Jergens Natural Glow is a moisturizer that comes in two different tones depending on skin tone. It’s sold by one of the most popular cosmetics brands, and the brand claims that this product “Delivers fabulous, natural-looking colour that lasts twice as long as the leading sunless tanner lotion.”
But does Jergens Natural Glow contain ingredients shown in medical studies to have a moisturizing effect? Does it contain any questionable additive ingredients? What retailer sells Jergens Natural Glow for the best price? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of this product?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we analyze the ingredients in Jergens Natural Glow based on medical studies to give our take on whether the cream is likely to be effective or if it’s a waste of money.
We’ll also provide a cost breakdown documenting which retailer sells Jergens Natural Glow for the best price, and featurecustomer reviews of the product.
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer are shown above.
There are a number of research-backed ingredients in this formulation.
Coconut oil is one of the most well-studied natural moisturizers. It was shown to cause “significant improvement to skin hydration” in a 2004 clinical trial.
Oat meal has been used for centuries to soothe skin, and a clinical trial published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology found that oat meal extract “resulted in recovery of [skin] barrier damage.”
The researchers concluded that this ingredient “can provide clinically effective benefits for dry and compromised skin.”
Avocado oil is clinically shown to promote collagen synthesis when applied topically, as we documented in our review of Vitality Essential Oils, another cosmetics brand that includes this ingredient.
Camellia sinensis leaf extract was shown in a clinical trial published in the Dermatologic Therapy journal to have “pronounced moisturizing effects” when applied to skin.
Mineral oil was shown to improve skin softness and barrier function better than most cosmetic oils in a 2012 medical review.
While there are clearly a number of effective active ingredients in Jergens Natural Glow, there are also several inactive ingredients in this formulation that may be questionable from a health perspective.
Fragrance is a broad descriptor that fails to document the specific fragrance chemicals used, and a 2016 medical review analyzed safety data on fragranced consumer products and concluded that fragrance can "impose serious risks to human health.”
BHT is a synthetic preservative, and one of the chemical compounds it’s broken down into by the human body was described as a “tumor promoter” in a clinical trial published in the Carcinogenesis journal.
Overall, we consider Jergens Natural Glow likely to be an effective moisturizer, and potentially effective for repairing the skin barrier based on its active ingredients.
However, we don’t currently recommend this product due to its inactive ingredients.
But how do real users rate and describe the effects of this product? We’ll review in the next section.
Real People Try Jergens Natural Glow
A YouTube creator named Yana Irbe used Jergens Natural Glow on her face and body in a video with over 400,000 views. She provides before-and-after images:
A TikTok creator has a very favorable review of the product that appears unsponsored:
@erin_elizabeth Easiest most natural self tanner I have ever used! 10/10 #jergens #naturalglow #jergensnaturalglow #selftan #tan #beauty #beautytok #fyp #foryoupage ♬ original sound - Erin
Where toGet the Best Price
Jergens Natural Glow is sold at a variety of online retailers. Here’s a price breakdown at the time of publishing this article:
Rite Aid: $13.99 (link)
CVS: $13.49 (plus shipping, link)
Walmart: $9.47 (plus $6.99 shipping – link)
Amazon: $10.47 (plus $5.99 shipping – link to official Amazon listing)
When factoring in shipping costs, the price of this product is currently the same on Walmart and Amazon.
Is Jergens Lotion Contaminated?
In 2022, Jergens voluntarily recalled several lots of their Ultra Healing Moisturizer, because it was contaminated with a bacteria called Pluralibacter gergoviae, according to the FDA.
According to a medical review published in the Microbiology Research Announcements journal, this bacterial species is “occasionally associated with human infection.”
It’s important to note that this is a different product than the moisturizing lotion that’s the subject of this review.
While this recall received media attention, we don’t believe that potential customers need to worry. This issue does not appear to be ongoing at the time of publishing this article, relates to a different product, and the bacterial species involved does not appear particularly concerning.
There are no lawsuits that we could find related to Jergens products, which is a good sign.
How to Self Tan Safely
A dermatologist and popular YouTube creator named “Dr Dray” shares insights on how to self tan safely in a video with over 190,000 views that features Jergens Natural Glow:
Real Customers Review Jergens Natural Glow
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.
Jergens Natural Glow has been reviewed over 4,000 times on Amazon, with an average review rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “Ana Lucas” who claims the product is an effective moisturizer and self-tanner:
“Just love this stuff. Moisturizes well, and gives me this subtle tanned tone that everyone compliments”
The top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “UWShopaholic” who claims the scent made the product unbearable:
“I put this on in the morning, when I usually moisturize and at first the smell was minimal. Throughout the day, the odor kept becoming stronger and stronger. After about 6 hours, I was stuck in a stuffy classroom and the smell of the self tanner was attacking my sense with every breath I took. I will not be using this product ever again. I would be returning the item, but after shipping, I would only receive $1.50 back.”
OurClean Skincare Picks
MBG Postbiotic Body Lotionis our top body lotion pick.
Squalene(which is included) isclinically shownto hydrate the skin, and shea butterwas described as havingmoisturizing effectsin amedical reviewpublished in theInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences.
Annie Mak Vitamin C Serumis our top anti-aging serum.
It containshyaluronic acidwhich was described as a"skin-rejuvenating biomedicine"in amedical reviewdue to its ability to reduce wrinkles and signs of facial aging.
Ritual HyaCerais our top anti-aging skin supplement.
It containswheat oil extractwhich isclinically shownto"improve skin damages induced by aging."
Allof the products recommended in this sectionare entirely free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
Pros and Cons of Jergens Natural Glow
Here are the pros and cons of Jergens Natural Glow in our opinion:
Pros:
- May be safer than tanning beds
- Should be effective moisturizer
- Many research-backed active ingredients
- Favorable Amazon reviews
- Affordable
Cons:
- Contains BHT
- Contains fragrance
- Doesn’t appear clinically tested
- Manufacturer faced recall over bacterial contamination of similar product
- Can’t purchase on brand’s website
Conclusion
Jergens Natural Glow has an impressive formulation for its price. The product contains a number of active ingredients shown in clinical trials to moisturize the skin, and its color may provide a safer alternative to tanning outdoors or tanning beds.
Most of the online reviews of this product that we came across while researching this article were positive.
We do not currently recommend Jergens Natural Glow because it contains fragrance and BHT; two ingredients we consider to be questionable from a health perspective.
The manufacturer of Jergens had to recall a different moisturizer from the market in 2022 due to bacterial contamination, but this process appears to have been resolved since and did not affect the product that’s the subject of this review, so we don't believe consumers need to worry.
This moisturizer does not appear to have been studied in any clinical trials at the time of publishing this article.
For consumers intent on purchasing Jergens Natural Glow, Amazon and Walmart currently have the best prices when considering shipping costs.
