Now that the weather is getting warmer, it’s time to start wearing clothes that exposes the skin. Why do people love being tan? Bronzed and glowy skin brings confidence and makes the body appear more toned.
While laying out in the sun is the easiest way to achieve a beautiful golden tan, that’s not an ideal option for everyone. Self-tanner is a popular and common way people tan without relying on the sun’s harmful rays.
However, when someone has eczema, sensitive, or acne-prone skin, it can be difficult to apply any self-tanner on the market.
So, what do you do if you have skin issues, yet you want a gorgeous tan for the summer? Thankfully, there are steps you can still achieve a self-tan that won’t damage or make your skin irritated.
Read The Ingredients Thoroughly
When you have eczema, sensitive, or acne-prone skin, some ingredients will make your skin flare up. Therefore, it’s essential to read through the ingredient list of a self-tanner to know what you are applying to your skin.
Sunless tanners have active and inactive ingredients that can irritate or cause an allergic reaction, including dermatitis—the most common element in a self-tanner is dihydroxyacetone or DHA. This FDA-approved ingredient is what primarily colors the skin to a darker tone.
How DHA works is that the amino acids in your skin’s top layer react to the DHA’S pigments called melanoidins are generated; therefore, a brown color develops. If you have susceptible skin that includes atopic dermatitis, one factor to consider is a study has shown that DHA can cause dermatitis, which can make the skin condition worse.
Self-tanners with fragrances, alcohol, dyes, and preservatives are the most used reactive ingredients to formulate a self-tanner. The scent in a self-tanner is often the leading cause of skin reactions.
Self-tanner has had a bad reputation for years for having a strong odor. Currently, on the market, there are self-tan products that are fragrance-free. It’s a great option to avoid any fragrance that could irritate the skin.
The shorter the ingredient list is, the better it is for skin that is sensitive. People who have eczema know the importance of adding hydration to their skin. For example, people with eczema-prone skin should look for self-tanners with additional moisturizers such as aloe, shea butter, hyaluronic acid, and moisturizing vitamins such as B5 and E are beneficial.
However, although aloe vera is a soothing and moisturizing ingredient, some people may react to a mild plant ingredient. Therefore, if you know that you are allergic to aloe vera, it’s best to avoid a self-tanner product with it as an active ingredient.
Test A Self-Tanner Before You Apply It All Over Your Body And Face
The best way to know if a self-tanner is not a good match for your skin is to pick a tiny area on your body for a test run. One of the best areas is inside the elbow. Don’t just try it out for a day and feel that you are out of the woods; keep applying the self-tanner product up to twice a day for a few weeks.
If you notice a skin reaction like irritation and redness, then you know for sure it’s the wrong self-tanner for you.
When testing self-tanner on your face, try using self-tan drops. Add a small number of drops into your hands, mix it in with your daily or nightly facial moisturizer, and apply it to your face. Using this technique gives you a chance to see if you have a reaction or acne-prone skin and breakouts.
If you apply a self-tanner that causes an immediate irritated response on the body or face, the best way to alleviate the problem is to take a cool shower to wash the tan product off and soothe the skin.
The Best Self-Tanners For Eczema, Sensitive, And Acne-prone Skin
Brands are finally listening and realizing that all skin types wish to have a beautiful tan, yet it shouldn’t come with bad skin reactions. There is a vast array of self-tanners that claim to be everything a person with eczema, sensitivity, and acne-prone skin needs.
Even though a product claims to be for the most sensitive skin types, it’s vital to consider the steps mentioned above in this article to ensure that you find the best self-tanner that will work for you. Some self-tanners that are worth trying are:
- Vichy Ideal Soleil Self-tanning lotion
The Vichy Ideal Soleil Self-tanner Lotion is for all skin types. Vitamin E enriches this self-tanning lotion. In addition, it’s excellent for eczema-prone skin because it provides hydration to the skin. Another plus of this lotion is it is paraben-free, sensitive skin tested, and allergy-tested.
- Vita Liberata Fabulous Self-Tanning Gradual Lotion
Vita Liberata offers a gradual self-tanner, meaning you can slowly build up the tan within a few days after applying it daily. This self-tanner is full of hydrating ingredients such as Marula oil, Hyaluronic acid, and Shea Butter. Also, it doesn’t have any allergens, perfumes, alcohols, and sulfates. It has a natural ECO cert DHA.
- Tan-Luxe The Face Self-Tan Drops
As mentioned above in this article, you can add self-tan drops to your facial moisturizer. Tan-Luxe offers self-tan drops that are great for all skin types, including sensitive skin. These drops add hydration to the skin because of ingredients like aloe vera, vitamin E, and raspberry seed oil which enriches and conditions the skin.
- DHA free The Chemistry Brand Glow Oil
If you prefer a self-tanner that is DHA-free, The Chemistry Brand Glow Oil is a great option. In addition, this self-tanner is excellent for eczema, acne-prone, and sensitive skin because it is alcohol-free.
Conclusion
To conclude, while having eczema, sensitive, and acne-prone skin can be challenging, it shouldn’t stop you from achieving a beautiful tan.
Instead, taking the proper steps, such as reading ingredient lists on self-tan products, doing a skin patch test before applying it all over, and finding the right self-tanner for your skin type, will put you on the right path to having a gorgeous bronzed glow.
Disclaimer: All products mentioned are not sponsored.
Digest of Beauty 