Articles Search Engine

Developing a suntan is among the favorite beauty strategies known to the Western world. However, a big percentage of people have fair skin and red hair, and they have trouble being tanned from the sun. Instead of getting a tan, their skin is burned. This provides an interesting market for tanning cream.

A sunless tanning cream is a lotion that triggers skin pigmentation even without exposure to sunlight. This discovery a few years ago over an experiment on mice has proven the effect of a substance called Forskolin, taken from the Forskohli mint plant from India, which stimulates production of skin pigment. This was the beginning of the tanning process catering to fair-skinned people. In addition to providing a tan without exposure to harmful UV rays, these creams have been designed to add an extra layer protection to UV light, making them protect users against skin cancer. After all, the more times that the skin gets burned from the sun translates into greater risk for skin cancer. This means fair-skinned individuals do not need to spend much time in the sun anymore in hopes of getting a suntan, reducing the incidence of skin cancer.

In order to get an idea of what a tanning product should achieve, this piece undertakes the task of describing three products found in most stores, as well as going over the results they produce. Among the most popular brands for these sunless alternatives are Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer, Neutrogena Build a Tan, and Clarins Self-tanning Instant Gel. These three are at opposite ends of the price spectrum, with Jergens being the cheapest at about $5, Neutrogena a little higher at $8, and Clarins costing a whopping $30. A study sent three women, who had been previously disappointed with their attempts at self-tanning, home with each of these products to try them and bring back a report. Here are the basic findings:

1. Jergens – This product was designed to work up a tan while being applied as a daily moisturizer, and the lady who used it said it did tan her skin in a gradual way. However, she explained that using it daily was not really enjoyable since the cream was not created in the way moisturizers are supposed to feel. The product did not soak in easily and was actually quite greasy, making it an ugly moisturizer to put on one’s skin on a day-to-day basis.

2. Neutrogena – The woman who used this self-tanner saw very fast results, an almost instant tanning, and a very good overall effect at that. However, she noted that the product had a very strong smell. She said that if only the odor could have been reduced, she would have been happy to continue using the product and would also recommend it to all her friends.

3. Clarins – Among these three, this appears to have given the most satisfaction to its user. Firstly, its coming in a gel made it interesting and easier to apply. In addition, its effect produced an even tan that the user was very happy with. Of course, it would translate to a greater cash outlay, though, since the lady who used it noted that one can very quickly finish up an entire tube, and one tube costs five times as much as the more affordable Jergens.

This should give you an idea of the basic differences in tanning cream products that promise the same results. They can bring about a tan in different periods, and that would partly spell the difference in their prices, since the more expensive brand can obviously bring about results faster and in a smoother way. Of course, this would mean that one’s wallet would have to be part of the consideration in making the final decision. If only not all users gave a qualm about spending so much, the best choice would obviously be Clarins. However, for those who have limited budgets, at least they can still get good results with trusted brands like Jergens and Neutrogena, while staying away from unknown brands that may come even cheaper than $5. After all, at least with these big manufacturers you can be sure they have your skin’s overall well-being in mind, whereas lesser-known brands may not have undergone the necessary tests to make sure they do not harm your skin in the end.