Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer, 3 Days To Glow, +Protect, and +Firming Review

Hello again and welcome to Summer Shine and Sparkle Report Readers!

It is summer time!  This means time to look like you are chillin in the sun rather than working all day.  Today I'm going to be comparing "Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer," as well as the "+ Protect" and "+Firming" varieties*.  I shouldn't have to tell you that self tanners are a million times better than baking in a tanning bed or in the sun.  Both of the UV ray options are directly correlated with cancer...and wrinkles.  And I bet nobody wants either of those things!

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer Reviews.  Modeled by Squiggles the Guinea Pig lounging in the sun (yes, guinea pigs often photograph like jelly beans). As usual, like my last image, I'll gladly give someone credit for their image or take it down if whoever owns it throws a hissy fit. 

You might be thinking "ugh, I bought these last summer or before.  They smelled awful."  Good news! They reformulated so they no longer have an overpowering tanning lotion scent.  Almost odorless, they are even better than before.  Don't get scared by the new packaging, they still work great.

Jergens Claims That:
"Jergens^® Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer delivers fabulous, natural-looking color that lasts twice as long as the leading sunless tanner lotion.

• Gradually infuses your skin with a blend of effective moisturizers, antioxidants and Vitamin E
• Designed for Fair to Medium and Medium to Tan skin tones"

The +Protect version has SPF 20, and the +Firming version is supposed to reduce cellulite.

In a Nutshell:
Effectiveness: 9 of 10
Smell/Taste: 8 of 10
Packaging: 10 of 10
Economic: 10 of 10
Good for Sensitive Skin: Probably not (I would not use this on my face.  My body skin is not too sensitive, so this is fine for me.
Overall Rating: 9 of 10


Full Report

Effectiveness of this product is  great.  As I said before the smell used to be a -100,000 points, but now, it is just tolerable and then fades quickly to nothing. Hooray! I found the medium/dark version provides a lovely brown (not oopa loompa orange) tan that develops over several hours.  The result is not streaky or too drastic if applied properly. (See "Quick Tips For This Product" below).  I like that it has no immediate staining properties.  This means that it will not stain your clothes or sheets. Hooray!
Mini-Tip: I have heard rumors that the light/medium version could potentially go a bit orange.  There have been good reports of fair skinned people using the medium/dark version (with fewer applications) with good results.  I have not tried this for myself, but thought I would pass along the information.

How it works is Dihydroxyacetone (DHA).  This is a scary sounding chemical but it is a miracle worker compared to the dyes and stains of the the past.  DHA is easiest to understand if you think about it like somebody isolating the chemical that makes bananas and apples turn brown.  Yup, kinda crazy but essentially it's a chemical that starts developing a very similar chemical to melanin (what makes skin pigmented) in your skin.  Cool huh?  This means that the DHA will turn your actual skin browner and in accordance to your own current skin color, leaving it looking quite natural. It also means that it sluffs off with your normal rate of exfoliation so it can last quite a while. The amount of browing depends of the concentration of DHA.  I really like the concentration in Jergen lotions because you can gradually build it up each day and stop when you are a color you like. 

On to the different products in the line (which I have tried all of):

• Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer- This is great lotion that can replace your regular moisturizer when you get out of the shower.  If you are just starting using tanning lotion is suggest this one.  The concentration is pretty much fool proof.  Just remember to wear sunscreen because even though you look tan, you will still burn like a piece of wonderbread in a camp fire.
• 3 Days To Glow- This is a higher DHA concentration.  If you need to look like you have spent all winter on a beach somewhere NOW, I suggest using this product to get a more rapid result.  Doing your tan in 3 days with this product leaves much less room for error if you happen to apply unevenly or do not fully exfoliate before hand (meaning dry patches turn EXTRA brown which looks funny).
• +Protect- I LOVE this product.  It is the same as the Daily Moisturizer but it has 20SPF.  If you don't think SPF 20 is good enough, please check out this article about High SPF Sunscreens: Are They Better? You don't have to worry about putting on sunscreen after you lotion has fully dried.  Just slap on and go.  When you are sitting out on the patio, it will even seem like you are tanning, but in reality, it's just your Jergens slowly kicking in.
• +Firming- I originally got this product because I figured, why not try and eliminate some unwanted cellulite and maybe look a bit firmer?  But in reality, it is the same product but it leaves your skin feeling....oddly smooth.  More like a Barbie butt than a baby's butt.  Just...not good. Stick to the moisturizing ones.

I will say that the lotions have a small amount of micro-fine glitter in them.  This washes off easily.  Honestly I didn't even notice until I was sitting in direct sun, and had my chin resting on my arm.  I then looked at my arm with my nose pressed against it and said "Hey, I think my lotion has glitter."

Packaging is a lotion.  I like this better than gels, foams or sprays because you can get a more even and targeted application.  It might take a bit longer but you can ensure that it looks natural.  The bottle sits so that the product is naturally drawn to the opening so you can get at every last drop of product.

Price is about $8.50USD (without sales or coupons).  Buying 2-3 bottles of this is equivalent to one $35 spray tan at a salon.

Quick Tips For This Product:
1) Exfoliate like crazy before application. Yes, any dry or rough patches on your toes, elbows, or knees will be darker than the rest of your tan.  Dead give away that you are faking it until you make it.
2)  Apply a thin layer of normal lotion to knees, elbows, toes, ankle bones (anywhere that is normally dry) to limit the absorption of DHA in those areas.
3) Don't apply to the bottom of your feel (looks really weird) or your face.  There is a face product, however, I find it better to just use a bronzer on my face to get a matching sunkissed look.  If you are a guy, maybe the face lotion is for you don't wear make-up (however I have known men who wear foundation/concealer/tinted moisturizer, who doesn't want seeminly flawless skin?)
4) Wear gloves.  Though you can try and wash your hands immediately after applying to avoid the palms of your hands turning brown (super weird looking), I just don't think it's worth the risk.
5) Apply the lotion in circular motions and feather it out onto hands and feet.  Actually, Jergens has great videos on applying the lotion so it looks natural and great tips as well. I also like gloves because you waste less product (since some absorbs into your hands). 

So all in all, I really recommend Jergens as an affordable solution for your summer tanning needs.  No cancer included!  While I have not experimented with other self tanners (more expensive or not). I haven't bothered to experiment because I am very happy with this product.  This is saying a lot as a beauty blogger who tries new everything just-because-I-can.

Shine & Sparkle!

* I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions.