Trish Berry, December 23, 2024
A tan looks good on everyone. It enhances colored clothing, whether white or black. But some of us cannot get in the sun without a lot of SPF on their bodies. I am one of those. I have had several bouts of basal cell skin cancer and squamous cell skin cancer. Luckily, these were caught in time because I go for an annual exam by my dermatologist. I check my body on a regular basis; in fact, I found the two squamous cell cancers at home and called my doctor immediately. I avoid the sun. I wear a hat, an Eric Javits straw hat, and a sunscreen that is high in protection, like 100 percent.
That’s the reason I use a self-tanner. I think I look better with a self-tanner, less pale. It took some experimenting to find the right one for me.
We all have different skin types. Our heritage plays a part in that. I am 50 percent Irish, so I freckle. Freckles can be darkened by any tanning lotion, darkened to the point where they look like a skin cancer, waiting for a skin doctor to walk by you on the ship, stop you, and then tell you to see your doctor.
Freckles are beautiful, spread across the nose, even along the arms and across the shoulders. This is a little secret that I will share with the younger girls: As you age, and the more sun you get in your younger years, your skin makes the decision to give you little marks here and there. Some people (even doctors, really wanted to bust his chops when he said this) call them age spots. My granny called them liver spots. You’ve seen them. You know what I’m talking about. So they are age spots, along with my Irish freckles, but I prefer not to have the polka dot look, if I can avoid it. So I self-tan to blend those freckles (or age spots) to a warm tannish glow.
I have tried the L’Oreal Sublime Bronze mist spray in medium color. If I spray it on one leg and then use a latex glove to spread it out, I get good coverage without really dark freckles. This is a reasonably priced self-tanner. Available at Walmart or Amazon.
I’ve also tested Malibu Hemp Golden Glow. This did not work for me. Malibu Hemp Golden Glow is white when it comes out of the pump bottle so I could not tell where I was tanning. If they added a hint of color to this product, it would help in applying to the skin. Malibu Hemp Golden Glow made my freckles very dark. If you have no freckles, this would work for you and give you a great tan. This is a very economical product. Available at Walmart or Amazon.
Equate Lovely Glow works for me. My freckles do not get real dark. I like this product very much, but it is getting more and more difficult to find. I purchased this at Walmart, but the Walmart website shows that it is now out of stock. I hope they continue carrying the product. This is a very economical product.
L’Oreal Sublime Bronze lotion made my freckles darker. If you have no freckles, this might work for you. It is an economical product and can be purchased at Walmart or Amazon.
L’Oreal Sublime Glow Daily Moisturizer Lotion, medium skin tones, is the self-tanner that works best for me. Instead of making my freckles stand out, it blends the freckles in with my skin. I don’t know how it does it, but it does. I get an almost even tan all over my body. I loved (past tense) this product. It was reasonably priced, but now it is very hard to find and it costs more than I want to pay. When it was available, you could buy it at Walmart, Amazon or Target. You can purchase it on eBay and Amazon now, but the price is quite high.
If you have freckles or age spots and want to hide them, there is a product made for you. Experiment to find a product that is best for your skin. If you want to let your freckles (or age spots) glow in the sunshine, that is glorious to see.
My long-gone aunt had more freckles than uncolored skin. She was beautiful. She was a walking example of someone who cared less of what people thought of her and more of what she felt about herself. She was wonderful. But she also made me aware of taking care of myself so that I was happy with myself.
Thanks for
reading.
Trish
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