The Mine Tan Dark Ash Foam Is The One Self-Tanner To Rule Them All

As someone who has been self-tanning for years, I’m always eager to check out new tanning products when they hit the shelves. Lord knows we’ve come a long way since I used to glom on Jergen’s Natural Glow every night in high school and hope for the best. So when self-tan products started marketing themselves as violet-based, blue-based, or green-based, I took note. These tans are essentially meant to color-correct, and the undertones help you find a tan that matches your natural skin tone and truly looks like your skin — but tan (not an orange layer on top). For a while I thought it was just a marketing gimmick, but when I saw the literal gray bottle of the Mine Tan Dark Ash Self Tan Foam, I decided to give it a whirl.

The product claims it’s the perfect tan for people with super fair skin (hi, it me). The gray in the formula is meant to counteract the natural pink tones underneath, which can make you appear orange with other tans that don’t cancel them out. It described the results as a “cool-toned brown,” so I bit. And wow, when I want a natural-looking tan, I will be painting myself gray forevermore.

Stats

• Price: $29.95
• Size: 6.7 fl. oz.
• Who it’s for: People with fair skin and cool undertones. Mine Tan also sells Violet, Caramel, and Olive Self Tan Foams for those with deeper skin colors or different undertones.

The Ingredients

As with any cosmetic product, the chemist-friendly ingredient names in the list don’t mean much to us laypeople. What matters to me is that this formula includes lots of moisturizing oils, like jojoba, argan, and coconut oils. It leaves out parabens and sulfates, and the DHA (the ingredient that stains your skin to look tan) is derived from natural sources.

How I Use The Mine Tan Dark Ash Self Tan Foam

Pay close attention to the instructions on the bottle with this one. When you’ve reached your desired tan time (one hour for a light tan, longer for a darker tan), it’s recommended to rinse the color off in lukewarm water for 45 seconds and avoid using soap. The first time I used it, I took a legit shower with body wash and completely nullified the effects.

This product will continue to develop for up to eight hours, so you can customize how dark you want it — I love the color it provides after three hours or if I leave it on overnight. In any case, the prep is the same: I shower, shave, and exfoliate with a scrub or exfoliating glove. Then I get out and moisturize my whole body with a thin layer of my favorite lotion (Eucerin Eczema Relief Body Cream), applying a little extra on dry spots like my elbows, knees, and ankles.

Then, I apply the tan using a tanning mitt, rubbing it on in circular motions until it’s dried down. I use an old foundation brush to apply to my hands, feet, and face — I’ve written about all my best tips and tricks before. Then I either wait a few hours and rinse, or sleep in the tan overnight (on dark sheets that won’t stain) and rinse in the morning.

The Results

I have tried so many tans over the years, and the Mine Tan Dark Ash Foam has given me the best tan color of them all by far. I now fully believe in buying the self-tan in the undertones best suited to your skin for the most natural look. I personally could never get legitimately tan without burning myself a million times in the process, but if I could, I think it would look exactly like the results this tan gives me. It’s not orange AT ALL, and every time I tried it this summer, I never found a single streaky spot or weird patch of darker color. Part of this probably has to do with all my practice applying tans, but even so, other products still streak and patch on me. Not my new holy grail, though.

Another major perk of this product is that it fades evenly. So many self-tans cling in weird, patchy ways as they fade off, and those areas tend to look even more orangey than before. This tan faded so evenly that I never registered it was wearing off until it was completely gone.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• The formula is vegan and cruelty-free, and the brand has PETA’s stamp of approval.
• The packaging is recyclable.
• It applies and fades completely evenly.
• There are no orange tones to be found.
• The foam dries down quickly, so you can apply and get on with your day.

Cons:

• The wait time can be a little inconvenient. If I need to apply a clear tan that dries instantly and doesn’t need to be showered off, I reach for the b.tan Glow Your Own Way gel instead.
• There are cheaper self-tans on the market that perform comparably well. I think the price difference is worth it for the perfect color match I get from the Mine Tan — just something to note.

Final Verdict

I went on a mission this summer to try as many new faux glows as possible, and I went through eight different products to find the best possible one for me. The Mine Tan Dark Ash outperformed all its peers both because the color looked so natural, and because of how even and just plain good it looked. It made me feel so confident in my bathing suit and shorts all summer long.

The TL;DR

This is the only self-tan I see myself using from now on.

Had To Share highlights the products and finds that Scary Mommy editors and contributors love so much, we just had to share in the group chat.