NY MAG: Self-Tanners Are Actually Great Now

We’ve been seeing tanning waters for a couple of years now, but they still feel like magic to me. They look completely clear but contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a plant-based ingredient that reacts with the skin’s outer layer to create a tan. I have tried quite a few and can vouch that they make facial tanning almost foolproof. You mist them onto your face and décolleté, and within hours, they develop into a subtle glow that’s surprisingly even and never streaky or spotty.

The “magic,” Vasco says, is that tanning waters contain a much lower percentage of DHA than traditional self-tanners. “Most self-tanners contain 10 to 20 percent DHA; tanning waters have 4 to 8 percent,” she says. That lighter concentration makes mistakes far less noticeable. These products also don’t include bronzers, which Vasco says can interfere with development, and many include skin-care ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and botanicals.

My tan: I tried the Tan Edit’s Water Veil. It smells incredible, thanks to aloe and cucumber; contains hydrating glycerin; and doesn’t have that telltale self-tanner smell. I sprayed it on before bed and woke up with a subtle, even glow. Since the formula is gradual, you can build the color over time without fear of overdoing it.

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