Do you tan? Fake or real?
Remember those days of being a teenager and baking in the sun, covered with Hawaiian Tropic dark tanning oil or baby oil with iodine (what were we thinking?). No sunscreen in those at all. Sunscreen wasn’t even in our vocabulary then. We spent plenty of Saturdays at the beach when I was a teen in college in Florida and I can remember being obsessed with laying out in the sun, just laying there baking and it was SO hot. Oh my, the years I did that are just crazy, but honestly I don’t think we knew better at the time. I have since learned the hazards of tanning….
I do not tan at all anymore (on purpose anyway), except when I’m at the beach and put on a lot of sunscreen. I’ll sit out a bit in the sun, but do not let myself burn and get minimal sun on myself and I cover my face with a hat and sunscreen all the time when I’m out at the beach. I’m not so good about doing it around my house when I’m outside, but I really need to do it all the time. I’ve already had skin cancer about 15 years ago and hope that I don’t have more, although odds are I will. My fair-skin dad has battled with skin cancer for years and I totally have his coloring. So, it’s sunless for me these days. Luckily, the days of Q-T, the orange stuff (remember that?) is long gone and there are many great products out there.
My lily white legs are begging for me to get out the self-tanner right about now and everyone will thank me when I do it. Putting on shorts really calls attention to how white I am and that bit of color really helps a lot. I bought some Loreal Sublime self-tanner last year and liked it for the most part, but I thought I’d see what y’all are using, cause I know most of you probably do the same thing I do…self-tanner all the way! I don’t like to spend a ton on self-tanner, so let’s share some recommendations on thrifty finds, as well as the more expensive ones, if you like those too. I’m breaking out the self-tanner this week since I’m going to the beach, gotta have some color.
Any tips on keeping the streaking to a minimum? I know what I usually do….exfoliate, slather with lotion, then put on the self-tanner! The knees and ankles are the worst parts to get streak-free for me.
How about it? Are you ready for shorts, got your tan on lately??
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Hey Rhoda,
I have been using self tanners since I moved up here to TN, when we lived in FL I kept a nice color(I’ve got olive tone skin), but since the move I’ve had to self tan. I like using Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer & as for streaking I make sure I rub it in real good. I have never had streaks. You won’t notice color right away but, for me at least, by that evening or the next morning I notice a little color & the more I use it the more color I get. I can’t remember how much it is but it’s not expensive!!
Gretchen (http://www.xanga.com/MotherHen1966)
I love self tanners too and they have come a long way. Check out my vacation pix on my blog and you will see the results I get from a bit of sun-through-the sunscreen and my handy-dandy micro-mist self tanner from Neutrogena..I prefer this over all. This is a self tanner mist and not the spray-on color. I use their gradual self tanner/moisturizer for faces. My dermatologist recommends sunscreens that include Helioplex for the best protection, and Neutrogena has several of those. I use the 55 on my face and the thirty everywhere else. I also have a product called Kiss My Face, which is environmentally safe so won’t harm the water.
Oh yes, already in shorts and I do have some tan. I am a person who lives to be outdoors. I love working in my yard or just relaxing on the patio. We camp, hike, etc. and we also have a boat, so lots of water activities – which are not good for avoiding the sun.
I am pretty fair, but I tan decently and I don’t burn easy. Even so, I ALWAYS wear sunscreen. I have a bananna boat one that I like and Avon makes one actually for kids, but I love the way it makes my skin look. It’s not greasy, but makes your skin look so moist. It’s SPF 40 and that is what I use if I’m on the water, the beach or out for an extended time.
No experience with self-tanners, although I did try that lotion with a bit of self tanner last year, to keep the tan going, but I couldn’t tell much from it.
I have a friend who swears by one of the clinique self tanners.
tina
I WOULD but I am terribly allergic to whatever it is that makes you tan. I tanned two weeks before my wedding and broke out in hives all over my body and my FACE. It was awful. I had to go on steroids to make them go away.
No self tanning for me. I guess I’ll be white my entire life, which after that experience is a-ok with me!
I laid in the sun yesterday. It as such a nice day. But in the winter I will use a bronzer powder and hit my high points..cheek bones, shoulders, knees, shoulders…it seems to work. I also use the mary Kay self tanner….it works really good too. Just remember to wash your hands really really good afterwards..lol.
I’ve tried the Jergens self tanner with good results. Last year I bought a 2 spray tan package from a tanning salon. Balm Beach I think. If you have a big outdoor weekend I thinks it’s worth the extra expense. Where I work so many of the women tan and they get that tanning booth brown. I certainly don’t want to achieve that but my legs are a scary white right now. So I’m thinking of getting a spray tan for memorial day weekend just so I can go to the pool and not scare small children!
Hi Rhoda,
I don’t tan and I am too chicken to use the self tanners…I have seen some pretty horrible results!
I am also scared off by the chemicals in those self tanners…what is that doing to your skin??? YIKES! I went online and typed in all, natural self tanners, they had one on Vitacost.com, my favorite place to buy vitamins too, so maybe I will try that one!
Hope your week is truly blessed,
Donna Lynn
I haven’t use self tanners since the orange smelly days. I would have to get tan FIRST and then “supplement” with the self tanners to get a more natural look!
But no more. My husband isn’t a fan of tan, he likes my lily white skin so he would probably protest! However, in the summer when my face naturally gets a little more sun I might try the new tanners to balance out my legs so when I get in the hot tub at the beach I don’t scare away the whales!
Happy day!
Melissa
Well, I’m old enough to remember not wanting to do sit-ups next to Tammy Simpson in gym because her orange Oompa-Loompa tan stuff would rub off on my arm. (Sorry, Tammy!)
What were we thinking putting that stuff on back then? I was a burn yourself with Baby Oil and Iodine girl. Yeah, that was a good idea.
Today, I try to remember to put on a little Jergens Natural Glow so I don’t have a rescue helicopter beaming down in my backyard from the screaming-bright flare of my untanned thighs.
I use the Loreal Sublime & it works pretty good. Just about everything will streak if you aren’t really diligent about rubbing it in (I like to use gloves while doing it so that i can take my time & not worry about my palms tanning). My #1 tip is to dilute it w/ regular lotion….about a 2/1 tanner vs lotion ratio. That really helps cut down on the streaking. I don’t use anything but a bronzing powder on my face & neck.
I will be reading this with great interest! I too am very fair and can’t spend time in the sun without pretty much burning. I remember the days of laying out in the sun baking myself to a nice warm glowing color…but now I’m older and wiser!! LOL
~Des
I am allergic to self tanners. I’ve tried the most expensive to the least, with the same results…itchy hives. I go to the tanning bed for 2 months to build a base and I’m set for summer. A few years ago my daughter used the spray on self tanner and it worked fairly well. Someone may have mentioned already, I’ve heard that mixing the self tanner with lotion works well.
Good luck!
I love self tanner…you are right it has come a long way!! I just did a post about this on my blog…CaioBella!!
Rhoda,
I’ve used self tanners for years and tried most of them out there. I get nervous about chemicals on my skin, so I use all natural self-tanners. They don’t smell or streak. The best (by far) is by Arbonne called Made in the Shade. It has SPF 15 which I need because of my fair skin. The other all natural is Clarins. You can buy it at most department stores. However, Clarins is more expensive $30.00 and it comes in a small bottle. I recently read a poll online that said Arbonne was the best out there. However, if you want cheap, go for Jergens Natural Glow. I’ve tried Jergens and couldn’t stand the smell. But a lot of people on the poll liked it for the money.
Hey Rhoda!
You must have been on my daughter’s blog yesterday! YES, we go to Hebron…but I don’t think I know the couple you mentioned…we’ve only been here for about 18 months.
Thanks so much for sharing the tree information! I think we have a new project this weekend!
Blessings,
stephanie
One more thing Rhoda. Arbonne has a great bronzing powder for your face and neck.
I use Jergens natural glow only on my legs because they are always fish belly white and also I don’t like the smell either. That way it isn’t so noticible to my nose. It works pretty well if you’re careful. I like the one that takes a few days to build up so that it isn’t streaky.
I stopped the, dare I say… tanning bed, two years ago. I started getting those ugly sun spots and discoloration on my face:(
So now I use Jergens Natural Glow for body and face. I LOVE IT!!!! Truly, it looks so natural.
I used self tanner last week and happily went to work with lovely tan legs when to my horror i glanced down and on my ankle was a huge streak of orangy color in full view of everyone. That stuff does NOT come off. Other then that ankle everything worked well. I will make sure I take my time and apply evenly! Good luck!
mary
I’ve never used sunscreen other than what’s naturally in my moisturizer and make-up. As you know, my skin is olive, I’m part Apache, and I tan easily. I love it when my skin looks soft and brown. In early spring, I use Jergens Natural Glow like so many others here and have never had a streak problem. Just gradually gives a nice, very natural, warm color to my skin.