Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops Review

Any time there’s an easy way to get a glow, I’m in. My go-to sunless tanner for years was a lotion that built color as you put more on, even though it made me slightly orange. When I was in high school it was pretty much the only thing on the market that I knew about! Everyone else was going to the tanning bed constantly, but I knew I would just burn instead of tan. I’m SO glad that sunless tanners have come a long way since then.

If it’s before a big event, I sometimes go get a spray tan at a local spray tan place. But I wanted something I could do at home, so I decided to try the Isle of Paradise tanning drops. I haven’t yet found the perfect self tanner, but this one’s pretty good.

When I found out about Isle of Paradise drops (available at Sephora and on Amazon), I was excited to try them. All you have to do is add a few drops to your lotion! (Any lotion you want to use) How hard could it be?

Isle of Paradise drops are pregnancy-safe, because they’re made of coconut oil, avocado oil, chia seed oil, and eucalyptus leaf oil. They’re also cruelty-free, something I definitely look for in my beauty products. The smell of IOP doesn’t bother me, though it’s definitely noticeable when I do my whole body so I usually do that in the evening and then sleep in it. In the morning I’ll shower and then it only leaves a slight scent afterwards.

Before you use Isle of Paradise drops

First, a couple of important notes…

• I assumed I didn’t have to go through the whole process of exfoliating and moisturizing first. But I was wrong. I ended up with patchy knees and elbows, the tell-tale sign of a pale girl just trying to look like she got some sun. Not a huge deal, since we’ve just been at home and I wasn’t seeing anyone outside of my family.

• You really have to just try out how many drops you need to add in order to figure out the right “recipe”. (I have the “Light” version which is probably only a good purchase for others like me with very fair skin.)

Here are my pros and cons of the Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops:

Pros

• No drying time. You just have to wait as long as it takes for your moisturizer to dry. This in itself makes this product worth it for me!
• No transfer. Unlike getting a spray tan, you don’t have to worry about the color transferring onto your clothes. I’ve been able to put the tanning drops in my lotion, let the lotion dry, and get dressed like normal without worrying about it rubbing off on my clothes.
• Very light tanning lotion smell. You pretty much will just smell like whatever lotion you’re using, until the tanner starts to develop (hours later).

Cons

• You can’t tell where you put it already and where you missed. My go-to sunless tanning foam for the past few years gives you a sort of guide because it slightly tints your skin as you put it on. Not true with these self tan drops.
• How many drops you use is a guessing game. I started with just 2 drops mixed into my lotion, and I saw pretty much no change. Eventually I realized that I need to use almost a full dropper for my legs and 4-5 drops for my arms.

A few tips for applying the IOP tanning drops:

1. Make sure to wash your hands right away, or you will get tan palms.
2. Moisturize first and then do a second moisturize layer with the tanning drops.
3. You don’t need to use a mitt or gloves- just your hands!

Now to answer a bunch of commonly asked questions about the Isle of Paradise tanning drops…

How long does it take for the drops to dry?

You just have to wait as long as it takes for your moisturizer to dry. I always allow 15-20 minutes to be safe. Can you sleep with Isle of Paradise on? Yes! It might get some of the color onto your sheets, but it always washes off easily for me. (I have white sheets on our bed, so I’d say it comes off pretty easily.)

How long does it take for Isle of Paradise drops to show up?

I usually do this in the evening, and by the morning time the tan color has started to show. According to the manufacturer’s site, though, it takes about 4-6 hours for the drops to show up on your skin.

Is Isle of Paradise tanning drops safe?

Isle of Paradise formulated a safe, non-toxic way to achieve a tan. It’s safer than a spray tan because you aren’t breathing in the tanning chemicals. And since Isle of Paradise products are organic, they’re okay to use on your face.

Do you have to shower after using tanning drops?

It’s actually better to wait 8+ hours after applying drops before showering or sweating. Because you add the drops to your moisturizer, you don’t need to shower off the tanning solution.

Can you use tanning drops two days in a row?

Reapply as much as you want! You can use the tanning drops a second day if you need to fix patchy spots or want to add more color.

Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops Review

Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops are perfect for when you need to add a little bit of color quickly. I wouldn’t recommend using these before an important event for the first time, just because it’s too hard to tell where you’ve applied it and haven’t (for that, I love this product). To be honest, I haven’t yet fully mastered NOT having patchy areas… maybe I’ll feel differently once I master that (hah!). I’ve used these drops while pregnant, too, but always consult with your own doctor whether or not something is safe for pregnancy before use.

Where to get these tanning drops: They’re available at Sephora and on Amazon.