Self Tanning Lotion

Are you concerned about sun damage to your skin? I used to be a person that would lay in tanning beds and lay in the sun to try and tan myself. I have grown concerned over what the sun and tanning rays are doing to my delicate skin. The photo below was taken from Women's health mag. They stated that regular use of tanning beds escalates sun damage big time. It actually quadruples the risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, according to a study from the University of Minnesota’s Masonic Cancer Center and School of Public Health.

So I decided I would stop using tanning beds and start protecting my skin from the damaging rays of the sun. 

 I always liked the look of a softly sun-kissed skin, a look I could never achieve.  I decided to try out a brand of self tanner and write up a review after I find the results. I am very fair skinned (so much so I would say transparent) you can see my veins and blood vessels. (who need Google maps anyway) ;)

 I have used these self tanners in the past and felt dirty or stained from being able to see the streaky dye I had rubbed all over myself. The more orange color it leaves rather than a nice golden bronze color they promise seems to make you look like you've tried to paint your skin with cheap water colors and bad brushstrokes. As time has passed the companies that create these self tanners are always trying to improve what the final outcome will look like. The brand I decided to try is 

The product recommends that you exfoliate before using the self tanner. I have not done this is the past, but I do understand the importance of it now. The dry dead skin on your body tends to "drink" up the dying element of the self tanners and will make those UN-exfoliated areas look too dark in comparison to the rest of your skin. I was excited to get started, but reluctant as I might end up looking like I've poured orange dye all over myself. I went shopping and ended up finding an exfoliating cloth. I have purchased exfoliating products before and I was using one of these for a while.

While it is effective in getting rid of dead skin and softening your body it is very hard and not a pleasant thing to be rubbing all over yourself. It doesn't fit into creases well or where it is important to get all the dead skin off to avoid build up of the self tanning product. I chose to purchase an exfoliating bath cloth. I found it a CVS and the price around 4$.

It is very easy to work with it. It opens wide and long so you can exfoliate your own back. You can use this with body wash or bar soap and it lathers nicely.  It doesn't feel like sandpaper on the skin and it removed all areas of dead skin leaving me feeling soft and refreshed. I am quite pleased with this purchase.

After exfoliating I used the L'Oreal self tanner and I am quite please with the outcome. The mousse style tanner is very easy to apply and spread very evenly. It may take a little practice getting used to rubbing it in so quickly and making sure you haven't missed any spots. While the tanner is still on your body you can see it a bit. Where it was applied and if you did not get even coverage. After the self tanner dries you may feel a bit sticky, a sensation I don't care for much at all. I found if I went ahead and applied baby powder after the tanner dried I did not have a lingering sticky, damp feeling and it did not effect the quality of the desired outcome. I did find the self tanner left my hands (which are calloused from lifting weights) dark on the rough calloused areas. I recommend using a pair of rubber or plastic gloves to apply if this is a concern for you. I do not have any streaking and I am quite pleased with the overall color effect.  You can reapply the product daily until you reach your desire color level. I will continue to use this product in the summer months. A little less road map on me arms and thighs. This is a look I can appreciate.