Our preference is a heavy exfoliation the day before tanning, with a lighter one the day of your tanning session.... For your body, we recommend using a rough (not too rough) loofah like this Body Shop on Amazon ($8). A lot of blogs will suggest you pair this with a body scrub, but most contain heavy oils which leave your skin feeling soft and silky, but will prevent your self tanner from absorbing.
DHA(dihydroxyacetone) is the active ingredient in self tanners and directly correlates to how tan you will become. Learn what it is, how it works, and which concentration is right for you.