Who says a turkey can’t be glamorous?

Of course, this gal should have read our article on self-tanners and avoided those unsightly tan lines.

To avoid looking like a turkey, try L’oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Towelettes for those more secluded areas.

Self Tanning Towelettes

How would you like to get your own natural tan without hours spent in the sun or in a tanning bed and without the risk of skin damage or cancer from UV rays? One day that may be possible. And no, I am not talking about sunless tanning lotions.

There is exciting news on the tanning front. Scientists at the University of Kentucky are working on a new kind of tanning lotion, one that produces a tan by enhancing melanin production and also provides sun protection.

Sunless tanners on the market today stain the skin brown or orange and don’t provide a sunblock. Application can be tricky and results unpredictable. Sometimes users are discouraged by the results and go back to the sun or tanning beds.

But the lotion they are working on will produce a real tan by increasing melanin production. Melanin provides the skin its own natural protection from the sun’s damaging rays.

So far the researchers have only tested the lotion on animal models, but are hopeful that this lotion can eventually be used by even the lightest skinned individuals to create a natural tan and provide needed sun protection without the necessity of constantly re-applying sunscreen.

One of the maxims I live by is never look a gift horse in the mouth. Don’t be too picky about his shoes either. I am always willing to try creams and cosmetics people give me, even though the fact that they are giving it away hints of some dissatisfaction with the product. Who knows? It could turn out to be just right for me.

A few days ago, my sister gave me a tube of L’Oreal’s Sublime Glow. L’Oreal calls it a “daily moisturizer and natural skin tone enhancer”. I was surprised by how much I liked it. I had shied away from the moisturizer/tanner combo creams because I didn’t think that one could get much color from them so it seemed better to use a separate moisturizer and self tanner. But this product lived up to its name.

The first time I applied it, I simply slathered it on. I don’t think I expected it to produce any color. I was amazed as the day went on and my arms and legs started to “tan”. The color was nice, too, not orange. The most amazing thing was that I had no streaks or mistakes, even though I had put it on so carelessly. I had smeared it copiously over knees, elbows, ankles, knuckles, all the danger spots and yet no place absorbed too much color or looked “fake”. It has a light fragrance when you apply it but no strong self-tanner odor as it works as some products do so I could wear it all day.

I noticed when I was in the sunlight, that it had a little shimmer to it (L’Oreal calls them “light capturing micro pearls). The slight gold glow probably keeps it from looking too orange and I decided I liked the way I glistened all over. The moisturizer is full of good things like Vitamin E, Mango Butter and Sweet Almond Oil and really does leave my skin silkier.

The instructions say to use the product daily and I can’t see why I wouldn’t. I have used it twice and the second time I felt confident enough to put it on my face. The color is even and subtle but glowing and healthy-looking. Definitely a self-tanner one could use all year round for the glow and the moisturizing effects.

Help! You applied a self-tanner and now your legs are streaked and your face is orange! What can you do?

To lessen the appearance of streaks in your self-tan, use a cotton ball soaked in a 2% alpha-hydroxy solution. Your “tan” is only in the top dead layer of skin cells, so exfoliating will remove some of the color. Use a loofah or a body scrub, but don’t be too harsh. For your face, a bronzing powder can help reduce the orange and even out the color, but don’t use too much.

Most importantly, relax. Your “tan” will naturally fade in three to four days.