TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 6*
Why: One reviewer says, "this sunscreen is one of the worst products I have ever used. It left a disgusting film on my skin. The product was very difficult to smooth across my skin and dried in chalk-like white streaks. I ended up getting burned because the product was so difficult to apply." Another reader says she "made the mistake of ordering this online instead of buying it in a store. I ended up giving it away because I couldn't stand the smell. I can't stand patchouli oil and I didn't realize this product contained that. The scent is really strong and too ... er, 'hippie' for me." Another woman agrees saying, "this sunscreen stinks! Literally! It's the nastiest sunscreen ever � I don't know how Burt's Bees dare[s] to put it on the shelves. I fell for it because of the 'chemical free' claim -- BIG MISTAKE! The smell made me sick, and it's impossible to rub it on your skin, because it's so heavy." She ended her disgust with the product saying, "I would have given it a zero if there was that option."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.9*
Why: The readers say they "really did not like this product. I thought it went on well, but I did not notice a change in color at all, and I have fair skin. It was a lot wetter and took longer to dry than other airbrush sunless tanners I have used. The worst part about it for me, though, was the smell. I couldn't stand it at all, made me sick!" Another reviewer says the product is "awful. This product is streaky and will make you look orange. I would never, ever use this again." Another reader found similar results saying she "was very disappointed with this product. It was advertised heavily when it first came out so I gave it a shot. It was very streaky and looked orange."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.5*
Why: One reader says, "not as amazing as Clarins made it out to be! I was definitely disappointed � after a month of constantly applying it almost every 2-3 days it started to streak. And the worst part about it was that the chocolate smell it is supposed to have was horrible. My boyfriend could not come near me when I had it on because it was such a horrible smell. It is not worth $40 dollars, you're better off getting one of the cheaper ones." Another reader concurs saying, "it streaks and it turns me a kind of orange color. Even my friends mentioned that I looked orange. For what I paid for this I was not impressed." Another woman agrees saying the product "gave me an orange-y glow."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.3*
Why: "A bunch of us used this while on vacation at the beach and we all burned in splotches and streaks. It's not like we don't know how to use a spray, but it seems to come out stronger in the middle, and then lighter on the side, so it does not go on evenly. Even when we rubbed it in, it did not help � Never again." One woman also used this product on vacation saying, "I used this recently while at the lake. Since I had forgotten my face sunscreen, I used this on my face since it burns so easily. First, it burned like crazy and then within minutes, it dripped off from the heat and into my eyes. Not fun. When I used it on my arms, I ended up with streaks and blotches of sunburn. I would not recommend this at all." One woman warns readers, "trusted, well-known brand or not, I wouldn't trust this stuff."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 4.2*
Why:
One reader rants, "don't do it! This is a terrible, and rather pricey, self tanner. They weren't kidding when they called this 'instant'. This product stains your hands so fast you have to scrub them with soap and water EVERY time you pump it on your hands. Otherwise your palms are stained FOR DAYS. Because you don't have much time to work with before it sets, you end up frantically trying to smooth out streaks. The worst thing about it? If you get a tiny drop of water on your "tan" you'll get a noticeable water spot. This is just a really bad product." Another reader says, "only use this if you want to look like a freaky orange monkey!" And she adds, "don't buy this product intentionally." Another reviewer says that this is the "worst self tanner I have ever used. Smells horrible. Too expensive. Streaks bad [and] takes forever to put on too."
Warmer, sunnier, longer days equal more skin exposure, which means you need to protect yourself from the elements while trying to look your best in the sweltering heat. Since you spend more time pool- and beach-side in the summer, you use things like sunscreen to keep burns away, and you likely rely on self-tanning products to fake a faux, bronzed glow. But what happens when these skin care products don't deliver?
It's not pretty, that much is for sure. Our readers can attest to that fact since they tried out this list of the 9 worst summer skin care products. They had to deal with everything from greasy, chunky, chalky-looking sunscreen to self-tanning products that yielded nightmare-ish streaks and Oompa Loompa-orange results. But lucky for you, you can read their comments to learn which summer skin care products to avoid.
So what summer beauty products should you use? Glad you asked. Check out these winning beauty products (just skip the "worst" ones):
