Up until about a month ago, I had never tried a sunless tanning mousse. Most of the ones I hear about are pretty pricey, so I was delighted when I found out that Jergens came out with one called Natural Glow Instant Sun Sunless Tanning Mousse (could the name be any longer?). I purchased the Deep Bronze color. I read several reviews prior to trying this product, and they all recommended to use a tanning mitt instead of bare hands. The one I purchased was this one by St. Tropez.
How I Used It
I took a shower and exfoliated my whole body with my favorite scrub, Tree Hut's Shea Sugar Scrub. I toweled off and did not apply any lotion prior to using the tanning mousse. I thought this stuff was pretty easy to use, especially considering that I'd never used a tanning mousse. I just used one to two pumps at a time on the mitt and applied it. As you want to do with all tanning products, I was careful to apply it sparingly on my knees, elbows, knuckles, and feet. The mousse has a bronze tint to it that works as a guide to help you see if you've missed any spots.
Drying Time and Scent
Jergens claims that this mousse dries in 60 seconds. I think it takes more like a few minutes, which isn't too bad. Just to be on the safe side, I waited about 10 minutes before dressing. I wasn't going anywhere for the rest of the day, so I just put on some loose sweat pants and a t-shirt. I would recommend wearing something loose-fitting--I can't imagine that putting skinny jeans on while this is still sticky would be very much fun. Although it dries in minutes, it stays somewhat sticky for several hours. It didn't bother me too much, but it's something to be aware of. When I first applied it, I was surprised to find that it didn't have that smell that all self tanners have; it actually smelled pretty good. Over the next few hours (and even the next day after I had showered), the self tanning smell reared its head. It wasn't terrible though.
Results
I was very happy with the color I got from the mousse. I could see results right away, and it continued to darken throughout the day. The color lasted on me for close to a week, and it didn't get all weird and patchy when it faded. I should mention that I did not put this on my face, and I don't think this is recommended for facial use.
Final Thoughts
I'm definitely a fan of this stuff. It's reasonably priced, easy to find, easy to use, and the results are great. Let me know if you give it a try!
