Summer may be a distant memory. That doesn’t mean you can’t sport a healthy glow. Follow our self tanning tips on choosing and using the best natural tanners.

Whether you plan to hit the beach or are simply tired of looking at lifeless skin color, there are healthy options to achieving tanned skin. Forget tanning beds or spray tans and get your glow on at home.

Sunshine is good for us. It triggers the body to produce vitamin D (something most of us are low on this time of year) and is a natural mood booster. Of course, overexposure and inadequate protection increases our risk for skin cancer, sun spots, and premature aging. Moderation is key. Around 15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure daily is recommended. Beyond that, be sure you are using safe sun protection.

So tanning the old fashioned way is out. We’ve heard about the dangers of tanning beds, and spray tans are said to be a detriment to health due to inhalation, chemical or not.

That leaves self tanning lotion. Easy to use, can be applied right in your own bathroom, and offers a natural looking tan. Better still, you have healthy options here.

While self tanners have come a long way from the orange streak-inducing products of yester-decades, not all of them have made the jump to using nontoxic ingredients. Why skip the tanning bed just to slather yourself in chemicals? Many mainstream self tanners contain dyes, synthetic fragrance and preservatives, and other harmful ingredients we try to steer clear of.

Safe natural self tanners are made with plant-derived ingredients Dihydroxyactone (DHA) and Erythrulose. DHA is derived from sugar beets or cane sugar and Erythrulose is found in fruits like raspberries. The sugars react with the amino acids in the top layer of skin to create a tanned effect. These natural tanning ingredients are not only safer for skin and body, but create a more natural looking tan than chemical tanners.

Don’t know where to start? Following are healthy all natural self tanners for face and body. They not only provide desired results but look and feel like regular moisturizer.

True Natural Self Tanner Anti-Aging Face & Body

True Natural Perfect Tan Facial Self Tanner & Moisturizer

Chocolate Sun Cocoa Illume Lite for Face

Lavera Self Tanning Lotion

True Natural Tropical Tan Face & Body Self Tanner, Dark Tan

Chocolate Sun Absolute Sun Sunless Tanning Cream

Self Tanning Tips for Application:

For best results, start with clean, freshly exfoliated skin. This goes for face too. Apply as you would your regular face or body moisturizer, working in smooth fluid motions to ensure even coverage. Go slightly lighter over tops of feet, ankles, knees, and elbows. Lightly wipe over eyebrows and lips with a towel after applying tanner.

Some practice will help, but this is not rocket science. Just a good, safe tan.

Related on EcoSalon

Can You Fight Sun Spots Naturally?

The Dark Truth Behind Tanning Addiction

The Silent Killer: Avoid Sun Damage to Your Skin this Winter

Image of woman in the sun via Shutterstock

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Welcome to the seventh and final installment of our seven-part Eco Salon Eco-Beauty Approved Guide: Sun Care Products. 

We’ve worked really hard to gather this list from professionals in the field, including Kristen Arnett, Paige Padgett, Jessa Blades, Greta Eagan, Sophie Uliano, Todra Payne, Renee Loux, Starre Vartan and others, along with our very own editors and writers. We’ve looked at ingredients, brand missions and philosophies, considered skin and hair types, all types of concerns and tested several products in each line. We’ve broken it down by category, with multiple options in each, so get ready for lots of options.

We’ve also considered price and tried very hard to include a broad range from luxury to affordable for just about any budget. Even though we’ve listed just one or two product recommendations per brand, it’s hard to go wrong with these companies, so experiment until you find your new must have products! Without further ado, please read on for the 2013 EcoSalon Approved Eco-Beauty Guide!

1. Chocolate Sun 

Created by natural skincare enthusiast Susie Phillips and a botanist using botanicals, herbs and essential oils as the foundation for all formulas, the ingredients is what differentiates the Chocolate Sun Collection from other products on the market.

Product Pick:

Self Tanner (three shades for a variety of skin tones, streak free application)

2. COOLA Suncare 

High performance suncare products that are both delicate and luxurious enough to compliment anyone’s daily skincare regimen, COOLA offers sun protection for a range of skin types and lifestyles; from the sensitive nature of the FACE and LIPS, to the versatile BODY, and the demands of SPORT.

