Beats Skin Cancer, But Not Revolutionary!
Written: May 28 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: You've got yourself a fake tan
Cons: Chemical smell, streaking, the lengthy process
The Bottom Line: This was my first attempt at sunless tanning, and it was somewhat successful with no major catastrophes. But this is definitely not some revolutionary product- more average.
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| Javelina's Full Review: Coppertone Endless Summer Sunless Tanning Lotion |
Coppertone Endless Summer Sunless Tanning Lotion
The first time I tried Coppertone Endless Summer Sunless Tanning Lotion was after getting home from a vacation. I had gone to the tropics during the frosty winter weather we were experience in New York. I tried to be conscious about keeping myself safe from the sun while still gaining a little color. So when I got home to New York, I had a nice tan that was already turning into a nice glow, without being red or burnt.
Why sunless tanning? After I was home for not too long, my tan started to fade. I couldn’t have that happening! Then I saw an advertisement talking about a new sunless tanner, Coppertone Endless Summer Sunless Tanning Lotion. With all the advertising hype behind this sunless tanner, I wondered how I could go wrong. This must be revolutionary, right?
I figured that this would be a great bet for me, considering that a) I am new to sunless tanning, and b) this is a new product. Sure, I’ve heard quite a few horror stories about sunless tanners for a few years, but I thought maybe the hype was over and advances have been made in these products.
As I read the Coppertone Endless Summer Sunless Tanning Lotion bottle, horrible visions raced through my mind. I pictured myself covered in brown streaks. I pictured myself not being able to leave my house. I wondered if everyone would be able to tell that my tan was fake. Would it be written in sunless tanner on my forehead that my tan was a fraud?
I decided to go ahead and buy Coppertone Endless Summer Sunless Tanning Lotion. It runs about $10.00 or more (I believe I got it for more like $12.00). The next day, I was disappointed to see that the tanner was being sold in Wal-mart with a free chap stick.
The first thing I did was to read the directions very thoroughly, as well as to visit the Coppertone website for this product (www.coppertone.com). After I was sure I wanted to take this kind of risk, I prepared myself. Depending on what part of your body on which you use sunless tanner, it is best to leave those areas exposed to air and away from clothing. It is suggested (not required) that you exfoliate before applying any kind of sunless tanner. (I would personally suggest exfoliating, which I’m pretty sure will make the tan last longer). This means that you can’t quite take Coppertone Endless Summer Sunless Tanning Lotion home from the store and put it on right away- there’s some preparation required.
So after you’ve scrubbed away in the shower, you need to make sure that you are completely dry. What I soon found out was that Coppertone Endless Summer Sunless Tanning Lotion does not work well with sweat, humidity, or any other kind of moisture. There is no sunscreen in the product, which makes sense since it simply stains your skin, and you can’t go frying yourself into a sweat at the beach when you have it on anyway.
Now you have clean, dry skin. Time to break out the Coppertone Endless Summer Sunless Tanning Lotion. The container suggests conservative use of the product. In other words, use it in sparing amounts rather than too much. You’re supposed to work the product into your skin evenly. Less of the product is needed in areas like knees or elbows, and you can use this sunless tanner on your face.
Coppertone Endless Summer Sunless Tanning Lotion comes in a tall pump, and you can see the two separate canisters that make up the container. One has an activator, the other with the tanning agent. When you depress the pump, both lotions come out. I chose Light/Medium over Dark, since it would match my complexion better, and for a newbie, mistakes would not be as noticeable (or so I could hope!)
The moment of truth (or the hours of it)…
The first time I used Coppertone Endless Summer Sunless Tanning Lotion, I applied it to my arms, following the directions, and not using too much of the product. The first thing I noticed was the strong smell, which is difficult to describe, but is definitely that of chemicals. The lotions are white and pink, so you will not be able to see it on your skin immediately. The directions tell you that you can see results in 30 minutes, and that the crème will dry in 30 to 45 minutes.
