The full product guide
Tropic Like It's Hot.
Every ingredient, and why.
Our reputation was built on one thing: transparency about what is in the tube. Every ingredient in a Delux cream has a job, and if it cannot do that job at the level we include it, it is not included. No trace-amount actives put there to be mentioned on the box, no fillers, and nothing on the website that is not printed on the label. A tingle cream has a longer list than our Next-Gen creams, so this is a longer guide. Here is all of it for Tropic Like It's Hot, our tingle accelerator, with the reason each ingredient is there.
42ingredients on the label, every one explained below
4melanin-supporting actives
4tingle ingredients, balanced by three cooling agents
0DHA or bronzer
A different formula from the Next-Gen creams. Island Coconut, Electric Melon and Vanilla Paradise share one formula. Tropic Like It's Hot is its own, built around a tingle.
Designed for experienced tanners. It says so on the tube. If you are new to accelerators, start with a Next-Gen cream instead.
Patch test first. A small area, 24 hours before your first full use. Everyone feels a tingle differently.
A 10p-sized amount per area. Thin, even, absorbed. More is not more here, it is just more tingle.
Part one
Why this one has its own formula
Our Next-Gen creams share one formula and only the scent changes. We could not do that here. A tingle needs warming ingredients, something to balance them, and a base that holds all of it together and still feels good on skin. So Tropic Like It's Hot was built from its own list: the melanin actives behind our Next-Gen creams, minus the copper, plus a tingle complex, on a skincare base of squalane, ceramide, hyaluronate, collagen and seed oils. White cream, passionfruit scent, no bronzer and no DHA.
The tingle is the feeling. The melanin actives are the work. We built it so you get both.
Part two
The base: water, glycerin and the oil phase
What the cream is made of before any active goes in. This is a cream emulsion, oil and water held together, so the base is a team of emollients and emulsifiers. Here they are in label order.
Ingredient 1Aqua (water)No. 1
The carrier for everything else. It makes this a water-based cream that spreads and absorbs rather than sitting on the skin like an oil.
Ingredient 2GlycerinNo. 2
The humectant. Draws water into the top layer of skin and helps keep it there. Second on the list, so there is a lot of it.
Ingredient 3Caprylic/capric triglycerideNo. 3
A light, coconut-derived emollient. Gives the cream its slip and helps it spread evenly.
Ingredient 6Cetearyl alcoholNo. 6
A fatty alcohol, not the drying kind. It thickens the cream, steadies the emulsion and leaves skin feeling soft.
Ingredient 7DimethiconeNo. 7
A silicone that gives the cream its smooth glide and a silky finish once absorbed.
Ingredient 8Coco-caprylate/caprateNo. 8
A light, coconut-derived emollient with a dry, silky feel. Part of why the cream does not feel greasy.
Ingredient 9Isononyl isononanoateNo. 9
Another light emollient, chosen for a soft, non-greasy finish.
Ingredients 10 and 11Glyceryl stearate and PEG-100 stearateNo. 10, 11
The emulsifier pair. Oil and water do not mix on their own; these two keep them mixed, so the cream stays a cream from the first squeeze to the last.
Ingredient 13Ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP copolymerNo. 13
A long name for a thickener. It gives the cream body and keeps the texture stable.
Part three
The four melanin actives
Your skin makes melanin in stages: raw material, signal, reinforcement, transfer. Tropic Like It's Hot has an active for each. That is four, not five: there is no copper gluconate in this formula. Three of them are at 2%, and we will tell you where each one sits on the label, including the two that sit below the fragrance and why.
Raw materialAcetyl tyrosine, 2%No. 4
The amino acid skin converts into melanin, in the stable acetylated form that holds up in a cream. Fourth on a list of 42, above every emulsifier and the fragrance.
TransferNiacinamide, 2%No. 5
Vitamin B3. Supports the skin barrier and is involved in moving melanin from the cells that make it to the ones you see. Fifth on the list.
