Australian Gold: the brand and its idea
Despite the name, Australian Gold is an American company. The brand says it was born from a passion for Australia and life in the sun, but its research labs are at its Indianapolis headquarters, where the products are formulated and packaged, and today it is not even distributed in Australia. Sydney the koala, with his surfboard and sunglasses, was hand-drawn by the founder in 1985. Cocoa Beach also gives its name to Cocoa Dreams, the brand's signature fragrance, with notes of coconut, orange and vanilla. The ingredients also include Australian plants, such as tea tree oil.
Tan intensifiers: how to choose by active ingredients
Intensifiers are tanning products with no sunscreen, applied before your sun protection. The brand sorts them into three levels, classic, with bronzer and with self-tanner, and the difference lies in what each one adds to the actives that work on melanin.
Classic: tanning actives only
Among the classics is Exotic Intensifier Oil, a vegan oil with a Colorboost formula based on carrot seed, tea tree oil, annatto and banana extract. Alongside it the brand offers Peptide Pro, which it describes as a 2-in-1 anti-aging and tanning hybrid, combining tyrosine, hemp seed oil, peptides, collagen and hyaluronic acid.
With bronzer and self-tanner
Bronzer is a cosmetic color that shows right away and washes off with soap and water, while a self-tanner such as DHA develops color gradually. Dark Tanning Accelerator Spray Gel con Bronzer is the spray version of the brand's original Accelerator and contains DHA, walnut shell extract, aloe vera and provitamin B5. Hardcore Black steps up to 30X Dark Bronzing technology, which pairs instant and delayed self-tanners in a blend of vitamins and essential oils. If your legs are slow to tan, there is Dark Legs, with instant and delayed bronzers, shea butter, agave and aloe and a floral, fruity fragrance. Finally, Idol Deluxe combines DermaDark technology with natural bronzers and beta-carotene.
For the face
For the delicate face area the brand created Crystal Faces, a sun care product with DHA-free DermaDark technology, a silicone blend and no fragrance. SPF 50 Face+ Self Tanner Lotion, on the other hand, is a sunscreen, with caramel for instant color and DHA that develops over the following hours.
Australian Gold sunscreens: SPF, texture and color
Sunscreens are chosen by SPF level, texture and whether or not they contain bronzer, and for your first days in the sun the brand recommends a high SPF. Spray Gel SPF 15 is sun protection only, with a spray pump and free of parabens, PABA, alcohol and gluten. The bronzer versions add instant color. In spray gel there are SPF 6, SPF 10 and SPF 30 Spray Gel con Bronzer, tinted with caramel, and in lotion there are SPF 15 Lotion con Bronzer and SPF 50 Lotion con Bronzer. If you prefer an oil, there is SPF 30 Spray Oil, with sunflower and carrot oil. If you also use an intensifier, the brand advises applying it first and then, once absorbed, the SPF.
After-sun and body care
After sun exposure there is Soothing Aloe Gel, which combines aloe vera and green tea extract and can be kept in the fridge. Aloe Freeze Spray Gel comes in a spray format, with comfrey, linden and mint. For hydration there is Moisture Lock, a face and body cream with sunflower and olive oil, and Forever After, the daily moisturizer with hemp seed extract, also suited for use after a tanning session. Finally, Sea Salt & Sandalwood Body Wash is a sulfate-free wash for body and hair. For other brands in the same categories, see the tan accelerators, sunscreen and after-sun pages.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Spray Gel SPF 15 and the Spray Gels with bronzer?
Australian Gold Spray Gel SPF 15 is sun protection only, with a spray pump and free of parabens, PABA, alcohol and gluten. The Spray Gels with bronzer, from SPF 6 to SPF 30, add a cosmetic pigment that colors the skin right away and washes off with soap and water: an instant effect, not a tan.
Do Australian Gold tan intensifiers protect from the sun?
No, Australian Gold intensifiers contain no sunscreen filters. Products such as Exotic Intensifier Oil, Peptide Pro or Hardcore Black should always be paired with SPF protection, applied after the intensifier. Among the Australian Gold products on this page, only those with an SPF number in their name contain a sunscreen.
Should you apply tan intensifier or sunscreen first?
Apply the intensifier first and then, once your skin has absorbed it, the SPF. This is the order Australian Gold recommends, along with applying SPF about twenty minutes before sun exposure and reapplying both products throughout the day, always in the same sequence.
What's the difference between instant bronzer and DHA?
Instant bronzer is a cosmetic pigment, such as caramel or black walnut shell, that colors the skin right away and washes off with soap and water. DHA, on the other hand, is a self-tanner that develops color gradually over the following hours. Australian Gold SPF 50 Face+ Self Tanner Lotion contains both.
Which Australian Gold product is best for tanning legs?
For legs that tan slowly, Australian Gold offers Dark Legs, an intensifier designed specifically for this area that combines instant and delayed bronzers with tyrosine. It also contains shea butter and aloe, features a silk-effect complex for soft skin and has a floral, fruity fragrance.
Which Australian Gold intensifiers contain self-tanner?
Hardcore Black and Dark Tanning Accelerator Spray Gel con Bronzer contain self-tanners in addition to bronzers. Hardcore Black uses 30X Dark Bronzing technology, which combines instant and delayed self-tanners; Dark Tanning Accelerator pairs DHA and walnut shell extract with aloe vera and provitamin B5.
Can you use Australian Gold sunscreen in a tanning bed?
No, Australian Gold intends its outdoor sunscreens and tanning products for natural sunlight only. Tanning beds call for lotions formulated specifically for indoor tanning equipment, while indoor products with a Tingle, BodyBlush or Warming effect should only be used in a tanning bed and never in natural sunlight.
Which Australian Gold product is best for the face?
For the face Australian Gold offers Crystal Faces, a sun care product with DermaDark technology, DHA-free and fragrance-free, formulated for the delicate face area. If you also need sun protection, there is SPF 50 Face+ Self Tanner Lotion, a facial sunscreen with caramel and DHA for color.
What does Australian Gold Cocoa Dreams smell like?
Cocoa Dreams is the signature fragrance of Australian Gold, with notes of coconut, orange and vanilla. It is inspired by the beach at Cocoa Beach, Florida, and you'll find it in Exotic Intensifier Oil, SPF 30 Spray Gel con Bronzer and SPF 50 Face+ Self Tanner Lotion, among others.
