For those who suffer from eczema, achieving a glowing self-tan might seem a little daunting. While you might be desperate to get a sunless summer glow, you might be worried that using self-tanner could potentially make your skin condition worse, or highlight the affected areas.
Depending on how severe your eczema is, you are able to use self-tanner to achieve a wonderful tone. However, you need to be aware of the ingredients contained in the self-tanner you are wanting to use.
In most self-tanners, the active ingredient is DHA (dihydroxyacetone). This chemical is a coloring agent that reacts with the outer layer of dead skin and stains the skin. While DHA helps to achieve a sunless tan, it can be very drying to the skin, and can even cause dehydration. For those with eczema, it is better to opt for a self-tanner that contains no DHA, to avoid drying out the skin even further.
So, if you have eczema, you want to look for self-tanning products that either don’t contain DHA, contain less DHA, or at least contain a natural derivation of DHA.
Alright, let’s get right into it.
5 Best Self-Tanners for People With Eczema
Below is my carefully curated list of the best self-tanners for eczema. Read each review carefully to make sure you know exactly what is in each product to protect your skin.
1. St. Tropez One Night Only Wash Off
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This wonderful little self-tanner from St. Tropez is a great way to achieve a summer glow without committing to dehydrating chemicals such as DHA.
The lotion can be used daily and gives an instant tan. The formula ensures that the tan will be streak-free, and will result in a light to medium toned tan that lasts up to 24 hours. It is transfer and water-resistant, so you shouldn’t have any staining on clothes or furniture.
For use on the face and body, it is a perfect quick-fix for a night out, without drying out your skin, further worsening your eczema. It is simple to apply – massage it gently into clean and dry skin, and once it is dry to the touch, you are ready to get going. You can remove it simply by using warm water and soap in the shower.
It has been made to be suitable for sensitive skin, and is super-hydrating, looking after your skin while you enjoy your summer tan.
2. Clarins Liquid Bronze Self-Tanner
The Clarins Liquid Bronze Self-Tanner is perfect to use when going on a night out, or a day out on the town.
It is great to use on normal, dry, combination, or oily skin – making it a great option for people with eczema. The bronzer is ultra-hydrating and is as gentle as milk, carefully nourishing and protecting your skin while giving it a quick and easy to achieve a glow.
The bronzer is packed with different vitamins and delivers a natural-looking tan while keeping your skin healthy-looking and soft.
The lotion is easy to apply and dries quickly and streak-free. As it is only slightly tinted, it is very forgiving and mistakes are hardly noticeable. The tan develops over a few hours, giving you a natural glow.
3. Jergens Natural Glow Wet Skin Moisturizer
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A lot of people really enjoy the Jergens Natural Glow Gradual Daily Moisturizer (including myself), but this one is special because it can be applied on wet skin!
For people with dry skin, it can be uncomfortable to apply self-tanners on dry skin with a mitt. Skin can flake and it can leave streaky patches.
With this formula, you can apply the lotion with your hands after turning off the water after a shower.
Let yourself drip dry and pull your hair up so no water droplets run down your back during application. Simply rub the lotion all over and dry yourself off with a towel. The lotion is color-free, so it won’t transfer onto your towel.
Since this is a gradual bronzer, you will want to reapply after every shower for up to a week to start seeing results, but it is worth the wait!
4. Ed Hardy Butter Me Brown DHA-Free Bronzing Lotion
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This Ed Hardy bronzer is completely DHA-free but still helps you to build a wonderfully bronzed tan.
What makes it an ideal self-tanner for those who suffer from eczema? Macadamia nut and sweet almond oils are known to be great for skincare, and they are the two main oils in this formula.
The MelanoBronze formula stimulates melanin activity while allowing for a natural glow. The natural extracts give you an ultra-bronzed tone, all while looking after your skin and keeping it beautifully hydrated.
It has a brown sugar scent, so be prepared for that, but otherwise, it is a gentle formula.
5. Bodi Sands Self Tanning Foam
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This Bodi Sands Self Tanning Foam is one of the best self-tanners for eczema. Why? Because it offers one of the most even bronzing effects out there.
It does a great job at minimizing discoloration between normal skin and eczema patches. It is one of their lighter-weight formulas, so it won’t enhance any color differences.
As with any self-tanner, the secret to smooth results is all in the prep work, so don’t forget to exfoliate and prep your skin before application.
This formula does contain DHA derived from various plant sources, including beet and sugar canes. It doesn’t state exactly how much DHA is in the bottle, so go easy at first or do a test patch before applying it everywhere.
What is Eczema?
Eczema is a skin condition where patches of the skin become itchy, inflamed, red, cracked and dry. Blisters may even appear on the skin. Eczema has different stages, with many different people experiencing varied symptoms.
Eczema can be triggered by certain foods, and the symptoms can vary according to the age of the person with the condition. Environmental factors such as smoke and pollen can trigger eczema as well, and certain skin treatments can make the symptoms worse.
It is important to find the right moisturizers and creams to help combat eczema and to stop the symptoms becoming worse. Keeping skin moisturized is important, as eczema tends to dry out the skin which results in it becoming inflamed, cracked and rough.
Eczema is not contagious, and in some cases, it can disappear over time.
Self-Tanning with Eczema – Everything You Should Know
Sometimes, spray tans and self-tanners can cause a flare-up of eczema or can cause eczema to look inflamed or irritated. When using a self-tanner, you want to achieve a flawless, even looking skin, and having stained areas due to eczema is not ideal.
There are certain ways to apply self-tanner that help lessen the appearance of eczema, and help to avoid causing any more irritation to the affected areas.
Gradual tanners are your best option, as they do not contain DHA, or contain very little. DHA dries out the skin and can definitely be responsible for a flare-up of eczema.
Here are some recommendations and tips when applying self-tanner to eczema-prone skin:
• Choose an organic self-tanner that contains little to no DHA. Self-tanners that have hydrating properties are also great, as they care for the skin instead of drying it out further. A gentler approach is always better when self-tanning on eczema prone skin, so using a self-tanner with strong, fast acting chemicals is a no-no.
• Gradual tanners work much better on skin that has eczema. Using a sponge blender, the gradual tanner can be easily applied to the face. This can be done daily until you achieve the intensity of tan that you are happy with. The maintenance of a gradual tan is also super simple, as you just need to apply the gradual tanning moisturizer daily to keep up the summer glow.
• Clean the skin thoroughly before application. Once the skin has been cleaned, apply a gentle and organic moisturizer to the skin. Give it time to let it absorb properly into the skin before applying the self-tanner.
• Keep moisturizing daily, or even twice daily, to keep your skin nourished and moisturized. Some self-tanners do dry out the skin, so you need to combat this in order to avoid any flare-ups. Moisturized and nourished skin also hold a self-tan much better than dry skin, and the tan will look more natural when the skin has a healthy, radiant glow. This lotion has been a game-changer for my skin.
If you suffer from eczema, you need to take extra care of your skin. Take it as an opportunity to give your skin the extra moisture and nourishment it deserves, all while enjoying a wonderfully bronzed glow. Once you have found the product that works for you, you will be able to enjoy days of a sunless, summer glow.
Self-Tanner for Eczema
Eczema is no reason to stop you from enjoying a gorgeous tan. While you should avoid spending time in the sun, trying to tan the natural way, you are able to use self-tanning products that will give you a summer-goddess glow.
Choose the right product for you, one that is natural and toxin-free, and you won’t be disappointed. You deserve to feel like a tanned, flawless goddess, and there are definitely ways for you to achieve this! Take care of your skin and enjoy looking and feeling absolutely gorgeous!
