Consumer Review - August 2002

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Consumer Review
By Diane Kaye

Sunless Tanners For 2002

Last year I reviewed an assortment of sunless tanning creams, and found limited quality. Most of them were only so-so. We all know that baking yourself in the sun for long hours to achieve that perfect tan has its dark side. (pun intended). Not only do you look like a dried prune at age 40, but there are other risks as well. As this is not a medical column, enough of that talk. Anyway, I was at the drug store and spied a new two part sunless tanning cream made by Bain de Soleil. This may have been available last year, but I never noticed it. In my never-ending curiosity, I decided to buy it for a trial run. The dispenser consists of a double tube of creams with a pump lever on the top. The nozzle has a cover that snaps up when you use it. Each full pump dispenses about a half teaspoon of the two creams. The directions say to clean the skin first before applying. Then blend the cream, using it sparingly, around the knees, eyes, ankles, and elbows. This is because the cream collects in the skin creases and makes that area darker, hence accentuating the lines. The cream dries in about 40 minutes, so avoid touching it to any fabric during that time.

My experiences were different. I found the cream to be quite greasy. I applied it to my face and massaged it into the skin per instructions. I then let it "dry" as directed. As I had chosen a DARK blend, I expected a really dark color. I tried to wash the cream off my hands with a simple soap washing, but the greasy feeling remained. In fact it was still stuck to my fingers. It took three heavily soaped washings to get it all off. I think that I will consider using a latex glove the next time. After about an hour, my face looked a deep bronze color. Although it had the standard orange hue with some brown, it was not too bad looking, considering that some brands in the past made you look positively ghoulish. What I also found was that the color would rub off. So touching the skin to a piece of clothing immediately ruins it. But I was prepared for that and wore an old tee shirt. The low cut neck avoided the color getting onto my collar. Naturally I wanted my neck and face to match, down to where summer fashions would cover the skin. So I then decided to wash it off thinking that it was another poor product. A single washing with soap did the trick. The remaining color was weak, but noticeable. I decided to call it a day with this experiment. The next morning I noticed that my skin was considerably darker than when I had gone to bed. What had happened, I suspect, was that the cream had reacted with the skin, and that the excess cream darkened, but did not stick. Washing off this cream got the excess off, while the reacting part remained to do its work over night. The color lasted about three days before fading out by the fifth day. Not bad performance for a tanning cream.

Bottom line was, I liked the cream. It gave a good color, and lasted. It is messy and you should plan to apply it in the evening and wash it off before bed time. Allow about 3 hours before washing off for best results. The next morning you should see the best color. Washing and shaving will shorten the color time. So plan to shave before applying. I would suggest you only apply it to areas that will be exposed, as a whole body application will be a waste and a real mess to clean up. Enjoy!

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