If you’re looking to get a healthy glow anytime this year without the harmful rays, these Isle of Paradise self tanning drops will be your new best friend. We’re sharing our Isle of Paradise drops review and how to best use them to get a gorgeous sunless tan.
Whether it’s the dead of winter, or the middle of summer, having a nice healthy glow to your skin can make you feel more confident and smooth out any skin perfections. But, booking a trip to the beach and sitting around in the sun all day is something I have little time for these days.
Plus, I’m more worried about skin cancer than I was in my teens and twenties. When I am at the beach, you’ll often find me covered in SPF 50, a hat and under an umbrella.
I vaguely remember my mom applying self-tanner as a kid and the smell, orange-stained towels and amount of work it took her must have scarred me. It wasn’t until a few years that I finally jumped on the self-tanning train and can confidently say, the products available to us now are far better and easier to use than what my mom was using.
I’m a big believer that getting some regular unprotected sunshine because of the health benefits, but when you’re looking for brighter skin without the harmful UV rays, this Is the perfect solution. It keeps my melasma from getting too dark too.
I tried out these tanning drops because they got rave reviews, and they’re incredibly easy to apply. Here’s my review of these golden tan drops in a bottle and how to use them to get the best results.
Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops Review
My first thought was surprise—they come basically clear. How on earth did these provide me with a tan? The biggest highlights:
- incredibly easy to use
- provide great, natural-looking results
- they don’t take up much counter space
- customizable to your liking
Just a day after I first started using the Isle of Paradise Drops, I was looking tanned and glowing. My skin imperfections were less noticeable and it did a serious up-level on my confidence.
I love that it didn’t look fake at all, just healthy and tan, like I’d just arrived home from a tropical vacation!
How Tanning Drops Work
Tanning drops are one of the best and most efficient ways to achieve a sun-kissed and darker skin tone without having to expose yourself to harmful UV rays. These drops work by containing a specific active ingredient, most commonly dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which reacts with the amino acids in the top layer of your skin.
To achieve the desired effect, you simply mix a few drops of the tanning solution with your regular moisturizer or body lotion. Once applied, the self-tanning water gradually darkens the skin by stimulating a color change in the outermost layer. This process is scientifically safe and does not pose any health risks associated with excessive sun exposure.
Your results will usually start to show up within a few hours or may take up to 24 hours to develop fully. Your level of glow will vary depending on the concentration of DHA in the formula and the number of drops used.
When you’re first getting started, it’s best to start with a small amounts of drops so you can see how it looks before adding more. The first time I used it and went a bit overboard on my face and my husband looked at me funny one morning and asked why my face was so dark, ha! Definitely start small!
It is also important to note that tanning drops do not provide any sun protection, so you’ll still want to use your favorite SPF everyday. My go-to is Supergoop’s Unseen sunscreen—it goes on so smooth and works as a great primer for makeup too.
To maintain your tan, you can reapply every few days to ensure that your skin remains evenly and beautifully bronzed. Additionally, make sure to exfoliate your skin before applying the tanning drops to ensure an even application and prevent any streaks or patches. I’ve also found that exfoliating before makes your tan last longer and gives you an even-looking skin tone.
If you have sensitive skin, do a patch test on an area that’s not visible to make sure you don’t have any reactions to the tanning water.
Key Ingredients in Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops
So, what exactly is in Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops that make you tan? Their ingredients are all vegan-friendly and considered clean which we love around here. You can get a custom self-tan simply by adding more or fewer drops to your favorite moisturizer.
- DHA (dihydroxyacetone): This is the active ingredient responsible for making your skin tan.
- Avocado Oil: High in vitamin A & C and absorbs quickly to condition your skin
- Coconut Oil: to hydrate and smooth your skin
- Chia Seed Oil: High in omega-3 fatty acids which are amazing for your skin
- Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil: Has antibacterial properties to help eliminate impurities and protect skin from environmental stressors
These ingredients help to hydrate and moisturize your skin and help to extend the life of your tan, ensuring a natural, long-lasting glow.
Why We Love Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops
Isle of Paradise Drops Comes in 3 Shades
This customizable self-tanner comes in 3 shades—light, medium and dark—which I love because everyone has totally different skin and different wants when it comes to color. I’d base it off of your natural skin-color to keep it as natural-looking as possible.
I have olive-toned skin and while I can get pretty tan, I also get pretty fair in the winter. I opted for the medium and found that it gave me a really nice, natural tan that felt like what I would look like after a trip to the beach.
For lighter skin, go with the light, and for darker, go dark. What’s great about these drops is that you can add more or less to achieve the color you want. The drops themselves are actually almost clear, but the color develops within a few hours of applying.
The Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops are Non-Toxic
As a skincare lover, I was thrilled to learn that these tanning drops are formulated in a way so they are vegan, cruelty-free and organic. Because of this, I used them while pregnant and nursing. If you’re concerned at all, always ask your doctor or just wait until you’re done.
You Can Use Tanning Drops on your Face & Body
This product is designed to be used on your face and body, which is great—one less thing to buy. I also loved that these really helped reduce the appearance of dark spots and melasma for me. Not because it makes them go away, but because my skin is darker, it makes them less obvious!
If I was to sit in the sun to tan my face darker, my dark spots and melasma would also get worse, so this is a great option for anyone else who’s dealing with those issues, scars or hyperpigmentation.
It’s such a quick way to give new life to dull skin no matter if you have a light skin tone, medium skin tone or deep skin tone.
The Price is Right
The price for a bottle is only $29, and they go a long way. I don’t use them everyday, but they have lasted me months! You only need a few drops to get the healthy tan you’re looking for, so that made these an easy yes for me.
Other products, like these Tan Luxe drops which I’ve also heard great things about, are $60 for the same amount of product, and the reviews are similar.
Where to Buy Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops
You can get these online at many different retailers, and my two go-to spots are:
- Amazon: If you have Prime, you can’t beat that super fast shipping.
- Sephora: If you’re a Sephora loyalist or VIB member, snag them here
- QVC: They have a great deal on two-packs that are larger sizes!
The light is in the pink bottle, blue is medium and purple is for the dark drops.
How to Properly Apply Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops
To apply the self tanning drops, you simply mix a few drops with your favorite moisturizer and apply like normal.
Make sure to wash your hands after applying! I can’t stress that enough. It’s easy to forget since the drops go on clear. But if you don’t wash it off, your hands will develop a tan too, which doesn’t look so natural.
As I mentioned earlier, you can customize your tan by adding more or less drops. From my personal experience and asking around, here’s what I suggest when you’re first starting out.
Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops for your Face
To get the best, most consistent results, I found that applying tanning drops on my face about 2-3 times per week allowed me to maintain and even, golden glow.
When you first start, you might want to apply them for 2 days consecutively to achieve the color you want. Then spread out your application to every other day or more. I found that the tan showed up faster than I was expecting, so you might not need to do that.
When I first tried them, I started with one drop mixed with my daily light moisturizer—I’m love this lightweight daily moisturizer, but didn’t notice much of a difference. I asked around and most people said 3 drops, so I tried that, and felt like it was too much. My husband even noted that I looked like I’d been hitting the tanning bed.
If you have oily skin or acne-prone skin like I do, these will not make it worse in my experience and they can help hide scars and discoloration.
The Perfect Amount for Face
After some trial and error, and an overly tanned face, I found that two drops mixed with my light moisturizer about 2-3 times per week was ideal. I’ve also noticed that my tan looks best when I apply the drops the morning or night after I’ve exfoliated.
I typically give it at least a half hour to absorb before applying makeup, longer if I can, but I didn’t notice any issues with streaking or splotchiness after applying makeup. If anything, the natural summertime glow makes my makeup look better and more even. And, it makes it easier for me to go makeup free!
How to Apply Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops for your Body
Since you’re covering more surface area when tanning the rest of your body, you’ll want to use more drops per area.
Knowing how much was right for my face, I upped it for my body. I started with 3-5 drops per area (leg, stomach/chest, arm) mixed with my body moisturizer and that did the trick for me. Just to clarify, that means 3-5 drops per single leg or single arm.
Best Tips for Applying Tanning Drops to your Body
Dry brush before applying your drops, or use a good scrub in the shower to exfoliate—I LOVE this Sugarbuff Body Polish. It smells amazing and leaves your skin smooth and so hydrated.
This will slough away dead skin cells and give you a more even and more natural-looking tan. Shaving your legs before applying is also a great idea because it naturally removes the top layer of dead skin cells.
If you want a darker tan, add more drops to get the look you’re after, or opt for a darker shade.
I found it was best to avoid showering for at least 4 hours and stick to looser fitting clothing while the tan develops. On nights I’m going to use it, I’ll take an early shower and just wear baggy sweatpants or my robe until bedtime and I haven’t had any issues with it staining my sheets.
To make your tan last longer, make sure to regularly moisturize your body too.
What If You Go Overboard?
The good thing is that if you overdo it, it won’t last forever. After my initial face-tanning test that ended in a super tan, I simply didn’t apply it for 3-4 days and it looked normal very quickly.
If you need a little extra help, do some gentle exfoliation with a cleanser like this one for your face, or use a body scrub, I love this Lemongrass Scrub, to help lessen the intensity. And, be patient! It’ll fade over a few days.
This is also a good reminder to not test out tanning drops for the first time before a big event. Try them out a few weeks before to make sure you find the right balance for your body and skin color.
If you’re looking for a healthy, tan and subtle glow without the sun, I highly recommend you try these out. I think you’re going to be as obsessed as I am!
BTW, how to easily clean your makeup brushes, and a DIY hair oil for healthy growth.
