‘Tis the season (or at least the beginning of it, I write this in May of 2009) for tanning! And that means for those of you that are sun phobic, and rightly so since it causes all kinds of bad things to happen to your skin, especially if like me you are ultra sensitive and burn easily, that there’s a new crop of self tanners for you to look at. Sheer Tan is one of them.
There are always new offerings in this exciting area since self tanning is catching on as the only way to get a suntan without harming your skin, and I’m very excited about this latest one that I’m about to review for you after I’ve used it quite a few times. I love providing reviews of products after I’ve tried them several times.
That way, I can tell you what the benefits and drawbacks are since I’ve had several experiences and applications and can share my pitfalls and successes with you so you can love it even more since you’re using it right the first time. That being said, let me give you my overview and review of the sunless tanner called Sheer Tan.
Ok, now on with the story on Sheer Tan sunless tanner spray! Here’s what makes this formulation for self tanning so unique. It comes with an applicator that enables you to reach your back without the help of someone else, and it works really well, much to my surprise.
Another thing that makes Sheer Tan unique is that it is a spray on formula, but the spray is so fine and so even that it’s almost exactly reminiscent of the kind of spray that Mystic tan uses, except of course you’re not in a booth, you are applying it body part by body part.
They have somehow made a spray formula and a nozzle so well that it never clogs and also is extremely fine and evenly distributed. That fact alone would make me use this product again, I decided straight away. Now, for the scent. The scent is great going on. Like many other self tanners, it’s not the scent that occurs when the product is applied, but the scent after it begins to develop that is distinct and bothers a lot of people.
I hate to break it to you, but ALL self tanners, no matter how advanced, what brand and how expensive, will develop into that typical DHA smell after about one hour, and you can’t get away from that. Because all self tanners use DHA, which is the only approved ingredient to turn the top layer of skin brown or “tan”, there are no self tanners that work differently.
Sheer Tan has a banana scent that is very pleasant going on, but of course this goes away and is replaced by the copper penny smell that accompanies all developing self tans. It doesn’t both me any more because I’m used to it. Because Sheer Tan is not tinted, you can go to bed without worrying about staining the sheets and wake up with a nice, deep tan after just one application.
The different way they ask you to apply this product makes it unique as well. What they ask that you do is, after you shower, do not moisturize prior to putting on the spray. Instead, towel completely dry all the water from your body, spray each body part, but immediately after you spray each part, use a light moisturizer.
This is key to getting it all even, before it totally dries into the skin. I really liked this because I found that by applying the moisturizer afterwards, it did go on much more evenly. The amount of DHA in this product must be pretty concentrated, because just one application made me pretty dark whereas my pale Irish skin usually needs a few layers to get any color that lasts.
You can use this on your face too. I sprayed my face right after I put my moisturizer on, with some of the moisturizer still wet on my skin, and rubbed it in with a makeup sponge to make sure it was evenly distributed. It works beautifully on your face too, and did not cause me any breakouts or weird bumps of any sort.
The apparatus that comes with Sheer Tan to help you get your back is a blue tube like contraption that you put the can of product into. You depress a button, making sure you have the nozzle opening facing your back, and it works like a charm. I just used my hands to the best of my ability and reach to make sure it was all rubbed in afterwards.
Now, a couple of tips. Try to not put any clothes on for at least five minutes, allowing the skin to totally dry. Even stand in front of a stand up fan if you have to. Avoid wearing a bra if you can, that’s why I like to self tan at night, because not only do I have minimal clothes on, but I won’t sweat it off, nor will I accidentally mess it up by wearing shoes and getting marks on my feet, or getting wet and streaking.
Now, how does Sheer Tan fade? It fades pretty well and last better than other self tanners I’ve used. The color outcome is really lovely and natural looking, not orange whatsoever, and very deep from the get go, just don’t be too stingy with the sprayer.
The cost? It’s very reasonable, and for me, I’ve gotten at least 3 full body applications if not more out of one can. It costs $35 for the back application apparatus and the product itself costs approximately $13-$15 per can. Not bad at all, and a very high quality, lasting product.
