My move to Australia from the UK brought exactly what I had hoped for: sun, sun, and sun! All I wanted was to spend time outside, enjoy the beautiful beaches and just blend in. Everyone around me seemed to have the perfect tan, while all I got was red, irritated skin!
It took me a while to figure out that Aussies don’t actually get their tan from the sun (it’s way too dangerous!). No, the locals here are very savvy users of self-tan products, a practice I readily embraced. There’s no shortage of products and I’ve tried my fair share of them!
An Award-Winning Tan Without the Chemicals
But often I would end up disappointed: products were too complicated to use, required ample preparation (exfoliating, moisturizing, covering the skin to avoid marks on sofas and chairs – who has the time?) and results were often so terrible, that I ended up doing another scrub to get rid of the product (who wants orange skin that screams “self-tan”). And then the smell; some products were unpleasant; some literally made me feel nauseous.
Now, in comes yet another self-tan product: ECO Tan. Needless to say, I was reluctant. Yes, it’s the first and only organic tan to be certified by the Organic Australian Organic Food Chain; it is also certified toxin-free by Safe Cosmetics Australia, and certified cruelty-free by Choose Cruelty-Free; yes, products have been accredited under PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies campaign.
I became interested. The products were awarded the WINNER of the Natural Tanning category in Nature + Health Natural Beauty Awards 2017 and products have received multiple other awards including:
- 2017 Lux Global Excellence Award
- 2016 Cosmo Most Innovative Beauty Award
- 2017 Beauty Shortlist Award
- 2017 Healing Lifestyles Earth Day Beauty Award
- 2017 Healthy Living Highly Commended Award
But what about the smell, and that terrible orange color many fake tans produce? And how about dark patches where the lotion has not been applied properly?
I decided to try ECO Tan Winter Skin lotion. I was not tan to begin with and assumed any misapplication would be instantly noticeable. However, Winter Skin is for all skin types, even fair skin – and it does hold its promise. I actual did not exfoliate, and did not moisturize. I was converted into a fan: No stains on the furniture, no streaks where the product wasn’t applied evenly, and I realized that I hadn’t even given much thought to the smell, simply because there was nothing but a subtle scent to notice!
If you’re off to a beach party and want an instant “wow effect” there’s the Cacao Tanning Mousse. Simply leave on and then wash off when the desired degree of tan is achieved - one hour for a light coffee complexion and four hours for a deep bronze tan! This works for all skin tones, and smells like chocolate.
The Best Tan Without the Chemical Smell or Orange Streaks
So how does this miracle product work? To change the skin color, ECO Tan uses a combination of DHA (from sugar beets), coffee, and cacao. The Winter Skin and Invisible Tan have floral/cacao scent, the Mousse has a chocolate scent, and the Tan Water has virtually no scent - perhaps a slight chocolate scent. No nasty chemical fake tan smell. Most tanning products use dyes, but ECO Tan is free from of them, so the skin won’t turn orange. It’s easy to build up a beautiful, natural-looking tan over several days (simply tell everyone it’s from the sun).
Invisible Tan is great if you have medium skin to start with, and ECO Tan also has a Face Tan Water if you’re more concerned about face and neck rather than showing off your legs.
Shop Eco Tan Products
By: Andrea Leber
Andrea is a travel & wellness journalist and yoga guide publisher with 15+ years experience in the publishing industry. Having lived in 6 countries on 3 continents, she currently enjoys life in Australia and soaks up inspiring ideas in India. On her website andrealeber.com you’ll find stories that inspire and empower you to live, not just exist. Follow Andrea on Google+, send her a Tweet @AndreaLeber or download your free 50+ page ‘Best of Yoga’ guide to Melbourne here: http://andrealeber.com/bestofyoga
