Naturally the best way to darken the color of pale or light skin is to get an even suntan with natural sunlight. But even before you do this, you would have to be very careful about the levels and kind of exposure you provide to your skin. Because of natural depletion in the protective layer of ozone around the earth, the ultra violet rays of the sun come through. These rays are accompanied with ultra violet rays and all kinds of harmful radiation. When the skin is directly exposed to these rays, it can cause various types of harmful diseases, such as skin cancer. So in order to moderate the effect, you must apply sunscreen lotion to your entire body before you set out in getting yourself a tan. It is not just important to apply the sunscreen once and leave it. It is also important that it be continually reapplied as well. Keep in mind that sunscreen lotion needs to be applied at least 20 minutes before you expose your skin to the sun and it has a tendency to lose its impact after about two to three hours. This is the reason you need to keep reapplying it. When mixed with sweat and water, it also tends to rub off.
You should also try to even out the exposure to your skin as much as you can. This means that you should try not to let any one part of your body be exposed to the sun longer than others. If you do this, there may be uneven tanning which may make you look unattractive. So if you are going to be lying down and getting a tan, make sure you lie down on your front as well as your back evenly. The other option you may have is to go to a tanning salon if you have these where you live. A tanning salon will be a great place to get professional help with getting a tan. Here you will also be guided on getting an even suntan by the people around. But you should try and control your visits to these places, since too much of artificial sunlight can also be harmful to you. The artificial sunlight in these places is also created so that it can most accurately mimic the sunlight nature provided us with. And while mimicking the sunlight, they are unable to provide the filters that can prevent any damage.