Many years ago, long before I recognized the sun’s harmful effects and became obsessed with SPF, my vacations consisted of spending afternoons slathered in oil on the beach. Yes, really. If you look up “sizzling human turkey” in the dictionary, you’ll find me there. One day, after four hours of sun exposure, I returned to my apartment to prepare dinner. When I showered, the skin on my chest peeled off and fell off onto my hands. Lesson learned. Like many black women who like to tan, I still want a “healthy” (but not really healthy at all) glow from the sun, but I’m no longer willing to risk my health for it with the use of sunless tanning products.
In 2019, I wrote an article for AskMe UK about my experience of tanning for the first time as a black woman. Amanda Harrington is an incredible tanning expert whose body-contouring skills have earned her an impressive A-list clientele (she’s been dubbed the “Michelle of Tanning Kilos”). The result is extraordinary: golden, evenly tanned and confidence-boosting. I told myself at the time that this was the start of my lifelong relationship with spray tanning. I was wrong – I haven’t done it since. Frustratingly, my options were pretty limited: self-tanning products were either full of alcohol or not suitable for darker skin. I know a few black people who use sunbeds in secret. They were aware of the risks and willing to take them, but I wasn’t. Fast forward five years, and the changes in the industry – from changing attitudes towards self-tanning to an abundance of beautifully formulated sunless tanning products suitable for all skin tones – are pretty amazing. Brands like Clarins, James Read, Isle of Paradise, Tan-Luxe and Vita Liberata are leading the way, and their message is resonating. The obvious and clear is this: a huge number of consumers (yes, including black people) want the sunny look – the kiss of the sun or the sunbed without the anger.
Gemma Jones, brand trainer at Institut Esthederm, said that this responsibility on the part of the tanning industry is reassuring, “especially as scientific research shows that irresponsible and unsafe skin exposure during the tanning process can ultimately lead to the following consequences: premature tanning photoaging skin cancer, Some self-tanning brands were created in the 1990s and 2000s in marketing campaigns to look beautiful, and now, with TikTok and the Z. generation, the generation is really leaning towards #blackgirltanning, and it’s clear that the mindset that tanning is only for one skin tone is disappearing.
Another factor in existing self-tanners is older formulas that dry out the skin. The new generation of inclusive tanning products are so focused on hydration that they will compete with their skin care counterparts. James Read is one of the veterans of the tanning industry and has recently launched his latest brand Self Glow. To cater to all skin tones, he no longer uses synthetic colors, instead using cocoa extract as a natural color guide, “This is what I’ve found through years of testing on many people of different ages, skin tones, skin types. It adapts naturally to all of these ingredients will be unheard of on every skin tone, however, Read says the formula isn’t the only thing that would need to be reconsidered if it were, we would no longer use the term “tanning”. The reason the brand calls it Self-Glow is because the desire and the end product are about the skin’s natural warmth and glow, not about changes in the skin.
Alison Hogg, founder of Vita Liberata, agrees that this distinction is important. “There is a common misconception that tanning is only for tanning the skin, but this is not the case. Self-tanning can also be used to even out skin tone and pigmentation. It also creates a light glow that makes the contrast on the skin less noticeable. Darker skin can sometimes look pale and dull during the winter, and a little tan can work wonders to restore its natural warmth and glow.
In search of that glow, I considered new products from all the brands mentioned above. There are creams, oils, waters, gloves, serums…oh, the possibilities! Then I started thinking about the aesthetic labor of beauty – the work of improving and maintaining our appearance – and felt exhausted. A few weeks later, when I tried on a Molly Goddard dress in a large dressing area bathed in natural light, I looked at my legs and thighs. Even though I exfoliated every day, my skin still looked like something from a silent film from the 1920s, grainy and in desperate need of Technicolor. I bought this dress and then went straight to the self-tanner, and here’s what I learned: don’t be overwhelmed by the plethora of textures, choose something you personally like. Oils are my favorite because they absorb easily and leave a glow. If you don’t want to remove body hair, no problem, these products will still work. However, please pay attention to the instructions. I don’t. I added concentrated drops to the oil, which you should already be mixing with your moisturizer. My skin was already moisturized, so I thought, “Ah, never mind!” The result? Five days later, my palms still look like a love child of oranges and jaundice. My complexion, on the other hand, is a deep, shiny dark chocolate color that doesn’t exactly match my natural skin tone but makes me look like I just spent a week on the Amalfi Coast. I’ll take it.
