The Top Three Sunless Tanning Lotions

Women are realizing more and more the importance of caring for their skin when it comes to the sun's harmful rays. Society has made it seem that the bronze skin of summer is the prettiest, but over the years the countless cases of skin cancer and not to mention old-looking skin on young women has made those pictures paraded in magazines less appealing to the wary woman. But there is a way to achieve a healthy glow without ever spending time in the damaging sun! The market is flooded with a variety of lotions and creams that promise that "perfect tan from a bottle"... but which ones are really worth your time and money? I have listed my top three favorites, and believe me I have tried many!

Loreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Lotion

I feel like this is the best lotion I have found that works with my slight olive undertone because it doesn't at all create an orange or very bronzey look but rather a more brown and natural look. I use it all over my body, and have no trouble with unevenness. It works, great, too, in layers - so the more you add, the better you look. It is probably the most expensive of all three of my top picks, but I think a bottle of this is well-worth the money. It takes a little longer to dry, but once it is dry you look really great! It's around $10 a bottle, typically.

Banana Boat Sunless Summer Color

This is a fast fix for days, and I love that it is a tinted lotion which means you can see where you are applying it, blend it well, and never get those awful streaks that some other lotions can cause. I have found, though, that if you use a lot of this lotion it does tend to leave a strong scent on your skin, but a good way to counteract that is to use your favorite lotion on top of it once it has thoroughly dried into your skin. I like to use Jergen's Skin Firming lotion on top of this. It's around $7 a bottle, typically.

Coppertone Gradual Tan

It is a non-tinted lotion - it's white - but it's also gradual so you don't have to worry about streaks. It's probably the only gradual tanner I have found that produces a natural brown tan, rather than the typical orange look which is so unappealing! Plus, the scent is really nice and is not overpowering no matter how many times you use it. It's around $10 a bottle, typically.