SignalMelanoBronze, 2%No. 25
A complex made by Solabia, combining monk's pepper (Vitex agnus-castus) fruit extract with acetyl tyrosine, used under authorisation from its maker. It supports the signalling that switches pigment production on when UV arrives. It needs light to work; it is not a self-tan. Why number 25? An ingredient list breaks a complex into its parts. MelanoBronze goes in at 2%, and on the label its monk's pepper extract appears here as Vitex Agnus Castus Extract, while its acetyl tyrosine is part of the Acetyl Tyrosine entry at number four. More in
our MelanoBronze guide.
ReinforcementAcetyl hexapeptide-1No. 31
A peptide that mimics the body's own start-production messenger, backing up the signal MelanoBronze primes. Peptides are used at small amounts across skincare, which is why it sits low on any label. One of the most expensive classes of ingredient in the tube. The full story is in
our acetyl hexapeptide-1 guide.
A typical tingle cream
1
Tyrosine, low on the listHeatSignal, peptide, transfer
Plenty of tingle and not much behind it. Feeling hot is not the same as tanning.
VS
Tropic Like It's Hot
4
Acetyl tyrosineMelanoBronzePeptideNiacinamide
Four melanin actives, with the tingle complex on top rather than instead.
Part four
The tingle complex, and what cools it
Four ingredients make the tingle. Three cooling agents balance it. Here is each one, plainly.
WarmingVanillyl butyl etherNo. 15
The main warming agent. It creates a gentle warmth on the skin that builds after application and then fades. Despite the name it does not smell of vanilla; the scent is passionfruit.
Warming botanicalZingiber officinale (ginger) root extractNo. 40
Ginger, the warming botanical. Adds to the heat from vanillyl butyl ether.
Warming botanicalPiper nigrum (pepper) seed extractNo. 38
Black pepper, the other warming botanical. Same job as the ginger.
Micro tingleHydrolyzed spongeNo. 23
Natural micro-spicules: tiny, fine particles that give a prickly micro tingle on the surface. A different feeling from the warmth, and the reason the tingle feels like more than just heat.
Menthone glycerin acetal (No. 36): a cooling agent.
Ethyl menthane carboxamide (No. 39): a cooling agent.
Methyl diisopropyl propionamide (No. 41): a cooling agent.
Why put cooling agents in a tingle cream? Balance. Warmth on its own can feel one-note; a cool edge alongside it rounds the sensation out. They do not switch the tingle off, and they are not a reason to skip the patch test.
The tingle is a sensation, not a result. It is easy to mistake one for the other, so we built it to do both jobs.
Part five
Skin support
A tingle is a lot to ask of skin, so the base is built to look after it. These are the skincare ingredients, with their place on the label.
Tocopheryl acetate (No. 12): a stable form of vitamin E. Antioxidant, and conditioning.
Panthenol (No. 14): pro-vitamin B5. Calms and conditions.
Squalane (No. 20): a skin-identical light oil for the barrier, absorbs with no residue.
Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil (No. 21): close in make-up to skin's own oils, so it conditions without feeling heavy.
Limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oil (No. 22): a light, stable seed oil that softens skin.
Hydrolyzed collagen (No. 24): a hydrating, film-forming ingredient that leaves skin feeling smooth. Because it contains collagen, Tropic Like It's Hot is not vegan.
Ceramide NP (No. 27): helps replace the mortar between skin cells, so the barrier holds.
Dipotassium glycyrrhizate (No. 28): derived from liquorice root. A soother.
Sodium hyaluronate (No. 29): the salt form of hyaluronic acid. Holds water in the skin for hydration.
Dimethylmethoxy chromanol (No. 35): an antioxidant.
Glycerin, at number two, belongs here too. It is covered in the base.
Part six
The rest: scent, solvents, preservation, colour
Every water-based cream needs a few ingredients that do unglamorous jobs. Here they are, all of them.
Parfum (fragrance) (No. 16): the passionfruit.
Butylene glycol (No. 17), propylene glycol (No. 32) and propanediol (No. 34): humectants that also act as solvents, helping the botanical extracts and actives dissolve evenly through the cream.
