Liz Thompson
SPOILER: The self tanner wins!
Prior to my spring break trip to Florida, I decided to spray tan. I’d only done it one other time in my life, with pretty horrible results, but had heard spray tanning had come a long way since then.
When perusing my options I came across one salon that offered a natural spray tan. I called them up and the girl on the other end said it usually lasts around 5 days and wears off more evenly than a chemical tanner. Safer, better, sold.
I have a favorite organic self tanner that I use year round when I want to banish the glaring whiteness of winter, or boost my glow in summer. It wears off pretty evenly, but I do have to reapply every 2-3 days to maintain the tanned look. I thought the spray tan would carry me throughout most of my vacation.
Wrong. First strike, the spray tan lasted about 3 days. Second strike, the application and post spray stickiness. With a lotion you don’t have to get naked in front of someone you don’t know or endure the dirty sticky feeling afterward. Self tanning lotion dries in about 5 minutes, then you can dress and go. Applying the lotion is truly as easy as applying body lotion, and only takes a few minutes. Plus you can do it in the privacy of your own bathroom. Third strike, the cost. The spray tan was $30. My fave self tanning lotion is $32 for a 5 oz. bottle that will last you tons more than one usage.
While I didn’t get the full ingredient listing on the spray tan, the gal did tell me the tanning agent used is DHA. DHA is a sugar derived ingredient, the same as used in my favorite organic self tanner. She also told me that it is “paraben free” and “organic”. Neither of which mean much to me, nor should they you, unless they are backed up with proof.
Sooooo, the bottom line …I’ll definitely stick with the self tanner from here on out. And just what is my fave tanning lotion? Lavera Organic Self Tanning Lotion. They’ve made this formula for years and it works like a charm. I highly recommend it for summer.
How do you get your tan on?
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