Tanologist Drops and the Self Tan Routine I Trust

Tanologist Drops and the Self Tan Routine I Trust

Tanologist drops started as one woman's answer to self tanner that broke her out, and they still make a simple place to begin. Here are the drops, mousses, mists, mitts and prep I would line up for a tan that looks like a real one.

Self tanner has a slightly embarrassing origin. In the 1950s a doctor named Eva Wittgenstein noticed that a medicine she was giving children at a hospital in Cincinnati left brown stains on skin, and the ingredient behind it, DHA, became the basis of nearly every sunless tan since. The first products in the late 1950s and 1960s, Man-Tan and Coppertone Quick Tan among them, are the reason so many people still picture orange palms.

Tanologist comes from a newer chapter. Lottie Tomlinson, a makeup artist who had worked on tour with her brother's band, launched the UK brand in 2018 after years of tanners that made her skin break out and left that familiar smell. She has said the first products were the Self Tan Water, the Self Tan Drops and the Self Tan Mousse, and the brand describes everything as derm tested, vegan and cruelty free.

For this first group, Tanologist drops are where I would begin, and the Face + Body Self Tan Drops in Medium, since drops let you decide how deep to go. The brand says they work in your moisturizer or on their own. The Extra Dark Self Tan Drops are the same idea for someone who wants more depth. Then come the formulas for the body: the Self Tan Mousse in Medium, the Tinted Express Tan Mousse in Dark, the Express Tan 1 Hour Mousse in Extra Dark, and the Self Tan Airbrush Mist in Dark. Two gradual lotions, Hydrating Daily Glow and Firming Daily Glow, both in Medium to Dark, suit people who would rather build color slowly.

A quick test: dab a little drop mixture on the inside of your arm first and look at it the next morning in daylight.

Big numbers collage for Tanologist Drops: six products from Tanologist, Isle of Paradise and First Aid Beauty, each set beside a large numeral
Tanologist Drops

Tanologist drops and self tanners

Face drops and mists that blend into skin

Drops are the easiest way to add a tan to your face, and other brands make them too. Isle of Paradise Self-Tan Face Drops in Light are meant to be mixed into your moisturizer, three drops at a time, and the brand says more drops mean a deeper color. Lux Unfiltered Sunstruck Self Tanning Face Drops are a buildable serum with hyaluronic acid that the brand says suits sensitive skin. Caudalie Self-Tan Hydrating Face Drops are fragrance free and use a natural origin DHA with erythrulose, a sugar, for a gradual result.

If a bottle feels like too much work, try a mist. Dolce Glow Acqua Hydrating Self-Tanning Face Mist and the Acqua Dark version both spray on and double as a makeup setting spray, according to the brand. St. Tropez Purity Bronzing Water Face Mist is a lightweight mist with natural tanning agents. St. Tropez Sunlit Skin Bronzing Tint and Self Tan Face Serum shows a glow in an hour and a medium tan in three, and it doubles as a base for bronzing. Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pad is a towelette for your face with encapsulated DHA.

Pairing tip: apply your face tan after cleansing and moisturizer, and run the leftovers along your ears and hairline so the edge does not stop at your jaw.

What I would skip: a dark face mist the night before an event where you will be photographed up close. Try it on a quiet weekend first, so you learn how it develops on you.

Self tan drops and face tanners

Prep that makes a tan even

Good tanning starts in the shower. First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub has pumice beads plus glycolic and lactic acids, and I like it on elbows, knees and the backs of arms, the places where tan grabs unevenly. OUAI Cleansing Scalp & Body Sugar Scrub smooths dry skin with sugar crystals, and the St. Barts version adds a scent with dragon fruit and tuberose. Use either the day before your tan, and never on the same day.

Then the mitt. The St. Tropez double sided tan applicator mitt is velvety, lined and waterproof, and the brand says it keeps hands stain free. Dolce Glow Application Mitt is double sided, washable and reusable. The Isle of Paradise Self-Tanning Mitt is a simple way to keep the same tools together if you already use their drops or mousse. A mitt is what keeps a tan from looking patchy on your legs.

After your tan develops, moisture keeps it from flaking. Sol de Janeiro Body Badalada Lotion with hyaluronic acid has a salted caramel, pistachio and vanilla scent and claims up to 24 hours of hydration. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream is fragrance free and rich, a good choice for dry patches on your shins.

What I would skip: a heavily scented lotion right before you apply tan. It is better to use a plain moisturizer on dry spots, then let the fragrant one wait until your tan has set.

Mitts, scrubs and body lotions for prep

Choosing your shade and pace

Start with the face drops if you are nervous, since you control how deep they go. Move to a mousse when you are ready for the body, and give it a full night to develop before you judge the color. Choose the shade that matches how you already look in summer, not the one you think you should be. Medium suits most people for a first go, and the darker ones are best added slowly. Scrub the day before, moisturize dry areas, wear the mitt, and wash your hands as soon as you finish. A tan like this is a small Sunday ritual, and it is one of the easiest ways to look rested without a single hour in the sun.