As I have gotten older, taking better care of my skin has become more of a priority. I’m sure I have done plenty of damage between laying out in the sun for hours with no sunscreen and laying in the tanning bed in years past. I no longer lay in the tanning bed and I always apply sunscreen when I am out in the sun. I am probably overly cautious when it comes to the sun now. I try to stay more covered up, wear sunglasses (another thing I used to not do), and I literally reapply a layer of sunscreen every hour (obsessive much). I want to keep my skin looking young as well as do everything I can to limit my chances of getting skin cancer.

While I try to stay out of the sun as much as possible, I still want to have nice tan skin. There are lots of sunless tanner options out there and it can be difficult to know which to try. I was unsure of how I would like sunless tanners so I opted to try some of the more affordable options first. Today I will be comparing the pros and cons of my experience with two of the budget friendly brands. I will look at two varieties of the Jergens sunless tanners and two varieties of the L’oreal sunless tanners.

Jergens:

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer (Medium to Tan): This was the first sunless tanner I tried. Overall I was pleased with the product. It definitely worked to give me tanner skin over a period of 5-7 days. You do have to be careful around creases such as your elbows, knees, and ankles. I always apply a moisturizing lotion to these areas before applying the self tanner to help prevent any discoloration. You also want to make sure to wash your hands after applying so that it does not stain your hands. It does have a slight sunscreen-like odor but is not that bothersome. I really recommend this product if you want a gradual tan but if you are looking to get color fast, I think there are better options.

Jergens Natural Glow 3 Days to Glow (Medium to Tan): I first tried this product when I was a couple of days out from attending a wedding and wanted to have some color. I didn’t have 5-7 days to use the above option and needed something that could provide that color in a lot quicker time. The product gives a noticeable difference in color after only a couple of uses. You can achieve a darker color with this product than with the Daily Moisturizer discussed above. I prefer this option over the daily moisturizer. Again you have to be careful around creases and make sure to wash your hands after applying. The smell with this product is the same as the daily moisturizer. I have heard some fairer skinned users claim that they felt it made them turn orange. I tend to have more of an  olive skin tone and did not feel that I appeared orange. They offer different options based on your skin tone and I always use the Medium to Tan option. I tend to use this product in conjunction with the Daily moisturizer. I will utilize the 3 Days to Glow lotion until I achieve my desired level of tan and then I use the Daily moisturizer as kind of a maintenance tan for several days. I only reapply the 3 Days to Glow lotion after I start to see the tan fading some.

L’Oréal:

L’Oréal Sublime Bronze Tinted Self-Tanning Lotion (Medium Natural Tan): I had heard good things about the L’Oreal sunless tanner line and decided to give it a try. For me, this product took 4-5 days to see a noticeable difference in color but it does produce a nice color tan. I felt that it comes out more bronze than the Jergens products. Once again with this product you want to make sure you are careful around any creases and that you wash your hands after applying. While I liked the color I achieved with this product, I didn’t like the glitter that is in the product and leaves your skin shimmering like a disco ball. The glitter tends to stay on your skin until you shower again. I felt that the glitter is very noticeable. I also had more trouble with streaking with this lotion than I did either of the Jergen’s options (that could just be operator error though). Once again, the product does achieve a beautiful tan but I would pass on this product simply because of the glitter residue it leaves on your skin.

L’Oréal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Towelettes (Medium Natural Tan): I have to say these are by far my favorite self-tanning product that I have tried. Mainly because of the ease of application compared to the lotions. With the lotions I feel that it is hard to sometimes know if you have evenly covered every area but that is not an issue with the towelette. The towelettes produce just as good a color tan as any of the lotions. I noticed a significant change in my skin color after 3-4 days. I still recommend being careful around creases and making sure you wash your hands after application. I usually only use the towelettes for 5 days and then only use again as I start to see the tan fading. There is no residual smell with the towelletes unlike the lotions. If you are looking to try one affordable sunless tanner option, I would highly recommend starting with this one.

What are some of y’alls favorite sunless tanners? Budget friendly options? More expensive brands?

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