Want a Natural Looking Tan Without the Risk of Skin Cancer?

If anyone has used self tanning lotions or even heard of self tanning lotions, I am willing to bet they have also heard horror stories about how these lotions will streak you and turn your skin a nice color of dark orange. A lot times this does prove true, especially when sunless tanners first became available on the market. Over the years sunless tanners have improved dramatically. Certain brands make your skin look like you’ve just spent a sun filled week in Hawaii. I am one those unlucky ones who had the pleasure of being streaked orange by an off brand sunless tanner. I was in high school at the time and didn’t really take the time out to compare or look around at what other brands may be out there. After that embarrassing episode, I have been extremely choosy on the sunless tanners I used. I normally choose the higher priced brands or brands that I know for a fact have worked on others. I had heard of and used Banana Boat tanning products before but was always hesitant in trying the sunless tanning products. The prices have always been signifigantly less than the brands I usually use, and because of that I was a bit skeptical. However, I’m tired of paying such high prices for a tanning lotion when there are so many others out there for half the cost. I decided to try Banana Boat because it is a brand name that has been around for quite some time.

THE BASICS OF BANANA BOAT TANNING CREME

Banana Boat sunless tanning products come in a variety of different styles. They have spray, lotions, and cremes. They have also have different shades such as light, medium, dark, and deep dark. Luckily, my skin always has a bit of a natural tan to it. In the winter months, my skins pales just a bit and that is usually when I purchase some sort of self tanner. I chose Banana Boat Sunless Tanning Creme, Deep Dark because I figured that would suit my skin type the best. I prefer the cremes over the sprays and lotions because the cremes always seemed to be thicker and easier to apply. I purchased the 5.7 oz. tube, which comes with a flip top. The creme itself is a dark brown color and very thick. The dark brown color is supposed to help you with evening out the creme on your skin so that you will be less likely to streak. They call this a “color indicator” for self adjusting color.

One question that I always want to know when thinking of using a new sunless tanning creme has to do with the scent? Is the smell horrible? How long will the scent last? Banana Boat Sunless Tanning Creme DOES have a scent, and it is a strong scent. However, the scent is not horrible. It’s not very pleasant either. The scent has a tiny bit of a sweet smell, but mostly the scent is of a strong sunless tan smell. The scent lasts until you take a shower. In order to achieve a tan you need to wait at least 2 hours before showering, so plan on smelling like a strong tanning odor until then.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS PRODUCT

On the first application, I followed directions exactly. This was a new tanner to me and I had no room for mistakes. Most people usually wear latex gloves when they apply tanner to make sure their palms don’t tan as well. I never do this. I have found that is my wash my hand thoroughly right after I have applied all the creme I need that my hands are safe. Taking a shower first and exfoliating your skin helps tremendously. The creme is easier to apply and the results are a bit more visible. So after doing all this, I applied the creme. I apply the creme just like I would any lotion, except I make sure to cover every single area. I apply very lightly to knees and elbows. These parts tend to tan a bit darker than the rest of your body. My first thought was the scent! I will say it again. This creme has a strong scent. However, I was impressed with the color indicator. The dark creme gives you almost an instant tan. It does not claim to give you an instant tan like others may, but I’ve found that is works better than some of the other “instant” tanners. The creme was simple to apply and it was clear to me when I missed a spot.

After about 4 hours I noticed a DARK tan. When they say deep dark, they do mean deep dark. My other tanners usually showed results faster than 4 hours, but the results of Banana Boat Sunless Tanning Creme, Deep Dark made me extremely happy. I actually checked myself over more than a few times, knowing there had to be some kind of catch. This creme made me honestly look like I had been in the sun for weeks. After showering, the color indicator came off my skin leaving it a bit lighter. However, the “natural” looking tan was still there. Usually if a tanner is not dark enough, I will apply more at the end of the day. I did not have to apply again for over a week. The tan maintained far longer than I ever would have expected. My skin felt soft and moisturized as well. I could still smell a slight hint of the tanning scent, but it really isn’t that noticeable after you shower. I will be using this tanner again. With no streaks, moisturized skin, and a natural looking tan, how could I go wrong?

INGREDIENTS

Purified Water , Caprylic , Capric Triglyceride , Dihydroxyacetone , Propylene Glycol , C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate , Cetyl Alcohol , Stearyl Alcohol , Glyceryl Stearate , PEG-100 Stearate , Petrolatum , PVP , Dimethiconylacrylate , Poly-Carbamyl , Polyglycol Ester , Caramel , Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice , Stearic Acid , Tocopherol Vitamin E , PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate , Dimethicone , Steareth-20 , Steareth-2 , Phenoxyethanol , Methylparaben , Ethylparaben , Propylparaben , Butylparaben , Citric Acid , Disodium EDTA , Fragrance , Henna Extract Lawsonia Inermis