The Sunless Tan

I’m not much for getting a spray tan. Mostly because I hate the smell and feel dirty until I can bathe. After trying many self-tanning products over the years, both expensive and reasonable, here are my favorites. All of them will fit any budget.

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer for medium skin tones ($7). I’ve used this product for years and every year it gets better. Since it’s also a body lotion, it doesn’t have the intensity of a regular self-tanner. The color increases with use but doesn’t get real dark. However, it’s great for evening out skin tone and maintaining color. This is a basic for me and I use it every day.

When I want to look brown quickly I use Savage Bronze Sunless Tanning Mousse ($10). I love this product. The mousse is tinted foam that smells faintly like chocolate. It is easy to apply, develops into a warm brown color immediately and continues to darken over the next few hours. The tint makes it easy to blend evenly. The downside is that it’s messy. The foam seems to splat everywhere and it stains quickly. Apply it in the bathtub and always wear gloves. Even though you may wash your hands immediately after application, the stain is very hard to get out.
I don’t have anyone to apply self-tanner to my back. For this I use Neutrogena MicroMist Tanning Sunless Spray ($10). It’s easy to aim over your shoulder and apply an even mist to your back.
Remember the basics when self-tanning. Exfoliate, especially the rough spots – knees, ankles, tops of feet, elbows and wherever else you may grab too much color. Be sure to apply lotion to these spots as well – either before or immediately after.