Fake tan and acne - should I just give up?

[Fruitellaz]

I love fake tan, I really don't want to stop using it but I just can't find a solution to the problem of it giving me spots, a load of them! I didn't even realise it was the tan causing it until I moved house, didn't have time to apply and just got lazy, I didn't use it for about a year and my face cleared up! I had bad acne as a teen which wasn't tan related as it was before I started using it and then when I was about 16 I started tanning and the acne just never went (I'm 27 now) but I didn't relate it to the tan as I already had it iyswim. I've tried a few different brands from cheap to expensive but with no luck. Has anyone had the same problem and found one that doesn't cause you to breakout? Or some other solution? Some kind of tan make up, bronzer etc? Or do I just give up and accept being paler than pale?

Where are your spots? If it's your face I'd recommend the Clarins drops that you rub into your usual moisturiser. Works for me, I'm far less spotty, although to be fair I'm better at taking my make up off now!

A cosmetic doctor told me the gradual face tanners cause spots as they block the pores. What about an instant tan that you wash off in the evening?

I wouldn't advise using fake tan on anyone's face to be honest. I wear it a lot on my body but I always just use foundation on my face. Your face is too important to be using harsh tanning agents on it, no matter what the bottle says! Why don't you either use a shade darker of foundation or else use a good facial bronzing powder to match up your body and face, which is what I do.

Careful with the Claris drops - broke me out I'm afraid.

I've tried to write a big long reply to this twice and it keeps fucking up! So basically I said...thanks for all your replies! Are there foundations that are darker and brown rather than orange? I haven't looked at foundations for years and just remember the darker ones being orangey! Also bronzer, can anyone recommend a good one that isn't shimmery please? I really need to change something I'm doing quick because my skin is awful on my face ATM, I'm using St Moriz on my body and rimmel instant wash off matte tan mixed with foundation on my face. One problem is that I need quite high coverage so can't just use a tanning product alone I need the foundation too, so I guess if I can get a tan colour foundation all my problems will be solved!!

I'd imagine that if you just go one shade, or maybe two shades darker in your normal foundation it should suit you better than going for a really dark one. Then you should dust some bronzer over your face to get a lovely natural sunkissed look. I use Hoola by Benefit and love it. It's not shimmery at all but gives a lovely glow.

No7 Mosaic bronzer is very nice and doesn't shimmer, it has s little pink mixed in too for a healthy glow.

Have you tried just leaving the tan on for an hour then washing off? That is enough to give me a glow. I find sleeping in it for 8 hours both unnecessary and extremely pore clogging.

Also if I use tan on my face I always make sure to exfoliate regularly with sugar and honey, do bentonite clay masks a few times a week, and use a glycolic face cleanser (nip and fab) morning and night. It does remove a little of the tan yes so it doesn't last as long, but it does keep skin nice and clean inbetween applications. I just have to apply it more often. If I slept in it and didn't clean/exfoliate enough then my skin would get very dull and spotty fast.

I found the l'oreal sublime and Ambre Solaire gel tans less clogging.

Hi I use the new one you put on in the shower on my face - can't remember the brand but it's really good and I don't have break outs in fact it has helped my skin on my cheeks !

Also recommend Clinique anti blemish foundation for good coverage.

My latest find is the mi cellular water cleanser - I live in a hard water area and found my skin both dry and greasy / spotty but using this has really helped !!!

Fake Bake instant tanner does not cause spots - its the active ingredient which sets off the spots in gradual tanners - so I was told...