Any rec's for a good self tanner? [Archive]

Stephanie

May 25th, 2006, 03:21 PM

I'm having the itch to go tanning again, but would be thrilled to find a nice looking alternative (read: fake tan). In the past I've used Neutrogena because it gave me a really natural looking tan. I'm more interested in one of the gradual tanners on the market because I want something that's easier to apply and closer to fool proof. ;) Anyone have any suggestions? I've been eyeing the Oil of Olay, but for no particular reason...

snowbear

May 29th, 2006, 11:35 AM

I use Jergens Natural Glow, and it works wonderfully. To save money and time, I get it in a shade darker than my skin, and apply every 3 days.

Stephanie

May 29th, 2006, 11:41 AM

Delila

May 29th, 2006, 11:45 AM

Friends of mine on another forum have been raving about one by Hawaiian Tropic. No funky smell, apparently.

Here's a link to Drugstore.com:

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=150771

snowbear

May 29th, 2006, 11:51 AM

Oooh! I just saw that at the store! I have to head back today, so I'll pick some up and give it a go.

How would you rate the results? I don't imagine it would streak very much since it's a gradual tanner... What about the tone? Do you find that it looks fairly natural?

Thanks so much! :happy:
I love the results. I'm never orange, and people have told me what a glow I have. If I tell them it's fake, they look very surprised. No streaks at all, but be sure that you blend it into your feet. I learned that the hard way--and had a VERY obvious line of demarcation.

Snowymoon

May 29th, 2006, 02:22 PM

I like the Neutrogena, the kind in the squeeze tube that is tinted.

I kind of do what I learned at a spray-on tanning booth once. I exfoliate the skin with either brown sugar or sea salt mixed in my body wash or some oil of my choice (extra-virgin olive oil, usually). After that and I am dry, I apply a regular lotion to my hands and feet (this prevents too much color from being absorbed there) and any other rough areas. I then apply the tanner generously and evenly working on my legs and arms first and my body and face last. Next I wash my hands with soap and water being sure to clean my palms and between my fingers and being careful not to splash any water up on my arms (that would splotch up the tanner there). Finally I use a dry, clean towel and "buff" my skin everywhere.

I find this works even better than the spray-on booth. The spray-on thing was so expensive, and a lot was wasted. There were also spots on my body that were missed and impossible to get with the spray-on thing. Using the application method I have described, I feel I get better results than any other method, and I don't have to fry in the sun or in a tanning bed (the beds were horrible for me).

Oh, and any tanner that gets on the towel comes out in the wash fine. I have pure white towels and wash them in bleach, and I have never had any staining. :grinhappy:

Elyce

May 29th, 2006, 04:49 PM

The most natural looking self-tanner I have ever used is Faux Tan by Bare Escentuals. Besides Bare Escentuals boutiques (some will mail products to you if you don't have one close by), you can get it on QVC.

Goes on smoothly, totally natural looking color, must contain a moisturizer too, because my skin feels great after using it. I didn't have any luck getting a link in this post, but just go to QVC.com and enter the item # in the search box, it's A56099. Good luck!

SpiralingWaves

May 30th, 2006, 05:11 AM

I've tried the Jergens Natural Glow, but couldn't take the awful smell. blech.

I just picked up a tube of Banana Boat EveryDay Glow in medium and I really like it so far. No more white legs and the subtle building of the *tan* looks natural. The scent is good, kinda green tea-ish. However, this does fade and you're left with that fake tan smell. It is no way near as bad as the Jergens though, so I don't mind it. Also, I'll mention that this gradual self tanner does not contain mineral oil, if that matters to anyone.

Hawaiian Tropics has been getting great reviews so I'd like to try that one next to compare.

justgreen

May 30th, 2006, 07:55 AM

Thanks for those great tips, Snowy. They make alot of sense and I'm going to try them this weekend. I have several different gradual tanners, but I'll pick up some Neutrogina.

Stephanie

May 30th, 2006, 12:33 PM

Okay, so yesterday I picked up some Jergens and will give it a go for the next two weeks. If anyone's prone to turning orange, it's me. :lol: I picked up some of the Face Glow, too, and both are for fair complexions. I'm glad you like it so much, snowbear. This lotion sounds very promising and I like that they have a separate formula for the face (though, it wouldn't surprise me if it's really just the body lotion repackaged :lol:).

I love the smell of Hawaiian Tropic stuff, so I'm really tempted to pick some of that up, too. We'll see how the Jergens works out and go from there.

And I guess if all else fails, I do still have Neutrogena in the bathroom that I can always mix with my body lotion.

