LAST month on this page, we warned of the dangers of exposure to the sun in particular the increased incidence of skin cancer arising from sunbathing. But because our culture now equates a tan with good health, many women are reluctant to look pale. The outcome is that even though the risks are widely understood, there has been very little diminution in sun seeking over the past few years.
However, for those still determined to sport a tan, an alternative is now available - and it comes in a convenient bottle. Self tanning creams certainly aren't new arrivals on the market. They work thanks to the addition of Dihydroxy Acetone (DHA) to the list of ingredients; DHA reacts with certain primary amino acids on the skin's surface to form a brown stain. DHA is completely harmless, but in the past self tanning lotions have had a bad reputation generally they turned the flesh an unpalatable (and unnatural) shade of orange while exuding a high smell which betrayed that the colour hadn't been acquired naturally.
Thankfully, the quality of products has steadily improved as public demand increased. With the rise of skincare awareness, cosmetics companies responded by creating new self tanning creams, milks and gels which don't smell horrific look a reasonably natural shade of golden brown and the other former problem - won't vary in colour from one patch of skin to the next. The new generation of fakes now on the market aren't almost as good as the real thing. They're better because whatever else results you won't have to worry about premature ageing or skin cancer.
Just to prove how good these products really can be we asked six testers to try out the latest self tanners. Here are their reactions . . .
Ambre Solaire Duo Tan Self Tanning Legs Bronzer (125ml, £6.49)
. Ease of application: The spray wasn't easy to control but it was wonderfully smooth.
.Colour: Brilliant. Very natural.
. Smell: None on application but it was there the next day.
. Liability to streak: Only if you didn't apply it properly - otherwise very smooth.
. Durability: Applying it every day and the tan lasted four or five days.
. General remarks: People said I'd a good tan - it looked extremely natural.
. Marks out of 10: eight.
Lancome Self Tanning Body Milk (125ml, £14)
. Ease of application: Very good; it slides on very nicely.
. Colour: Actually lovely, even compared to my normal favourite brand.
. Smell: Delicious - just like a body lotion.
. Liability to streak: None.
. Durability: I found it went slightly flaky but that may be my skin.
. General remarks: I'm delighted with it and I'm tempted to use it on my face because the tone is so nice.
. Marks out of 10: nine.
Estee Lauder SelfAction Supertan Spray
(125ml, £17)
. Ease of application: Absolutely brilliant.
. Colour: Fantastic - I swear everyone's been saying to me that my tan's gorgeous.
. Smell: None.
. Liability to streak: Not at all.
. Durability: Lasts three of four days; I'd use it twice a week probably.
. General remarks: I'm hooked. You're told the colour comes up over two hours but I found it worked better overnight.
. Marks out of 10: Nine.
Lancaster Quick-Action Self Tan SPF4
(100ml £14.50)
. Ease of application: Went on very smoothly but because it's a spray it went all around me in the process.
. Colour: Came up very quickly and was nicely light - nothing too flashy.
. Smell: Too strong and that was just when I had it on my legs.
. Liability to streak: Not blotches or streaks at all.
. Durability: It faded pretty fast.
. General remarks: The method's slightly tricky because you have to put on a preparatory exfoliation cream first and the smell's a little too strong.
. Marks out of 10: Eight.
Shiseido Self Tanning Moisturising Gel (150ml £16.50)
. Ease of application: Easy to apply but difficult to monitor because it's clear.
. Colour: Again difficult to monitor. It went very dark after two applications which found a bit jarring for pale Irish skin.
. Smell: None really.
. Liability to streak: It streaked on me because I didn't realise I'd missed bits - you have to spend a lot of time putting it on to avoid that.
. Durability: Huge - it took a good week to wear off.
. General remarks: I liked it, the bottle's nice and the lack of smell's great. But the clear gel formulation made it nerve wracking for a beginner.
. Marks out of 10: seven.
Clarins SelfTanning Gel (125ml £12.50)
. Ease of application: Very easy, especially if you first moisturise the skin lightly.
. Colour: Very natural; everyone commented on it.
. Smell: Delicious at first though not quite so nice later.
. Liability to streak: It streaked on my legs but not elsewhere, which means I probably wasn't putting it on correctly.
. Durability: After a couple of applications, it lasted about four days.
. General remarks: Simple to use and looked great - I just have to apply it better to my legs in future.
. Marks out of 10: Nine.