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Orange is not the only colour —

Self Tanning Products Tried and Tested

“Ballroom dancers invented the fake tan”, said top Ballroom champion Paul Killick, in a recent article for the Daily Mail. Like it or not, you’d be hard pushed to find a top Ballroom dancer who doesn’t sport a glowing tan. Over the years, as do-it-yourself tanning products have progressed, Ballroom dancers have passed through a spectrum of shades from garish orange to a defiant healthily-fake brown glow entering the millennium. Rachel Holland assesses the latest and best self-tanning products to give you the low down on bronzing up

Why the Tan?
Firstly, now that we are all more aware of the harmful effects of the sun, we’ve realised that only self-tan products are the safest way to achieve a healthy-looking glow. The second reason is to improve our appearance. “Dancers are judged not just by their dancing but by their appearance,” says Killick. But why do they need a tan? “It seems almost a necessity for competitors. When you see someone who is not tanned, they stick out like a sore thumb,” says dancer David DuVal. “As a rule, competitors need that fake tan. They just need to make sure it’s not too orange.  I think it has do with the lighting. Usually, there is an intense amount of light on the competitors, causing them to look more washed out than normal,” he adds. “Whenever I apply fake tan, you can see the muscle definition in my back and arms and legs,” says top competitive Ballroom dancer Larinda McRaven. “I think this is why the top bodybuilders always tan to impossible darkness. The shadows on my skin are highlighted which helps to define toned muscles. Without a tan, the light just bounces off, creating a very smooth, non-muscular and pasty appearance,” she explains. “I definitely look better with a tan.”

Preparation
So how do we go about getting a good fake tan? For starters, the key to an even self-tan is in the preparation.
1. Cleanse – Before you start with your bottled glow, ensure you take a shower or bath first.
2. Exfoliate – Rub away the hard, dry skin areas namely the knees, elbows, knuckles and ankles with a good exfoliating product. Overlook these rough spots at your own peril — these are the key areas that attract staining. The skin does not ‘naturally’ tan on these areas, and covering these parts in fake tan will merely stain them.
3. Moisturise – It’s always a good idea to moisturise your skin fully before you apply your self-tanning product. This will help the skin to absorb it better.

Tester Verdicts
So which products are your best bet for an easy-to-apply, even coverage? Our testers give their verdict on the latest and most popular self-tanning products.

 