Thanks, you guys!!! I will update! :whoohoo:

Jennifer

May 30th, 2006, 02:17 PM

My mother swears by Lancome. :happy:

Kitty

May 30th, 2006, 02:52 PM

I've tried the Jergens Natural Glow too and it was alright. It made my knees a bit darker than the rest of my legs because they are a bit dry. So if you have that problem make sure you exfoliate and put a bit of regular lotion on your knees before you apply the Jergens.
Overall I like it.

avery

May 31st, 2006, 12:19 PM

I like the Jergens Natural Glow Face for my face and Loreal's Sublime Glow Daily Moisturizer for the rest. I have the Banana Boat Everyday GLow, too. It's very good but I just like the actual tone the Loreal brings out, better.

As far as high end products, I think Lancome and Estee Lauder are excellent.

SpiralingWaves

June 1st, 2006, 03:10 AM

bowie

June 2nd, 2006, 04:21 AM

I love the Jergens too. It has gotten good reviews in magazines. No orange glow from it!

avery

June 2nd, 2006, 01:45 PM

Avery, the Sublime Glow looks good. I hadn't realized that L'Oreal had a gradual tanner. I know you liked the Jergens tanner, however I couldn't take the scent. Does the Sublime Glow have a strong self tanner smell?

Thanks!

SpiralingWaves: See, the Jergen Natural Glow for the Face's scent doesn't bother me but I haven't tried the all over Natural Glow version. I do like the Loreal scent the best. The only real way I can describe it is...well, you know products that have green tea in them? It reminds me of that. Yep. *sniff sniff* It's either green tea-ish or almost like iced tea with honey. HTH! :)

BTW, I don't like the Banana Boat smell, at all. On me, it smells faintly of wet dog fur. *lol*

Stephanie

June 2nd, 2006, 04:31 PM

Oh, ew. :lafhard:

I'm going to start applying the Jergens tonight. Face and body product. We'll see how it goes. :grinhappy:

SpiralingWaves

June 2nd, 2006, 04:57 PM

SpiralingWaves: See, the Jergen Natural Glow for the Face's scent doesn't bother me but I haven't tried the all over Natural Glow version. I do like the Loreal scent the best. The only real way I can describe it is...well, you know products that have green tea in them? It reminds me of that. Yep. *sniff sniff* It's either green tea-ish or almost like iced tea with honey. HTH! :)

BTW, I don't like the Banana Boat smell, at all. On me, it smells faintly of wet dog fur. *lol*

Oh yuck!:boggle: Isn't that weird. It must depend on our chemistry I guess. :huh: :geek: notsure:

Thanks Avery. I like green tea scent. :whoohoo: I think I will give this one a try after I've finished what I am using now. :puppy::p

SpiralingWaves

June 2nd, 2006, 04:58 PM

Oh, ew. :lafhard:

I'm going to start applying the Jergens tonight. Face and body product. We'll see how it goes. :grinhappy:

:whoohoo: I hope it works for you!

LisaJaney

June 2nd, 2006, 06:36 PM

I used Banana Boat last year and it was good. But: after a few weeks, I get almost...spotty. Like little dots that are dark circles. They are very small; I look like NELIX on Star Trek or something. I couldn't take it anymore, so now I just go out in the sun for 20 min on each side and get some color on my legs. (the legs are fish-belly white)

Anybody else ever get those tiny dots (the size of...oh, half of the m on an M&M) and what are they and how to avoid them?

I will say that I never went orange with that Banana Boat stuff. I DID go kinda orange with NO-AD (not advertised, brand) but that was the lighter stuff. Go figure. THe DARK stuff works better for not going orange on me. Have to go REALLY sparingly with it, but it doesn't go orange like the lighter-tone No Ad stuff did.

SpiralingWaves

June 3rd, 2006, 04:36 AM

LisaJaney, I've not experienced the little dots you mentioned, but I've only been using the Banana Boat for a week. I'll keep a look out for those though. Thanks for mentioning it. I too wonder if anyone else has gotten those tiny dots?

Stephanie

June 3rd, 2006, 12:25 PM

Lisa! Now that you've mentioned it, I recall getting the same little dots. Gosh, it's been forever, but I remember that those little spots looked so weird.

I assume the dots are just a show through of the pattern in which your skin naturally sloughs off. Perhaps more noticeable when the self-tanner formula isn't able to penetrate as deeply, which would result in the tan not lasting as long. I could be completely wrong, as I don't know a thing about formulating self-tanners, but it's an idea...

