UGH! I am hating self tanners........

LauraMax

LauraMax

Cathlete
I think I've tried them all. Lotions, sprays, towels........seems like no matter what you use you're a stinky mess with spots & splotches on hands, feet, knees, etc. So far the lotion seems to work best for me, but even when I blot around those areas I still end up all spotty.

And then there's the problem of sleeping w/self tanner on (I'd read somewhere that applying it just before bed makes it most effective). Then I wake up with brown palms. :mad:

And then there's the wearing off. More spots & splotches, but now they're all over your body & a combo of white & brown.

I'd heard some really good things about Joliese so I ordered it, but it never arrived.

Still searching for the perfect self tanner & a resolution to these issues, if anyone has suggestions........
 
Laura - I've never found one that has worked good in the long run either. I thought I had when I came across that Famous Dave's stuff (or whatever it was called), but once it rubbed off on my pink Nike top, that was the end of that relationship! I guess I'm just destined to be a pale.
 
Yep, I'm in Liann's boat. the smell of that stuff on me actually caused my husband to get up and go sleep in our guest room when I tried it. I wound up taking a shower at 2am because ever I couldn't stand my own smell!

I've given up on being tan, and have just embraced my ultra whiteness.
 
I'm curious about the spray tans at the tanning salons, but I am SO pale, I'm pretty sure I would look ridiculous and orangey. I was going to do it as a joke to see my husband's reaction, but I am afraid more of fading unevenly.
 
I'm really liking the Jergen's natural glow mousse. It goes on easy and dries superquick. I am very light skinned so I use the one for fair skin. So far no blotchiness.
 
BuffyR said:
I'm really liking the Jergen's natural glow mousse. It goes on easy and dries superquick. I am very light skinned so I use the one for fair skin. So far no blotchiness.
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I'll second that one! No problems with the face or body and I also use the cream not mousse.
 
Laura-

I feel your pain! I have found some self tanners that produce decent results albeit a nasty stink, but my biggest problem is they rub off in places where I sweat during workouts. Primarily shoulder/underarm area and my ankles...which look really bad if I go too dark because I end up looking like I'm wearing white socks:confused:

A couple things I do after applying the tanner is gently wipe my knees, feet, elbows, hands & knuckles with a towel to prevent darker spots and mix a little baking soda with cleanser and really scrub my palms & inside of my wrists. Then I dab a tiny amount on the tops of my hands in case some got washed off while scrubbing and rub the tops together.

I would love to find a product that could produce a darker tan that doesn't rub off but so far, I have not found one. I wish I could learn to embrace my paleness but having some color makes my legs look thinner and the dimpling less noticeable:eek:
 
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I love Jergens Tanning Moisturizer with Firming lotion. It is the bomb! I put it on after my shower just like regular lotion, get dressed and go. No stinky odor, and it creates a gradual color, really natural and nice!:D
 
I'm not sure what product I've gotten in the past....some sort of lotion... But I have my husband do it and he always does a nice even job!
 
Right now I'm using Banana Boat's Airbrush spray tan. I LOVE IT! It goes on very nicely and after you spread it around it dries instantly. I do it in the morning after my workout shower. I've only worn a tanner at night one time and hated how I looked in the morning and what it did to my sheets.

The reason I love this stuff is because it dries so fast and you don't feel it at all the rest of the day. And it smalls of a tropical scent, not that disgusting tanner smell. And as of yet I haven't noticed one blotch, not even on my knees.

Try it. It's cheap and it's very well worth it. My tan is so deep right now it is amazing me. Oh, and wash your hands when you get done with it or they will turn brown.

This is what the can looks like:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/image/75842/index.html?cat=69
 
Conni said:
I love Jergens Tanning Moisturizer with Firming lotion. It is the bomb! I put it on after my shower just like regular lotion, get dressed and go. No stinky odor, and it creates a gradual color, really natural and nice!:D
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That's what I'm using now. What I like about it is the color, it's a nice beige rather than orange. :p My feet still came out kind of splotchy on the sides & tops though.

Dela, I tried the salon spray too. Very costly & the results were pretty bad. I looked like a carrot & it didn't dry evenly--it was all streaky & nasty. :eek:

Deb, I'm not going back to any spray tans. They are such a PIA!

Oh, & one other thing--what about that big ol' white spot in the center of your back? Not only do I have short arms, my muscles are too tight to reach it! :D


Edit-the mousse sounds interesting. Haven't tried that one yet, maybe I'll give it a shot.
 
LauraMax said:
Oh, & one other thing--what about that big ol' white spot in the center of your back? Not only do I have short arms, my muscles are too tight to reach it! :D


Edit-the mousse sounds interesting. Haven't tried that one yet, maybe I'll give it a shot.
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I can't get my middle back either. I was using a bath brush last year, covered the brush part with a plastic ziplock bag and used lotion on to spread it over my back. It worked well but what a pain in the ass to do it. This year I haven't even done that yet.

Really, that Banana Boat stuff works great. ;)
 
Laura,

Here's a couple of tips:
1. You MUST exfoliate your body first. Use any sort of scrub that is not oily. If you can get a Clarisonic Plus to use with a body scrub it will be great. The exfoliation will greatly reduce dark spots.

2. After you apply your tanner (I prefer Kate Somerville's towelettes), you can rinse your palms, then use a small amount of hand lotion mainly on your palms and fingers to blend in and prevent dark palms. I also do this on my feet and toes.

3. For your back, if you're using towelettes you can reach one hand from the bottom and the other from the top and do that "chamois" sort of thing. Otherwise, I've used my back scrubber which is about 18 to 24 inches in length I think (purchased at CVS). It has a hole in one end to hang it up. Put the towelette through the hole and reach with that -- works okay.

But if anyone can help with the appearance when it fades, I'd love to know what you do, other than trying to exfoliate and start over.
 
Embrace the pale, Laura!! haha

I just can't bring myself to do it - I'll stay pale. What is in that stuff that everyone is putting on their skin. It goes straight into your body. Odd phenomenon, but despite increased awareness and use of sunscreen, cases of skin cancer are way up. Methinks it's all the stuff we put on our skin!! (some scientists do too).
 
I too use the Jergens and like the results, but not the smell. I wear it at night while I'm sleeping and my husband says some nights the smell is so bad he can't sleep. Under the covers it's like the smell is baking. I haven't had any problems with my palms because I always wash the palms of my hands and my fingers and wipe a wet towl gently over the back of my hands which somehow always manages to blend the color very nicely with my wrists.

Deb, I am no completely intrigued now to try the Banana Boat mist... hmmm. I just had a ton of coupons for the Jergens, so I have like 4 bottles of it now, but I may have to try that. I'd love to find something that doesn't make me smell. I always rub myself with Vanilla lotion the day after I tan to prevent any stench. :) Do you have to rub it in, or do you just spray it on and let it dry?

Katie
 
I have given up on self tanners. I just don't really care any more. I sit out in the sun for about 20-30 minutes every a.m at around 9:30 and get a nice light color and some Vit D. I started doing that after I was very sick and in the hospital for a month. When I came home--it was in June--all I wanted to do was lie in the sun in the mornings. It felt so healing. I have been doing it ever since. Plus I love the smell of the tanning oil--feel like I am at the beach. I use a tinted moisturizer on my face.
 
Hey Laura! I use quick tan from Body Drench. I bought a bunch of it before I sold my tanning salon. It looks great and fades evenly. Just spray yourself in the shower so it doesn't ruin your floor and you can rinse the walls. You'll love it!!
 
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