Friday, June 24, 2011

Beach Week Day 6 - Bath and Body Works True Blue Spa Suncare Products

Beach Week is beginning to come to an end and I wanted to back to some sun protection and sunless tanner products.  I first started using Bath and Body Works tanners in college and I am happy to report that they have come a long way since I first bought one in 2004.  In the newly repackaged True Blue Spa line, this company has released both suncreen and tanner options and I purchased them all to try out and see how they work.  I love that I can go to one store and quickly pick up a whole batch of products that I need to both get ready for the beach and to take to the beach.  For Beach Week, I decided to try a well-rounded selection of products to hit every single beach need that I possess.  To begin with, a new body sunscreen and then two new types of self-tanners and to finish it you, a new moisturizer that is targeted toward prolonging a tan.

The first item that I chose to buy from this line is the Cooling Sunscreen Mist SPF 30.  This is a new product that just came out in May.  I have already written about the product like this that came out with the Coconuts line and how effective it was.  I decided on purchasing this product along with the Coconut Mango sunscreen since this one has a very light citrus fragrance and came be used without it interfering with any other fragrance.  "Who wouldn't wear a sunscreen when it feels this good to put on?  This SPF 30 sunscreen is a cool, refreshing mist that's ridiculously easy to apply, which means that hard-to-reach backs will be neglected no more and tops of feet will tingle with delight."  This product works just as a traditional sunscreen does, I apply it 20 minutes before sun exposure and wait until it dries until I get fully dressed again.  This sunscreen is not a waterproof formula so I do recommend applying it affter getting out of the ocean or pool.  I also recommend reapplying it every two hours in order to get the maximum benefits from the product.  The active ingredients in this product are: Homosalate (15%), Octinoxate (7.5%), Octisalate (5%), and Oxybenzone (6%); all of which are used to protect skin from the sun's harmful rays.  This is great product and is so easy to apply that it is almost impossible to use it wrong.  The cooling aspect of it leaves a bit of tingle on the skin which is a relief on the very hot days of the summer.  The neutral fragrance of this product makes it very easy for anyone to use and won't offend even the most sensitive noses.

The second product that I bought is one of their self-tanners, the line contains both a gradual formula and the traditional self tanners.  Gradual formauls are the type of tanners that I rarely use, I have so many body products in my collection that I rarely use the same product more than two days in a row and therefore I prefer to use a traditional tanner once every few days.  The Moisturizing Gradual Tanner is a aloe vera based hydrator spiked with a bit of DHA to give a natural looking tan after several uses.  "Everyone knows the best tans come to those who wait.  Use our Moisturizing Gradual Tanner - Glow & Steady today, notice a gradual, natural darkening as the days go by.  Aloe Vera is know to calm and moisturize.  Isn't multi-tasking beautiful?"  My favorite aspect of this product is actually the hydration benefits, this gradual tanner left my skin so soft and smooth that I actually wanted to use it more than once or twice in a row.  Most experts recommend using gradual tanners for a minimum of five days in a row in order to build the tan up, the back of teh package on this one states that it should be used four days in a row.  After the first and second days, my skin looked exactly the same color-wise.  It took up to four days to get a noticeable glow and then on the fifth day, the tan really began to develop.  After the fifth application, I began using this product everyother dya just to maintain my tan.  This product didn't give me a deep tan and I would only recommend it for ladies that are pale skinned, if you already have a medium or deeper tone, then this product will not produce enough pigment to make any type of change in your skin.  I did like this product however it doesn't really change my view on gradual tanners but if this is the route that you prefer then I recommend this tanner.

The second self tanner that I tried is a traditional formula and actually ended up being on my short list of favorite tanning products. This product is named the Bronzing Self-Tanning Lotion and the performance of it is so much nicer than the original products that I first bought from this company.  The first self-tanner that I used in 2004 had little to no color, was harder to apply, and never seemed to dry.  I am happy to report that this product is a far cry from those.  "Strike gold right at home.  This luxurious sunless tanning lotion is a real treasure that will give you a perfect tan, thanks to a touch of instant sheer color that lets you see where you've applied it."  This formula contains Vitamin E to both hydrate the skin and to help the color last on the skin.  This formula is simply wonderful, everything from the texture to the color that it turns my skin.  The texture may be described as a lotion but it is a light gel that applied very easily, sinks right into the skin, and dries within less than five minutes.  Bronzer is in this product so I get a hint of tint in order to help me apply this and so far I haven't had any major errors with this product.  I first applied this product two days in a row to grow my color and then I apply it every three days to maintain this color.  This is in my listed of favorite tanners and I prefer this formula since I can apply it once and see results.  Personally I don't always get to plan my beach visits so I need a formula that can get me results really quickly.

The last product that I bought from Bath and Body Works is a hydrator that is made to extend the life of either a real or fake tan.  The After Sun Moisturizer contains Aloe Vera to help soothe and hydrate tanned skin.  "Once you achieve the perfect tan, you'll of course want to keep your pale, pasty friends jealous as long as possible.  However sun exposure can cause dry skin and cause free radicals to age and damage skin.  Our special after sun formula contains antioxidant Vitamins C and E to help combat free radicals and soothing, moisturizing Aloe Vera to calm."  This hydrator is another one that has more of a gel texture than a lotion.  It smells like sweet oranges and limes and the scent was first reason that I was attracted to this product.  This product has been out under different names in the True Blue Spa collection for years now and I first bought it back in college and have repurchased many times since.  It helps to extend the life of sunless tan, I have never tried it on a real tan (since I have never had one in the whole time that I have owned this product).  This is great product to use when it is hot out since it sinks in quickly and doesn't make your skin greasy.  I would just be over the moon if Bath and Body Works made a body wash in this same line with Aloe Vera in it too.

So now I have shown you guys some products to use at the beach, some more to get ready for the beach, and one to recover your skin from the beach.  Beach Week is drawing to a close and the Fourth of July is drawing nearer so it's time to beginning a vacation tanning regime!

photo courtesy of Bath and Body Works

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