1.
Brand:	Soleil Sans Soleil Self Tanning Gel
Price:	£45
Quantity:	75ml
Time to develop:	two hours for colour to appear – two days for tanning process to complete
Colour:	increases your skin colour by 35%
Lasts:	a week, top up regularly
Claim:	greaseless, easily absorbed, contains moisturising extracts of Sesame and Jioh
Tester’s Verdict:	“No mess, gives a radiant, healthy glow, has a nice herbal fragrance, easy to apply, dries quickly”
Tester Rated:	8/10
Tester’s Advice:	“Very good quality product but only gives a subtle tan”
2.
Brand:	Model Co. Tan Airbrush in a Can
Price:	£26
Quantity:	187ml
Time to develop:	4 hours
Colour:	deep brown
Lasts:	10 days, fades naturally
Claim:	favoured by Nicole Kidman, Heidi Klum, revolutionary 360 degree nozzle, contains aloe vera moisturisers, cocoa butter scent
Tester’s Verdict:	“Lasts a long time, airbrush nozzle means better access to tricky areas like your back”
Tester Rated:	7/10 – even colour, pretty dark
Tester’s Advice:	“Don’t hold it too close to your skin (they recommend holding it 40cm away), be careful not to splash yourself with water whilst it is drying as this causes streaking, and definitely wear plastic gloves when applying”
3.
Brand:	Dermalogica Protective Self Tan
Price:	£20.50
Quantity:	118ml
Time to develop:	20 minutes
Colour:	golden tan
Lasts:	5 days, needs top ups
Claim:	moisturises and protects the skin from harmful sun rays with SPF 15, contains anti-oxidant vitamins
Tester’s Verdict:	“Easy to apply/no mess, thick cream with the appearance of foundation/body make up”
Tester Rated:	6/10 “Only 20 minutes and you’re done, leaves your skin feeling really soft”
Tester’s Advice:	“Needs a couple of coats to build up a tan”
4.
Brand:	Liz Earle Naturally Active Suncare Sun Shade, Botanical Self-Tan Spray
Price:	£15
Quantity:	95ml
Time to develop:	2-3 hours
Colour:	light, tanned glow
Lasts:	around 5 days, top up 2-3 times a week
Claim:	botanical ingredients, made with plant-based extracts of sugar beet, sunflower, aloe vera
Contains:	essential oils (sweet orange, rosemary, geranium), Vitamin E
For skin types:	all
Tester’s Verdict:	“Easy to apply spritz with a pleasant scent”
Tester Rated:	7/10 “Very natural looking, fresh colour”
Tester’s Advice:	“Hold the spray about 20cm from your body”
5.
Brand:	The Body Shop Fake It! Self-Tan Mousse
Price:	£8.50
Quantity:	125ml
Time to develop:	approx 3 hours
Colour:	medium
Lasts:	around a week
Claim:	ideal for a quick-drying, natural-looking tan
For skin types:	all
Tester’s Verdict:	“Great pump action mousse which really rubs in well and with no mess”
Tester Rated:	8/10
Tester’s Advice:	“None needed – great value for money”
6.
Brand:	Au Courant Instant Sunless Tanning Mousse
Price:	£24.99
Quantity:	240ml
Time to develop:	6 hours
Colour:	Very deep brown
Lasts:	5-10 days
Claim:	Fans include Rachel Stevens, Uma Thurman, Jennifer Anniston and Kate Moss
Contains:	Aloe Vera, Safflower, Chamomile, Rosemary
For skin types:	all
Tester’s Verdict:	“Excellent. People even complimented me on it”
Tester Rated:	9/10
Tester’s Advice:	“Wear plastic gloves when you apply it to avoid brown palms”
7.
Brand:	St Tropez
Price:	£18.99
Quantity:	120ml
Time to develop:	3 hours
Colour:	deep bronze
Lasts:	5 days
Claim:	favoured by Victoria Beckham
For skin types:	all
Tester’s Verdict:	“Very good. Left no streaks, a big plus”
Tester Rated:	9/10
Tester’s Advice:	“Can’t go far wrong with this one”
8.
Brand:	Fake Bake Sunless Self-Tanning Lotion
Price:	£18.50
Quantity:	170 ml
Time to develop:	6 hours, but the longer the better
Colour:	Deep Brown
Lasts:	around 5 days before it needs a top up
Claim:	favoured by Britney Spears
For skin types:	all
Tester’s Verdict:	“Thought I had applied a mud pack; it’s a very dark lotion”
Tester Rated:	7/10
Tester’s Advice:	“Very important to exfoliate properly before using. Also leave it on around 10 hours before you wash it off if you can, otherwise you merely wash it all off”
9.
Brand:	Piz Buin Auto Bronzant Spray
Price:	£11.99
Quantity:	125 ml
Time to develop:	5-30 mins
Colour:	two types: mid or max
Lasts:	7 days
Claim:	natural looking tan without streaks
For skin types:	all
Tester’s Verdict:	“Left me with a nice, bronze colour”
Tester Rated:	6/10
Tester’s Advice:	“It’s a bit sticky but great value for the money”
10.
Brand:	Mystic Tan (Self-Tanning Booth)
Price:	£20-30
Quantity:	You enter a booth and get sprayed all over
Time to develop:	15 min
Colour:	deep brown
Lasts:	10 days, natural-looking fade
For skin types:	light to dark
Tester’s Verdict:	“The future of self-tanning. You leave all the mess in the booth!”
Tester Rated:	9/10
Tester’s Advice:	“Go into the booth and spray yourself”

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