Clara's Sunless Tanning Story

A Just A Little Bit Orange Feature
By Clara Pettitt. Copyright 1997 - 2011. All Rights Reserved.

I first used sunless tanners in the early 1990s. Like many people, I tried "tanning" only my legs, the palest part of my body. The result: streaky, orange legs.

Still, I persevered, because I had no choice. Ten years earlier, I was severely sunburned, the result of rafting down a river for six hours on a lovely day in June. The experience taught me that exposure to excessive ultraviolet radiation was a serious threat to my skin and health. As my burned skin fell off in chunks, I called a permanent halt to my sporadic tanning attempts.

Throughout the 1980s, I used sunscreen, avoided the sun, and was extremely pale. While I was sure I was doing the right thing for my health, I was embarrassed by random strangers asking, "Are you okay?" because I was so wan. Feeling self-conscious, I noticed the advertisements for new and improved sunless tanners, and decided to give them a try.

Which is how I ended up with streaky, orange legs. It took me several months to get it right. The key piece I had been missing was how to remove the dry, flaking skin which made my sunless tan streaky and uneven. I finally hit upon a soft cotton washcloth; commercial exfoliators were ineffective, except at making a dent in my wallet.

After using sunless tanners for over twenty years, my favorite products are, in alphabetical order:

Au Courant Instant Sunless Tanning Mousse
Au Courant Platinum Sunless Tanning Lotion
Bain de Soleil Mega Tan
Fake Bake Sunless Self Tanning Mousse
L'Oreal Sunless Sublime Glow Daily Moisturizer, Medium
Paula's Choice Almost the Real Thing Self-Tanning Gel
Peter Thomas Roth Natural Looking Self Tanner

I have found that careful application is more important than the cost of the sunless tanner I use. See the complete step-by-step guide, where I share everything I have learned.

How do I judge a sunless tanner? There are four criteria: color, smell, price, and ease of application. Color is first in importance to me. Without good color (more brown than yellow or orange), I've wasted time and money.

Next is smell. A really bad smelling sunless tanner is just not going to be used, even if it's great in every other way.

Price is third in importance. If there are two products which are close in quality, price becomes the deciding factor.

Last in importance is ease of application. A sunless tanner should absorb quickly and spread easily; otherwise I'm more likely to make mistakes, and end up with areas where I have applied too much or too little.

What I find important changes over time. Initially, ease of application was most important, and smell the least.

You may have noticed that, with the exception of price, the attributes of a sunless tanning product are extremely subjective. A product may work wonderfully for a friend, but not for you. There is no single product that is perfect for everyone.

There are far more important things in the world than getting good results from sunless tanners, but there are also many self-conscious pale people creeping around in long pants in August. I used to be one of them. If I help just one person feel more confident in a bathing suit, my mission is accomplished!