I will start using Obagi on April 9th: Can I use a self tanner on May 16th?

As an alternative to the obagi creams, our office prefers to place patients on the Melarase program + RR Retinoid Repair Cream as we feel that the latter is better tolerated and more effective. Raffy Karamanoukian MD FACSLos Angeles

You can absolutely use self tanner while treating your skin with Obagi. I applaud you for getting your "tan" out of a bottle rather than from the sun! If you are using Obagi to treat pigmentation and sun damage, you are probably already familiar with the fact that the sun makes these issues worse. Some things to keep in mind:An Obagi treatment plan can often make your skin dry and cause peeling. This may cause the self-tanner to look a bit uneven because the pigment in these products stick to dry skin. To remedy this, do not use scrubs while you are on Obagi, this will cause too much irritation to the skin. Instead, you can use a damp washcloth to gentle exfoliate your skin. Your skin may feel a bit more sensitive while on the Obagi products, so you may want to try a small test spot of the self tanner to make sure your skin can tolerate it ok. I hope this helps!