Because self tanners like Coppertone Endless Summer Sunless Tanning Lotion stain not just your skin but other things like fabrics, your best bet is to not allow your treated skin to touch clothing. In other words, this is not necessarily a project you want to undertake while being around others or if there are certain other things that need to be done. While self tanning, you are going to smell quite strongly of the tanner, you’re probably going to be at least partially undressed (or in the process of staining clothing), and you can’t work up a sweat or get wet (no washing dishes for you!)
Now that I’ve put myself in a situation where I am basically unable to do much of anything for a few hours, I find something to do. But I suggest checking your tanning process on a regular basis. As careful as I was, I noticed some streaks showing up. When applying the lotion, I had actually followed some previous tan lines with the Coppertone Endless Summer Sunless Tanning Lotion, which helped me to determine the progress of the tanner. This gave me two advantages: I could compare “before” and “after” skin through relative skin color, and, it meant that I wasn’t covering my whole body with lotion (I could work in stages).
As streaks showed up, I was able to do some scrubbing with a paper towel, which helped, and left me with no permanent damage. Although I wasn’t noticing any kind of dramatic color changes, I was able to see the difference in the streaks.
Next, you leave the tanner on for at least three more hours. Although you can get dressed, you’re still going to smell, and you cannot get the treated areas wet.
The most difficult parts of the process…
Washing my hands, and not being able to wash my hands. What? Well, as soon as I was done applying the lotion, it meant getting the product off the palms of my hands. After washing with different types of soap, my hands felt greasy. I scrubbed with a dry towel, which took care of preventing discoloration, but did nothing for the scent. At the same time, this means trying to get a continuous color from your arm to the top of your hand. What I ended up doing was wiping my hands clean (top and bottom) and applying lotion carefully to the top of my hand with a tissue or paper towel. Almost every time, I managed to leave white areas at the base of my fingers and the outer edges of my palms and thumbs.
Then, after the product is now on the top of my hands, but not on the palms, it means no washing hands for at least the 30-45 minute drying period, and also for the next three or more hours.
At one point when I used Coppertone Endless Summer Sunless Tanning Lotion, it was quite warm in the house. I noticed the tanner starting to sweat away, gathering in the insides of my elbows and starting to smear. Definitely not a good thing, so avoid this kind of situation!
Also, if the cap is not tightly closed, the product will start to oxidize near the opening, so make sure everything is tightly capped and the cover is on. Not that there’s much of a loss to the product, but it will prevent having to wipe the discolored lotion off the pump.
Results…
I noted some streaking early in the progress of the developing tan, so I was able to scrub the streaks away before there was any permanent “damage”. After leaving the lotion on for most of the day, you’re done. The smell of the lotion tends to get to me, so it’s always nice to be able to take a shower. Some of the color will appear to wash away, especially if you scrub at it.
The color began to fade rather quickly, especially with scrubbing in the shower. Within a few days, I could definitely qualify for another application.
What I liked: The color of the tan seemed nice, and was not too orange or fake. I wanted a sunless tan, and that’s what I got. I would say that this is a much more viable alternative (for myself) rather than absorbing harmful rays of the sun.
What I disliked/downsides: The application process and not being able to do anything all day. Almost no matter what you do, there will probably be streaks. The smell of the product is that of chemicals. It is very easy to miss spots, making it more obvious to others that you have used a self-tanner. The tan does not last very long, so coupled with the frustration of the application process, having to apply it on such a regular basis makes it less feasible.
Overall, Coppertone Endless Summer Sunless Tanning Lotion performed pretty much like I expected. I had minor streaking that was correctable, and the tan was decent. The product is expensive, considering how quickly it goes (the container holds 3.7 fl oz). I don’t have experience with other sunless tanners, but my perception is that this is no revolutionary tanner. Streaks happen! I would say it’s worth a try, and as a newbie to this kind of product, Coppertone Endless Summer Sunless Tanning Lotion was a satisfactory “starter” for me.
Website: http://www.coppertone.com/sunless/
Recommended:
Yes
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