Xanthan gum (No. 30): a natural thickener that helps keep the texture stable.
The preservation system: 1,2-hexanediol (No. 18), hydroxyacetophenone (No. 19), caprylyl glycol (No. 26), ethylhexylglycerin (No. 33) and caprylhydroxamic acid (No. 37). Together they keep the cream fresh once opened. Several also double as humectants or skin conditioners, and hydroxyacetophenone is an antioxidant as well.
CI 19140 (No. 42): a cosmetic colourant, last on the list, so present in a tiny amount. It is there to keep the shade of the cream itself consistent. It is not a bronzer, it is not DHA, and it is not what builds your colour.
That is the whole list. Nothing on this page that is not on the tube, and nothing on the tube that is not on this page.
The full ingredient list, in label order
Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Acetyl Tyrosine, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Panthenol, Vanillyl Butyl Ether, Parfum (Fragrance), Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Squalane, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Sponge, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Vitex Agnus Castus Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Ceramide NP, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propanediol, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Menthone Glycerin Acetal, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Piper Nigrum (Pepper) Seed Extract, Ethyl Menthane Carboxamide, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide, CI 19140.
Part seven
How to use it, and how the tingle should feel
Patch test first. Apply a little to a small area 24 hours before your first full use.
Where not to use it. Not on your face. Not on broken, sensitive, or freshly shaved or waxed skin.
How much. A 10p-sized amount per area, spread thin and even until it disappears. More just means more tingle sitting on the surface.
On a sunbed. Apply just before your session, and follow the salon's times.
Outdoors. Apply first, let it absorb, then a separate broad spectrum sunscreen over the top. Tropic Like It's Hot contains no SPF.
Wash your hands thoroughly after applying.
What to expect. A warming tingle that builds and then fades. That is normal and it is the point.
If it becomes uncomfortable, rinse with cool water and do not reapply.
Part eight
Versus the shelf
Versus a typical tingle cream. Many are mostly heat, with one active low on the list and often a bronzer for instant colour. Tropic Like It's Hot has four melanin actives, no bronzer and a proper skincare base.
Versus our Next-Gen creams. Island Coconut, Electric Melon and Vanilla Paradise have no tingle and carry five melanin actives, including copper gluconate. They are where to start if you are new to accelerators or have sensitive skin.
Versus a bronzer lotion. Instant colour from DHA or a tint that washes off. Tropic Like It's Hot gives you nothing fake; the colour it helps build is your own.
What Tropic Like It's Hot is not
Not for first-timers; it is designed for experienced tanners. Not for your face. Not a sunscreen; wear one over it outdoors. Not instant, because there is no bronzer in it. Not vegan, because it contains hydrolysed collagen. And not a self-tan: the melanin actives need UV.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
Will Tropic Like It's Hot tingle?
Yes, that is the point. Expect a warming tingle that builds after application and then fades. Everyone feels it differently, so patch test a small area 24 hours before first use.
Is it for beginners?
No. It is designed for experienced tanners. If you are new to accelerators, start with Island Coconut, Electric Melon or Vanilla Paradise.
Is it the same formula as the Next-Gen creams?
No. It shares acetyl tyrosine, MelanoBronze, acetyl hexapeptide-1 and niacinamide with them, but it has no copper gluconate, adds a tingle complex, and sits on its own skincare base.
Does it contain bronzer or DHA?
No. It contains a tiny amount of a cosmetic colourant, CI 19140, to keep the shade of the cream consistent, but no bronzer and no DHA. The colour you build is your own.
Can I use it on my face?
No. Keep it off your face, and off broken, sensitive, or freshly shaved or waxed skin. Wash your hands after applying.
What if the tingle is too much?
Rinse with cool water and do not reapply.
Does it contain SPF?
No. Outdoors, apply it first, let it absorb, then wear a separate broad spectrum sunscreen over the top.
Is it vegan?
No. It contains hydrolysed collagen.
What does it smell like?
Juicy passionfruit. Tropical and fresh rather than sugary.
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