BTW, so far so good with the Jergens. I don't mind the smell, but I think it may have something to do with a childhood memory of my mother smelling like self-tanner (Clinique!). :lafhard:

Tresses

June 3rd, 2006, 01:44 PM

I've had the tiny dots, too, but with a different brand. Darn if I can remember it, though! :evileye: Loreal something? It came from skin sloughing off, as you said, Steph. I ended up exfoliating the life out of my legs last year to get the dots off (and wore pants for a few days until the "tan" faded. :whyme: )

OK. I have been following this thread, and even though I had figured I would either just go pasty white or somehow work on a true tan this summer (no tanning beds for me, thanks; and I don't have the patience to do the self tanner thing right anymore), I decided to try the Jergens. Bought it today. I am, however, having second thoughts. I mean, the only all over moisturizer I use is EVCO and I love that. No cones, no mineral oil. And here I've just purchased two products (got the face stuff, too) that's loaded with this stuff. ::sigh::

I could always try it and if I don't like it not use it. No big deal. Decision made. I'll use it after my shower tonight. If I don't chicken out.

snowbear

June 3rd, 2006, 04:25 PM

BTW, so far so good with the Jergens. I'm glad it's working so far! :grinhappy:

Tresses

June 3rd, 2006, 06:36 PM

Otay....I used the Jergens about an hour ago. I bought the one for medium skin tone, even though I'm a pasty chick (especially those legs :boggle: ). Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but I think I already notice a difference. :whoohoo: No streaks or funky spots either. But it does have that fake tanner smell. We'll see what the morning brings. :happy:

LisaJaney

June 5th, 2006, 08:34 AM

Tresses, I was going to say "if you dont' chicken out about taking a shower? I encourage you to take that shower, Babe!" Ha!

I'm going to go outside here in a bit and study some math and get some sun. If I do 25 min each side, my legs actually DO get some color. That's the only part I want tan: legs and maybe arms. (they look thinner, AND the tan covers the nasty blue-spidery-capillary-stuff I got going on on the backs of my knees.) Whatta hot babe, huh!

Glad to know I'm not the only one with definite Nelix-tendencies. :)

Tresses

June 8th, 2006, 06:39 AM

OK, reporting back. The Jergens works! :whoohoo: Hubby said to me last night, "Are you using tanning stuff?"

"Yeah, something new I wanted to try."

"Well, I was just admiring your legs and realized you haven't had time to go tan outside." :sweatdrop:

:lafhard:

I do like the fact that this stuff is almost goofproof, since the change is gradual. I still have to use a moisturizer on my face, though. So, about 15 minutes or so after I use the Jergens Face formula, I use just a couple of drops of EVCO all over my face, and my under eye cream.

I'm learning to live with the smell.

No more pasty white! :whoohoo: :whoohoo:

curls2grow

June 8th, 2006, 02:59 PM

Has anyone tried using the Aveeno self-tanner/moisturizer? That one has intrigued me, but I haven't gotten around to buying it yet.

snowbear

June 8th, 2006, 03:27 PM

I'm glad the Jergens worked for so many of you! :whoohoo:

Ally

June 11th, 2006, 11:48 AM

I'm a fan of the Neutrogena Summer Glow tanner. It's natural, and not too dark, not too light. And it doesn't have that gross smell, either.

avery

June 27th, 2006, 04:14 PM

Updates, anyone? :happy:

I have a new favorite for the body. It's by Vaseline Intensive Care, surprisingly and contains no mineral oil or petroleum. (even more surpising for this brand!) It's called Healthy Body Glow and I adore it! The smell is great and I bought two versions. I actually like the medium tone better than the light. (another surprise!)

Check it out if you see it anywhere. I found mine at Walmart in the regular lotion section.

justgreen

June 27th, 2006, 06:22 PM

I've been having good luck with Snowy's suggestions. Exfoliate well, then use the self tanner mixed half and half with lotion. I've done 4 applications in about a week and I no longer feel like a ghost.:gurn:

Stephanie

June 29th, 2006, 09:29 PM

My update. *sigh*

Stopped using it because I broke out horribly. Nevermind that it was far too hot and my skin's touchy when it's hot. I was also waiting for my period to pop up. My scabs from picking are finally healed now within the past couple of days and I'll start back up on the tanners after my next period.

It was slowly building up and what I saw, I really liked. We'll see. I think I'm going to go three weeks on, one week off. Perhaps that will work...

BTW, my skin is very sensitive to fragrance, so I'm going to have to be careful with this. It also means that I'm not using my regular skin care routine. EEK! I will do this, though!!!! :lol: