The Scoop on Self-Tanners

A Little History

In our sun-worshiping society, it's hard to believe that throughout most of history, white skin was a prized possession. The Greeks and Romans used lead-based paint and chalk to whiten their faces, and the Elizabethans applied painted blue lines to make their faces look even paler. It wasn't until the 1920s when Coco Chanel got a tan while cruising in the Mediterranean that women all over began coveting the bronzed look. When dermatologists declared that healthy-looking tans were, in fact, not healthy at all, companies started trying to bottle bronze with varying degrees of success.

The earliest self-tanning products had a reputation for turning the skin an unattractive orange; the newest airbrush tan techniques -- using misters to spray color all over the body -- have had far better results. Still, an average of $25 a session for a tan that lasts only a couple of days seems expensive and has led to the launch of this summer's new crop of lotions, creams and sprays. With the official start of summer only days away and the thought of lots more skin showing, our intrepid team of testers, with skin types from fair to olive, agreed to take the self-tanning challenge.

The Tan Test

In need of a bit of color before heading off to Florida for a few days, olive-skinned Kim tried Neutrogena's new MicroMist Tanning Sunless Spray Deep 3 (it's also available for lighter skins for $11.99 for a 5.3 ounce aerosol can at area drugstores). Her reaction: "It's fine if you have good hand-eye coordination, and I liked the shade; but because of the directions to spray on and not to rub in, I found that my legs looked a lot like a child's watercolor drawing, especially around my feet and ankles. You definitely need to exfoliate before and then be very careful of how you apply the mist." Fair-skinned Maura used the lighter version three times in a row. "It made a definite difference, although it is difficult to apply evenly." She advises: "Apply in a room with a window; the smell can be overpowering."

The idea behind Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer, with formulas for fair and medium skin tones, is to give skin a nice glow while moisturizing at the same time. An admirable concept and such a draw to prospective customers that the Jergens Web site notes there's a wait list for the product ($5.99 for 7.5 ounces), which is "flying" off drugstore shelves. Maura was game to try but reported that repeated applications over several days yielded only the faintest soupcon of color. Janet, with more medium skin tones, kept up applications for more than a week and was rewarded with a glow on her face and legs, albeit slightly streaky and very short-lived. She preferred Neutrogena's Build a Tan Gradual Sunless Tanning Lotion ($9.99), which gave more visible results with repeated applications. Alas, streaking is still a problem.

Alexa experimented with Clarins Self-Tanning Milk ($29.50 for a 4.4. ounce tube, at department stores) with poor results. Tie-dye legs, no thank you! Although, several days post application, she says, it's beginning to look more natural and less blotchy. Man-about-town James used Clarins' new Liquid Bronze Tanning for Face ($29.50 for 4.4 ounce tube). "Although, it didn't sting my skin or eyes, I wasn't thrilled with the color. My face got very little color if at all, even with three applications. On the up side, it didn't streak or smell and I liked the packaging."

Jen was hoping to look "sun-kissed" after using Avon's Sun Self Tanning Spray ($9.99 at Avon). "I followed the directions, which say to hold spray 3 to 5 inches from skin and spray on in a circular motion, which resulted in splotches of color all over my legs. My husband said it looked as if I had been beaten. I think the results would be better if I could have rubbed the spray in."

The Results

Price didn't matter when it came to our tests of self-tanners. Success was at best uneven, and none really lived up to its promise to provide us with a streak-free, radiant even glow.

The only one of the products we tested that gave us pretty good results was not a self-tanner, but more of a body makeup. Called Body Bling (available at Scott Barnes and Sephora for $48), it's a moisturizing bronze-tinted body lotion with a hint of glimmer. The advantage (and disadvantage), according to testers Kim and Alexa, is that it washes right off. On one hand, there's no commitment; but on the other, you want the color to last. A definite con is that it will stain your clothing; the instructions clearly state not to put clothing over it.

A Final Word From the Expert

According to Paula Bourrelly, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Georgetown University Hospital, self-tanning products work by using a color additive called dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which is the only such additive approved by the FDA for topical use. Says Bourrelly, "DHA reacts with amino acids in the outer layer of your skin to form brown or black melanoidins, which disappear in five to seven days." Exfoliating allows the more even distribution of the pigment over the skin. The reason to apply gingerly over elbows and knees is because the skin in those areas is thicker and it enhances the pigment so you end up with dirty-looking knees or elbows. Bourrelly says self-tanning creams and mists are safe, and there's no problem in using them over an extended period of time. However, she warns, "Don't be fooled into thinking that your bottled tan gives you the same sun protection as a sunblock. Some self-tanners contain sunscreens, but they're minimal."