Up until my mid teenage years, I use to bake myself in the sun to give myself color. From that point on, I tried to heed all the warnings about harmful UV rays by using self tanning lotions when I wanted to look a little less pale. After trying one self tanner after another, I decided it was not worth all the extra work. No matter how much I washed my hands after applying them, my palms would still look browned. Plus I needed to exfoliate my skin constantly to avoid have patches of brown dead skin on my body.Now many years later, I agreed to try this new SmartShield Self Tanner. What drew me to this product is the fact that it contains no dyes. Instead of staining my skin, it actually causes my body to produce extra melanin, which makes my skin darker. I was worried about using this product in place of my regular body lotion because my skin gets dry all year round. So far the SmartShield, which is oil-free and contains vitamins A, C, and E and aloe vera, has done a fine job of keeping my skin moisturized. This product is also gentle enough to use on children 6 months old and up.
I honestly did not know what to expect from this product. I did not know how many applications it took to see results or how long the results would last. From what I can tell, the building of color is very gradual. To achieve the results below, I used the SmartShield Self Tanner every other day for a week (a total of 4 times). I was able to detect some visible results after the first application.
Before
After
If you are looking for a deep dark tan, this is not the product for you. This product yields a natural-looking tan. I do think that you would need to use the lotion once a day to maintain this soft glow.
The SmartShield Self Tanner contains Avobenzone, which helps to block UVB and UVA rays. I would like to see this product available with an SPF higher than 15, otherwise it is only practical for sun protection while running errands and not for outdoor activities which require prolonged sun exposure.
This product retails for $12.99 for a 4.5 FL oz bottle and can be ordered directly from Smartshield.com, where you will also find sunscreen, lip balm, and insect repellent. For a limited time, SmartShield.com is offering Free Shipping on orders of $50 or more. You can also find SmartShield products at select outdoor retailers.
Thank you to SmartShield for sending us a sample product free of charge to base this review upon.
