Here at Melatropin, it makes us extremely happy to be able to provide something that not only promotes tanning but truly helps people feel more positive about themselves and their body image. One of our longtime customers wrote in to us recently offering to give an in-depth review of her experience trying to find a product that would give her the tan she was looking for, an experience that eventually led her to Melatropin. We loved it and posted it below. Enjoy!

My quest for the perfect golden glow

It’s that time of year again, when the weather starts changing, winter tights and sweaters come off and it’s time to expose my pasty white skin. Like most of you, I’ve long since abandoned spending hours lying in the sun slathered in “suntan lotion”. We all know that too much sun can cause premature aging, wrinkles, and in some cases skin cancer.

But what’s a girl to do? There’s just no denying that the golden glow of a tan makes you look and feel better. So once again, I went in search of the perfect tan. More specifically, the perfect product to help me get the perfect tan. Here’s my story.

I started with a self-tanner. They’ve come a long way over the years. And while I thought I could find Bahamas in a bottle, I still felt more like a Florida orange! I tried expensive department store brands (Clarins) and cheaper drug store brands (Banana Boat). I tried a foam (St Tropez Gradual Tan Mousse) and the Tan Towel. Overall, I felt stinky, sticky and streaky. I couldn’t get any brand to go on perfectly even, although the colored foam helped. And the tan towel was easiest to apply. But I still I felt a little too orange and fake. I never got the bronze color I was looking for.

Once again I was disappointed. What bothered me the most—it was a lot of work—for not such great results! Trying to blend the lotions, I mean can anyone tell me how to blend to my ankles and feet? Then waiting for them to dry—are they really ever dry (not if you looked at my sheets)! And trying to get it off the palms of my hands (I finally got the mitts!). And I always seemed to miss a spot (or more) and only notice it after I was out and about! For me, self-tanners just weren’t worth it.

But I didn’t give up. I went for a spray tan. I tried the spay booth and also the spray specialist. I liked the results and I didn’t have to get messy! But, (you knew there was going to be a but), there are downsides to a spray tan too.

Before I get into the overall cosmetic results, there’s the ingredients in the mist. Alcohol is used as a thinning agent, but it’s very drying to your skin, which kind of works against your golden glow, so it’s really important to moisturize (not really that big of a deal). But more of a concern is the active ingredient, dihydroxyacetone (DHA). When it combines with amino acids in your skin, DHA causes a browning reaction. It can be compared to the same type of reaction that happens when you make toast or grill meat—that sounds a little scary right? DHA is in self tanning lotions too. The difference is that the FDA has found it to be safe when applied to the skin but not when it's inhaled. That's why when you get a spray tan you have to be careful not to breathe it in (not easy to do).

Aside from my concern with the safety aspects, I wasn’t too thrilled with leaving the comfort of my own home. With self-tanners, at least I could be alone, in my own bathroom (even if the lighting is bad), not true with a spray tan. Getting a spay tan means going to a salon and stripping down naked, with my arms and legs spread out to the sides, in front of a total stranger—who really wants to do that?

Again, I liked the results better than the self-tanning lotions. But getting a spray tan is a lot more expensive. And while it looked better, it didn’t seem to last any longer than a tan from a bottle. Worse of all, having to expose my pasty white skin to a total stranger was, well, a little daunting at best.

I wasn’t going to give up! I kept searching the internet and came across Melanotan-II. You may or may not have heard of it. It’s similar to the substance in our bodies that increases the production of skin-darkening pigments that make our skin look tan. It works with or without the sun. This sounds great, right? Well…yes and no. Melanotan II had great reviews. But, Melanotan II is a supplement taken by injection. Yes, you have to give yourself a shot. And as much as I really love a tan, I just don’t like needles. Maybe next season…

So I kept looking...

I found tanning pills. These pills claimed that they can quickly give you a deep, dark tan. Hmm swallow a pill, get a tan. Sounds easy enough, but how did that work? What was I putting into my body? I was skeptical, but curious. Here’s what I found out.

So most tanning pills on the market today (and there are a lot of them) are really just dying your skin!

The active ingredient in most of these pills is canthaxanthin, also known as food orange 8, carophyll red or roxanthin red 10. It’s a food dye that’s added to foods like ketchup, fruit drinks and salad dressings! Sure a dye could work to change the color of your skin—but ketchup is bright red and some salad dressings are orange—not the golden brown of a tan! Why would anyone want to do that?

What’s more canthaxanthin is only approved by the FDA for use in small doses as a food coloring. To get tanning results, you need to take much higher doses and then keep using it and it’s not approved for this type of use.

There have been reports that taking large amounts of canthaxanthin may cause the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet to turn orange—although it's temporary. It’s also been known to produce a fake “orangey glow” (now that’s attractive). There are other side effects too, like nausea, severe itching and welts, and more serious problems like liver damage and something called, canthaxanthin-induced retinopathy that causes loss of sight!

Ok I don’t want a tan that bad! So just when I was about to give up, I found something I did try and it worked!

It’s called Melatropin. It’s a tanning capsule, but the ingredients are and all combination of tanning vitamins, minerals and antioxidants like tyrosine, lutein, beta carotene, vitamin B6, copper, and lycopene. All of them can be found in the foods we eat and have been proven to have superior tanning properties. Melatropin is activated by the sun or a tanning bed. It gives you a tan by speeding up the natural tanning process in your body so you can spend less time in the sun and still get a deep, dark tan. Oh, and this brand has scientific proof behind its claims. In a 30-day study, users reported over 300% improvement in their skin tone and saw results quickly.

I was sold. So I tried it. I decided I would use it exactly how they did in their clinical study which was detailed on their website. I took Melatropintm twice a day, once in the morning and again at night. Every other day (just like in their study), I went in the sun (I also used a tanning bed a few times). Within the first week I started seeing my skin change color. It had a nice bronze glow. No painful red sunburn! No messy lotions! No streaks! No orange tinge! After 30 days I loved my color! Of course, I bought more and even if I got less sun, Melatropintm helped me keep my color.

It took me awhile to finally discover Melatropintm and get the tan I was looking for. I wish I would have found it sooner. So if you’re reading this, before you experiment with bottles of sticky, smelly goop, turn yourself into a pumpkin or strip naked in front of stranger, I really recommend giving Melatropintm a try. For me it was an easy way to get a golden glow.