FTC Disclosure:  I was sent a bottle of Beautisol self tanner to try as a sample for this review.  As per the FutureDerm.com review policy, I do not allow samples to influence my opinions.

The majority of Americans think they look better with a tan, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD, 2011).  Yet UV rays have been found to cause skin cancer; tanning beds have up to three times the aging UVA rays of the sun; and self-tanners have been associated with increased sensitivity to UV-induced damage for 24 hours after use (Spectrochimica Acta Part A, 2008).

Luckily, there’s a new self-tanner in town, Beautisol, with antioxidants to help fight future UV-induced damage.  Despite this, due to the fact that any self-tanner with dihydroxyacetone (DHA) will increase skin sensitivity to UV rays for an entire day afterward, I would still follow up use of Beautisol with a broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.

Why Beautisol is Different

Beautisol is formulated in two separate compositions, Oily and Dry, which makes perfect sense, considering self-tanner is applied directly to bare skin.  I don’t know why a cosmetic chemist didn’t formulate skin type-specific self-tanner before!  At any rate, the ingredients in Beautisol for each skin type are superior to most other self-tanners:  Dry skin will benefit from a mix of mild hydrators, while Oily skin gets a pat-down with a high concentration of witch hazel and a type of oil-absorbing clay, Montmorillonite.

Favorite Feature:  No Self-Tanner Smell!

My favorite characteristic of Beautisol is its lack of scent.  The DHA in most self-tanners leads to a rather robust chemical smell, but Beautisol has “Odor-Eliminating Technology” to eliminate about 80% of the odor (Beautisol Press Release, 2011).  The result?  All the tan provided by any self-tanner with DHA – without the malodorous experience.

As with other self tanners, Beautisol needs to be reapplied every 2 to 3 days.  This is because the skin sheds itself completely every 35 to 45 days.

Overall Thoughts and Opinions

Overall, I give Beautisol a 9/10 because it provides a tan without damaging UV rays, includes antioxidants to help boost skin’s UV protection, treats the skin rather than drying it out like many other self-tanners, and because it doesn’t smell!  Product Rating:  9/10  (High or optimized concentration of proven-effective ingredients:  3/3.  Unique formulation or new technology: 3/3.   Value for the money:  3/3.  Sunscreen or sun-protection boosting ingredients:  0/1, because DHA increases UV sensitivity, while antioxidants decrease it.)

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• How Do Self-Tanners Work?
• 4 Steps to a Perfect Summer Self-Tan
• The 5 Biggest Summer Skin Care Myths – Debunked!
• Dr. Jart+++ Premium Beauty Balm Review
• Would You Stop Tanning if It Would Make You Less Attractive – New Beauty

Ingredients in Beautisol Skin Type Specific Self-Tanners

Dry:  Aqua (Water), Dihydroxyacetone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate/ Caprate, Hydrolyzed Starch Phosphate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glyceryl Stearate, Caramel, Erythrulose, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Phenethyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Alcohol, Lithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate, Potassium Sorbate, Fructooligosaccharides (D-beta), Dextran, Fragrance/Parfum, Red 33, Blue 1, Yellow 5

Oily:  Aqua (Water), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Dihydroxyacetone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Corn Starch Modified, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate, Alcohol, Caramel, Montmorillonite, Syringa Vulgaris (Lilac) Leaf Cell Culture Extract, Fructooligosaccharides (D-beta), Erythrulose, Gluconolactone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Lithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phytic Acid, Fragrance/Parfum, Red 33, Blue 1, Yellow 5