Sunless tanners, a memory of orange skin - and even more, orange palms - haunts me. My mother used to slather on the "QT" back in the day (what did that stand for - Quick Tan, I think?) She did look darker, but certainly more orange. Sunless tanners have come a LONG way. They come in various formulas (spray-on, creams, bronzers), different scents (light, fresh, coconut), and different shades (light, medium, and dark). In my quest to get a perfect a tan without going into the Arizona sun, I have tried numerous products. I have also asked around and read around for verification of my opinions. Now, I will give you the low-down on a number of self-tanners on the market now.
Body Drench Whipped Chocolate Self-Tanning Mousse - The results were not at all orange, and it gave a nice dark brown color. It smelled delicious and dried fairly quickly. Two problems with this product, though it is relatively inexpensive, you must buy it online. Secondly, I read (although I didn't experience) that some people had problems with the applicator bottle). Otherwise, a great color-in-a-bottle option. .99
L'Oreal Paris Sublime Bronze Gelee - This buildable self-tanner had a slightly runny, yet gel-like consistency. It seemed to instantly moisturize and it was easy to work with. It had a nice, non-orange, streak-free finish. The downside is that dried slowly; so you really should stay naked for 15 minutes or so before getting dressed or going to bed. Also, it had a strong perfume odor. .49
Coppertone Sunless Tanning Lotion - Worked fine; a natural color, not at all orange. But though it claimed to have a pleasing scent, it still had the typical strong "self-tanner" odor. .98
Clarins Intense Bronze Self-Tanning Tint - This gave an instant color by having a bronzer, while waiting for the self-tan to develop. It was not greasy, had a nice, light formula, with a nice odor. It was pretty expensive, on the down side, but otherwise a great product. .00
Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer - This product is like a daily moisturizer that gives you a tan. After one week of daily use, you will have a subtle, natural "glow". There were no streaks or blotches. The down side is that the lotion had a fairly strong odor to be using as a daily moisturizer. I was anxious to wash it off. .99
Estee Lauder Sunless SuperTan For Body - This Sunless SuperTan was a very good self-tan product. The color was very natural; it dried quickly, and didn't streak. I really didn't notice any strong odor. It was on the pricey side at .50
Coppertone Dry Oil Continuous Spray with SPF10 - I am hesitant to mention this one, because of the SPF10. I believe you should never go out in the sun without at least a SPF15. However, if you are going out for a limited time, or want to use this as just a self-tanner and use your regular sunscreen when you go out to the beach or pool, then it can be a good option. It is an oil that isn't overly oily (if that makes sense - differently said, if you use it on the beach, it won't attract sand). It was very convenient to spray on, easy to spray on those hard to get areas like the back and thighs. .99
Mary Kay Sun Essentials Sunless Tanning Lotion - This product took many applications before you achieved much color. I think because I am fair skinned, the color was slightly orange on me. Also, the scent was not pleasant. .00
Coppertone Oil Free Sunless Tanning Lotion - This had a fairly pleasant scent, but without any oil in it, it was difficult to apply evenly. The color was nice, but I found the lack of moisturizing effect and application difficulty, made this one I would not use again. .99
As I have said before, it is very important to exfoliate your skin before applying self-tanner. The best way to do this is to use a natural bristle brush, and start from the bottom to the top. If you don't want to use this technique, then at least use a washcloth to go over the skin in the area you will be using the self tanner on. It will make the application much more even and natural. I promise you, it is worth the extra few minutes. Happy (safe) tanning!