Product Picks:

Face SPF30 Cucumber Matte Finish (everyone, especially oilier skin prone to shine)

Sport SPF35 Citrus Mimosa (for everyone, especially active)

3. Devita 

One of the fastest growing all-natural, 100% PARBEN FREE, PETA Certified, Vegan cosmeceutical skin care line in the country, offering over 100 different DeVita Natural Skin Care products, a complete line of revolutionary aloe-infused mineral color cosmetics, and a professional line of skin care products sold exclusively through

Product Pick:

Solar Body Block (moisturizer with spf, for all skin types & those who hate to wear sunscreen)

4. Love True Natural 

The LoveTrueNatural Team studies and stays current on matters of organic cosmetic news, rules and regulations. They keep their finger on the pulse of the organic and conventional beauty worlds, to provide you with the most cutting edge and safest natural beauty products.

Product Picks:

Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Baby & Family Water Resistant Sunscreen (for everyone, stays put well)

Anti Aging Face & Body Self Tanner (for everyone, good natural color, not orange or streaky)

5. Suntegrity

Suntegrity Face and Body SPF 30 products use only the best physical block (non-nano size zinc oxide) to provide broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection, super anti-oxidants and amino acids to enhance protection and assist skin repair, paired with  non-toxic preservatives to maintain product integrity without sacrificing safety or health.

Product Picks:

Suntegrity “5 In 1” Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen, Broad Spectrum Spf 30 ( Light & Medium skin tones, normal to dry – can use instead of a lightweight foundation)

Natural Moisturizing Face Sunscreen & Primer, Broad Spectrum Spf 30 (everyone, better for normal to dry skin)

And there you have it.  Our First Annual Eco Salon Approved Eco Beauty & Personal Care Guide.  If that doesn’t provide you with at least ONE option to trade out, well, you’re way more high maintenance than us.  No excuses!

Read Eco Salon’s 2013 Eco Beauty Approved Guide Part 1: 19 Bath & Body Products here.

Part 2: 41 Facial Care Products.

Part 3: 11 Hair Care Products.

Part 4: 17 Makeup & Color Products.

Part 5: 8 Personal Care & Hygiene Products

Part 6: 6 Fragrance Products

Looking to try healthy beauty products before you buy?  Goodebox delivers 6-7 personalized samples per month to take the guess work out of cleaning up your beauty routine. Try Goodebox today.

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Fall is sweeping across the Northern Hemisphere, and many of us are starting to bundle up against the cold. For the lighter skinned lots, this means a loss of that summer glow. And when you spent the summer months alternating between organic sun blocks and healthy doses of Vitamin D through sunbeams, it can seem like a loss. So some turn to self tanners. But can a product that literally turns your skin a different color be safe?

Sunless tanners contain a sugar that reacts with the skin’s proteins to create the golden hue so coveted by tanners. Called Dihydroxyaceton (DHA), it works on the top layer of skin cells and does not penetrate the deeper layers of skin. This is why the tan fades so easily in a few days. DHA often comes from plant sources such as sugar beets and sugar cane. The Skin Deep database gives the ingredient a low to moderate hazard rating depending on how much you use the product. (It gets a 2 if you use it relatively infrequently, but can go as high as 5 if you use it daily.)

So if DHA is okay in moderation, then why do traditional self tanning products rate so poorly when it comes to product safety? Basically, it’s the reason that many traditional cosmetics can rate so toxic, and that is due to the presence of a baddie of fragrance. Most of the chemicals used in fragrance are petroleum derivative. Further, they contain chemicals that are connected to cancer, allergies and more. Other sunless tanners contain the toxic preservatives otherwise known as parabens.

Your best bet? If you’re going to use self-tanner, make sure the product is as clean as possible – aka free of fragrance, parabens and more. One of the more well-known green self tanners on the market is Lavera’s Self Tanner ($26.00). Winner of several eco accolades, the product claims to give a safe, natural tan with organic soy extracts. Containing organic ingredients, it is certified natural by the BDIH guidelines of Germany. It is also free of parabens, SLS and synthetic preservatives.

But how does it work? After a hop in the shower, I slathered some on my gams. The fragrance is light but noticeable. It does give you a nice, overall glow after a few hours, and it’s a great option for a last-minute color. It goes on a bit like a moisturizer and isn’t too heavy. Is it perfectly clean? Not quite, as Skin Deep rates it at a moderate hazard (the presence of fragrance does it again!). But if you’re okay with that and looking for a little color, it’s not a bad option – and it is certainly better than many of the traditional self tanners on the drugstore market.

FTC Compliance

Image: evilerin

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