Cheating Your Way into that Summer Tan

Summer is here. With the sun shining brightly outside, everyone is out on the beach, getting their tan on. But if only tanning is all fun and game! Not only would you have to sit under the suns for hours at the time, you also have to keep applying, and reapplying lotions. If you're not careful, all you're going to get is a burning red skin, and within a few hours, it will start peeling.

Even if you do manage to get a tan, it would only last a few days. You could go back to the sun, of course, but it's still a lot of work. Not only that, you also have to worry about too much sun on your skin, which can develop into skin cancer.

There are a few ways to cheat yourself to a nice summer tan. The first way, of course, is a tanning salon. If money is not a concern for you, and you know a salon with good reputations, you should definitely check it out. You can get an authentic tan at a fraction of the cost, and without the UV ray from an actual sun.

But what if money is a concern for you?

Don't worry. The cosmetics industry has created a solution for you as well: self tanners. In a lot of ways, they are kind of like rub-on tans. But they are also different in the sense that it may take some time before you see their effects, and they last much longer than a rub on tan.

So how do you choose a self tanner?

There are dozens of self tanners in the market, all claiming to do the same thing. So how do you know which ones to use?

The answer is simple: do your research. Look around for reviews and recommendations on self tanners, and be sure to try a few on for yourself. Here are my experiences with 3 of the most common self tanners, and you can probably find all of them in your local pharmacy

1. Jergens Natural Glow


My rating: fair

This is a good product if you just want to get slightly darker. You can generally find it at a lower price than other self tanners. It is easy to apply, and dries pretty quickly. It doesn't give you a tan right away. What it does is gradually darken your skin, so you reach your optimal tan. But you should only use it moderately, and only aim for a few shades darker. Once you go pass a certain point, your skin would turn slightly orange, and if someone knows about self tanners, they will be able to tell right away from the skin color.
2. Clarins Self Tanning Tint

My rating: overrated

To be fair, this is not a bad product, but I had a lot more expectations for it considering it is one of the most expensive self tanner I've tried. First of all, it comes in a liquid form, which can be hard to apply. You have to wear a latex glove if you plan on rubbing it on yourself, because it can stain. Because the way this product is designed, you have to be careful when applying it, or it can create an uneven color. It does give you a better color than Jergen natural glow, but the color seems more like a stain (reminds me of soy-sauce stain) than actual sun tan. Also, it comes off easily. In fact, if you go jogging with this product on, chances are, it will probably stain your shirt.

3. L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Tinted Self-Tanning Lotion

My rating: good

If getting a dark tan is your goal, this is the product to go. It gives a very convincing tan, and each tube is about half the price as Clarins Self Tanning Tint. It does take a bit of time to dry, but once it dries, the color will stay on your skin, and you can use the drying time to wash your hands, to make sure the self tanner doesn't stain your hands. The only thing I don't like about this self tanner is that, for some reason, L'Oreal decided to add glitter into its lotion. You definitely don't want to apply this in the morning, or your going to walk around looking like a disco ball. Instead, you should use it at night, and take a shower in the morning to wash the glitter off.

Another thing to note about this product: stay away from its light tan version. The light version has a yellow look to it, and also doesn't look like an actual tan. If you're thinking of getting a light tan, you are much better off using Jergens Natural Glow.

Happy tanning

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