Deals, Meals, Reels, Heels, & Spiels: AYU Celerity Sunless Tan...

I mentioned a few weeks ago in my review of the Vino Bronzing Mist that AYU had a couple of new products. Today, I'll be reviewing the other new product, Celerity Sunless Tan.

What's special about this product? Well, it contains rapid DHA, which develops more quickly (as you might have guessed from the name), so you only leave the product on for 2-4 hours, depending upon the depth of color you want.

This could be a great thing for someone like me who has with issues with sunless tanners containing dark colorguides (CG). In my case, the dark CG stains my skin & contributes to uneven fading. One way I have dealt with that issue is to shower the product off 4-6 hours after applying. Unfortunately, one of the "side effects" of doing that is sometimes, my tan will be lighter than I would like. So it stands to reason if the DHA is more rapidly absorbed, I should be able to obtain a darker final color while still showering early enough to prevent staining from the CG.

From the AYU website: "Our rapid tan will not dry out skin as it contains moisturizers and vitamins. Celerity Tan is a synergy of ingredients blended together which helps DHA to develop faster, also Rapid DHA that is a blend of DHA +Troxerutin helps a quick boost of color."

From the label: "Celerity Sunless Tan is formulated with rapid DHA which works faster and provides a smooth and even skin tone. Also provides anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties, along with eco-certifed DHA and a proprietary blend of ingredients that help to achieve a gorgeous tan in half the time. Instant bronzer helps with a beautiful application and black walnut leaf extract insures the dark tone to the tan color, so if you only have two, three, or four hours of waiting time and need to shower before you head out the door this is your product. By leaving it on for a 2, 3, or 4 hour time period it will develop the equivalent strength of a 6%, 8%, or 10% concentration of DHA accordingly."

Key ingredients:
Rapid DHA (DHA + Troxerutin)
Eco-certified DHA
Black walnut leaf extract
Green tea extract
Palmitoyl tripeptide-5
Algae extract
Panthenol (B5)
Hyaluronic acid

Consistency & appearance:
This has a thinner consistency than the Vino Bronzing Mist. It's very easy to spray out of a fine-mist spray bottle. The color is a very dark neutral brown.

About my skin type & tanning: I am a Type I/II (I almost always burn, but I can get a very slight tan with a lot of patience.) I'm Casper-the-Friendly-Ghost white, with dark blonde hair and blue/green/gray eyes. My skin is pretty sensitive, so I have to be careful with certain ingredients - especially fragrance. When sunless tanning, my skin is atypical of a Type I/II in that I need at least 7.5-8% DHA to get decent color. Anything less than that usually gives me translucent color that tends to look orangish. I don't do well with drugstore products, and I prefer airbrush tanning solutions (ABS) to any other type of sunless tanner. Products with a dark CG can cause fading issues for me, so I usually counteract that by showering after 4-6 hours. This allows me to absorb the DHA without any staining from the CG.

Skin prep: I showered using Ulta's 3-in-1 Shower Smoothie (in Cocolada) and lightweight nylon exfoliating gloves (there are different types - these are very lightweight & minimally abrasive). After showering, I used Ulta's Shower Smoothie Hand & Body Cream (in Cocolada - and this is more like a thick lotion than a cream - it absorbs completely without any greasiness) to prep the areas that I know tend to "grab" the color - elbows, knees, ankles.

Application: After the lotion was absorbed, I began applying the AYU solution to one area at a time. I dampened the microfiber pad with a bit of water, then sprayed the solution onto the pad. I started with my left lower leg - skimming the pad over the surface of the skin - being careful not to apply too much pressure. I covered all areas evenly, but did not rub or blend too much. I continued with my left upper leg, then my right leg, arms, stomach, & chest. Gus helped me with my back. The consistency of this product allowed me to apply rather heavily, so I didn't need a second coat. Standing in front of a fan, I was completely dry within 2-3 minutes. For my feet, I put a pea-sized dollop of the Ulta lotion in my palm, added 3-4 sprays of the tanning solution - rubbed my hands together carefully to mix - applied to my left foot & repeated for the right foot. I carefully scrubbed my palms with soap & water to remove any traces of the tanner.

Next, I wiped my elbows, knees, & ankles with a damp washcloth to remove some of the tanning solution (since I know these areas tend to develop darker than the rest of my body). For my hands, I put a pea-sized dollop of the Ulta lotion in my palm, added 3-4 sprays of the tanning solution, and rubbed my hands together carefully to mix - then applied as if I was putting lotion all over my hands. When finished, I wiped my palms, nails & cuticles with a damp washcloth.

After 4 hours, I showered off all of the tanning solution, then applied Ulta lotion all over.

Results from first application: My final color (after 24 hours) was nice (and definitely darker than usual), but I was able to see some staining from the dark CG. After a couple of days, I had lizard skin. This wasn't the usual issue I have with dark CGs & my mature skin - this was real lizard skin from too much DHA & too dark of a CG. (I don't know why I didn't think to take a picture of the lizards so you could see!) I'll try again & leave on for less time.

Results from second application: I prepped & applied the usual way, but this time I only left the solution on for 3 hours before showering. The color was a bit lighter, but there seemed to be less staining from the CG. After a few days, I looked like I had lizard skin again, but it wasn't as bad. I'll try again using less solution.

Results from third application: This time, I let the color fade for almost a week so that i would be able to remove most of the uneven areas. Then I prepped & applied as usual, but this time, I used less solution (probably about an ounce total), and I only left it on for about 3 hours. Eureka!! I think this is the winning combo!! Nice color & no lizards with fading!

Notes:

I love that this product is fragrance-free & fast-drying! And I think I like it better than the Vino Bronzing Mist!
I love that I only need to use an ounce & leave on for 3 hours to get the same level of color that normally requires 2 oz. and 6 hours. So yes, it's more expensive, but I use less!
My color did continue to develop for 18-24 hours.
I received this complimentary product from AYU, but I was not asked to do a review in exchange for it.
I received no compensation for reviewing this product.
I also intend to try this product using the MaxiMist HVLP to apply. When I do, I will add an update & pictures.