How Do I Maintain My Sunless Tan While On Vacation?

You’ve done everything correctly. You worked hard to get the perfect sunless tan, and now you’re ready for the vacation you’ve been looking forward to all season. But how are you going to keep your sun-kissed look at its best when you can’t keep up your normal routine? This article offers some great tips to keep you looking golden brown:

No matter where you are going, you can count on two things: You will have little time or privacy. Nor may you have the opportunity to purchase sunless tanners while traveling. So prepare your sunless tanning kit in advance.

If you want to keep your skin at just the perfect shade, follow these steps and you’ll be looking great even if it’s cloudy every day you’re travelling!

TanTowel Evolution Plus 50 Pack

Quickly following up on our TanTowel Evolution 50 Pack review, they also have a darker version of this same offering. Following the same naming convention as their other products, “plus” means “darker” and the TanTowel Evolution Plus 50 Pack is the dark version of the vanilla TanTowel Evolution. Clicking that link you’ll notice the key factor that differentiates the Evolution from its predecessors — its ginormous size. The Evolution is designed to offer full body coverage in a single towelette as opposed to 2-3 towelettes required by the smaller TanTowel offerings.

Mini-review:

Strengths: Darker self-tanner towel. DHA is the active ingredient. Speedy drying process. Smooth and even application. Exfoliating towelette. Priced @ $1.45 per an equivalent smaller towelette, or $4.35 for a deeper full body application which lasts 5-7 days.

Weaknesses: No moisturizer. No skin cancer protection. $220 is still alot of money up front. Larger size means it doesn’t make sense to use unless you want to do your full body

The TanTowel Evolution Plus 50 Pack is our pick provided that you want a full body darker tan in with a non-lotion self-tanner.

Fake It! Self-Tan Lotion For Face

Those familiar with the oily feel of the Shea Butter Self Tanner will enjoy the non-greasy aspect of another Body Shop self-tanning product, the Fake-It! Self-Tan Lotion. However, that is where the enjoyment ended for me. I’ve always liked Body Shop products so I figured that I’d give this one a whirl. What I found was disappointment in a bottle. Yes, the tanner moisturized my skin without irritation, but what I need out of my tanning product is simply a long lasting tan!! This is where Body Shop fails. I couldn’t go more than three days without having to reapply. Other products have provided that deep, dark tan that lasts at least a week, but the Fake It! Lotion just didn’t do that for me. I’ve also heard people complain that they had clothes stained by the Fake It! Product. This didn’t happen with me since I took extra precaution while applying but that’s not to say it can’t happen to you. Either way, I’d steer clear of this product. All the fuss of stained clothes and none of the long-lasting tan. Not a winning combination for me!

Some Like it White

It’s amazing to find that there are still people and cultures that prefer whiter skin. Haven’t you ever heard of Brown Vs. the Board of Education? But seriously, there is no accounting for taste and by the way I definitely prefer dark meat. Check out this little vignette about cultural preferences for different types of tans (or lack thereof):

There’s a saying. “If you have white skin, you can cover 1,000 uglinesses,” said Qui, a 36-year-old Chinese immigrant who lives in Alhambra. Qui goes through a regimen of skin-whitening products twice a day.

Luckily, like many of our readers, the author decided that Jergens natural glow was the way to go to get a little color without damaging her skin. It tans, it moisturizes, and it smells good.

md Solutions Face & Body Scrub Sunless Tanning Review

Before applying a self tanning lotion or spray, it’s always good to use a scrub or exfoliant to smooth the surface over. Think of it like as if you’re finishing a piece of wood. Sand first, then stain it, voila. Your face is wood that needs to be sanded and the md Formulations Face & Body Scrub is an example of just the sand paper you need.

Mini-review:

Strengths: Active ingredient is glycolic acid and they use a propietary mix. Good value from a boutique supplier of beauty of products at 16oz for $45.

Weaknesses: Can be too harsh for people with sensitive skin. Not needed, just recommended.

This is a supplemental product to your overall tanning regimen, but one we recommend if you want to get the most out of your sunless tan. Sand, tan, shine!

Canada: A Great Place For a Sunless Tan

My grandmother has always said that when you want to know about sunless tanning products you either need to find a Canadian or a penguin. They don’t call it the Great White North for nothing. What I love about the Canadians is their ability to make the best out of a bad situation — almost every single day of their cold, cold lives. And when the sun does come out this summer in Canada, it may be more dangerous than ever, with a projected increase in UV rays of 5% over 2004 levels due to further ozone depletion. When there isn’t a lot of natural sun to be had, you need to look for other options to achieve a handsome bronze glow. That’s why, according to ACNielsen, Canadians spent more than $18 million in 2004 on sunless tanning products. As demand for sunless tanning products grows, and Canada remains a cold, barren wasteland, look for a greater variety of tanning moisturizers like the extremely hot Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer.

TanTowel Evolution 50 Pack

In earlier reviews, we recommended the original TanTowel 50 pack and the TanTowel Plus 50 Pack, but the sweetspot in value may in fact be their most expensive TanTowel Evolution 50 Pack. Clicking that link you’ll notice the key factor that differentiates the Evolution from its predecessors — its ginormous size. The Evolution is designed to offer full body coverage in a single towelette as opposed to 2-3 towelettes required by the smaller TanTowel offerings. Other than that, this product is the same.

Mini-review:

Strengths: Sunless tanning wipe. Uses DHA. Dries quickly on your skin. Applies evenly. Towel is its own exfoliant. Priced such that it costs $1.2 per a smaller towelette, or $3.60 per a full body application which lasts 5-7 days.

Weaknesses: No moisturizing effect. No skin cancer protection. $180 is still alot of money up front. Larger size means it doesn’t make sense to use unless you want to do your full body

The TanTowel Evolution 50 Pack is our recommended sunless tanning wipe; best price point if you plan to do a full body self-tan.