I Never Sit in the Sun, But These Gradual Tan Products Keep Me Looking Bronzed

There is nothing I love more than sunbathing. I’m ashamed to admit it, but it’s true. The feeling of joy that I get as I lie outside sipping on a cooling spritz as my skin soaks up all of the vitamin D truly can’t be beaten. And boy have I taken advantage of every minute of sun that’s come my way over the years. However, about a year ago, as I hit my mid-20s, years of sun damage started to catch up with me. I started to notice creping on my forehead, pigmentation across my cheeks and spider veins on my nose, and I knew why.

From then onward, I refuse to sit in the sun for prolonged periods of time, and for the few minutes I do sit out, you better believe I’ve slathered every inch of exposed skin in SPF 50. The problem with this is, however, that I love being tanned. In fact, when I’m not looking my most bronzed and sun-kissed, I really don’t feel like myself. And this causes issues, especially considering I’m really not a huge lover of fake tan.

best-gradual-tan-products-286902-1587646064307-image

(Image credit: @LUCYWILLIAMS02)

Don’t get me wrong. As much as I love the feeling I get when looking in the mirror after I have applied fake tan (Bondi Sands Aero, I love you), the fuss and hassle of applying super-dark formulas is just too much. Luckily for me, over the past year or so, the number of products that aim to deliver a natural-looking, bronzing glow with minimal fuss has skyrocketed.

A far cry from the famous Johnson & Johnson Holiday Skin gradual tanning lotion of yesteryear, new and improved formulas contain a whole host of seriously impressive skincare ingredients and leave behind a subtle, yet convincing, golden glow. So for the gradual tan products I use to help keep my tan (and spirits) topped up all year round, keep scrolling.

Explore More:
Freelance Beauty Editor

Shannon Lawlor is the beauty director at Who What Wear UK. With over ten years of experience working for some of the beauty industry’s most esteemed titles, including Marie Claire, Glamour UK, Stylist and Refinery29, Shannon’s aim is to make the conversation around beauty as open, relatable and honest as possible. As a self-confessed lazy girl, Shannon has an affinity for hard-working perfumes, fool-proof makeup products and does-it-all skincare.