Help! My Self-Tanner Turned My Legs Green!
You bought a self-tanner last year and you didn’t use it all. So, you go to the cupboard this spring and pull it out to use it. You spread it on and…EEK! It looks green! What is going on and are you going to turn green? Self-tanners contain DHA (dihydroxyacetone), which reacts with the amino acids in the dead layer of your skin to turn you a temporary bronzed color. The base of many of these tanners is green to prevent your tan from looking too orange. Once the self-tanner is exposed to oxygen or to too much heat, the guide color turns green. As a general rule, once a self-tanner is opened it has a shelf life of six months.
So, that tanner you bought last year? It might not be good anymore. But is that always the case? Maybe not. I decided to put it to the test with my Vita Liberata tanner from last summer. I opened the mousse and spread it onto my mitt. It still looked brown, but maybe with a hint of green. I then applied it up my leg. Yep…a definite greenish hue. I finished my whole leg and let it develop overnight. I woke up in the morning and looked at my leg, anxious to see if a Shrek-like appendage would appear. Nope. A perfectly bronzed leg. I was lucky, though.
There have been plenty of complaints from people using last year’s self-tanner that they turned green. If you pump it out and see more green than brown, throw it out! There are more than enough photos of unhappy green gams on the Internet for me to tell you it isn’t worth it. My advice is to test an inconspicuous spot with your old tanner before attempting to use it all over.
When it comes to your face, I would just buy a new face tanner, like St. Tropez’s Purity Face Mist. You might be able to get away with a little green on your legs, but your face is another matter entirely. If you’re thinking that you just don’t use self-tanner enough to keep buying a new one each year, consider one without the guide color.
I also recommend Coola Sunless Tan Firming Lotion. With its natural pina colada scent, the streak-free, transfer-resistant tanning lotion builds a gradual, subtle tan over several days. Made with 99% natural ingredients, the Ecocert® certified formula also contains moisturizing shea butter and caffeine to help skin look firmer and smoother. Tan, tone, and tighten for glowing summer skin any time!
AIP Solutions Sunny Legs is like a tinted moisturizer for legs, it’s a corrector and moisturizer with a color deposit that makes legs shine. Ditch the streaky self-tanner. and opt instead for this universally flattering and transfer proof product that gives you sun-kissed skin in 5 minutes flat.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure to store your self-tanner in a cool place to keep it stable for as long as possible. Happy bronzing!
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