanning treatment lasted an hour and 15 minutes, including the exfoliation, but if you're after a paler shade, you can have one coat and this treatment lasts an hour.

The result was brilliant - my tan was a lovely golden colour which suited my fair skin tone. The coverage was even and not at all patchy.

The tan lasts about five days, wearing off gradually.

Sara told me that self-tans work a bit like an apple going brown. The brown colour forms from an oxidisation process caused by a chemical called dehydroxy acetone (DHA). Decl or's Aroma Sun only has 5% DHA with eryphrulose (a type of sugar) that reacts with the DHA, stimulating it further into the skin.

Beauty with Sara offers the Decl or tanning treatment for £45 at its salon or £20 to purchase their Aroma Sun self- tanning spray or cream. Sara recommends that if you are investing in a good self-tanning product you speak to a consultant first. Beauty With Sara offers a free 15-minute consultation when you buy a tanning product from the salon.

If you want to wear a self-tanning product for a special occasion, Sara recommends that you try it out two weeks before the event to avoid any tanning disasters.

But if you really want to soak up the rays, make sure you slap on the sun cream.

Sara says: 'Higher factors don't necessarily mean more protection. Some of the chemicals in higher factor sun protection is bad for sensitive skin. They need to suit your individual skin type.'

With a wide range of advanced self-tanning and sun protection on the beauty shelves there's no reason why you can't achieve a safe tan this summer.