If you have seen me in person or on camera, you will see that I am milk bottle pale which has including uncalled remarks from older men about how pale my legs are and in need of sun when I'm wearing dresses/skirts (rude I know!). With all the sunny weather recently, I wanted to give this Odylique Gradual Glow Tanning Serum a go this year to see if it helped give me a subtle bit of colour to my skin and hopefully stop the comments.
Odylique
Odylique was found by Margaret Weeds who is qualified in herbal medicine and aromatherapy and was suffering with very sensitive skin so for 23 years she focused on using natural ingredients to find the answers she needed to help manage her and her families skin. Over the years, she tinkered with skin-friendly formulas using organic herbs, plant oils and natural active ingredients and in 2003 she launched Essential Care with her daughter Abi. In 2014, they rebranded to the name we all know and love now Odylique which means power of nature and is perfectly fitting for the brand, their ethos and their products. Even now in 2026, they are still a family owned brand with an amazing team of skin-loving experts with every single one of their products still hand-made in Suffolk.
Gradual Glow Tanning Serum
The Gradual Glow Tanning Serum from Odylique is one of their newest releases right in summer for the warm weather. It is designed to be an all-natural facial self-tan serum that helps to build up a gradual sun kissed glow whilst also looking after your skin. The formula is certified 100% natural, fragrance-free and dermatologically tested and gentle for sensitive skin. It is filled with hydrating rose water and aloe vera, smoothing phytocollagen and prebiotics which help to balance your skin microbiome and helping to stimulate your skin's own hyaluronic acid production.
The serum contains plant-derived DHA, melanin from date palms, and advanced plant peptides which help to boost eumelanin synthesis which helps to give your skin a natural-looking colour and a radiant glow. It is currently £29 for a 30ml bottle, it can be used either alone or mixed into your moisturiser. I have been impressed that it gives me a more subtle glow to my skin without making me look orange which I feel makes me look healthier as I can get pretty ghastly ghost pale even in the summer.
I won't lie that when I first got the bottle in the post, it's a dark glass bottle which in my mind made me think it was going to be a dark coloured serum so I was pleasantly surprised to see that the colour of the serum itself is a kin to a vitamin c serum with an ever so slight yellow tone to the liquid. When I use the gradual glow tanning serum, it gives a very subtle rose scent which I really like as I find it very relaxing to use.
Now back when I was in my teens, I fell victim to the really bad false tanners that looked orange and streaky which has haunted me now even into my 30's cause I still get put off using self tanners or gradual tanners in case I turn orange or look a streaky mess again so I've been mixing the serum into my moisturiser after cleansing to give a more subtle look whilst I build up the confidence to use it alone. I have been also adding a couple of drops into my body lotion for my legs, chest and arms to give a subtle glow but they do offer a body lotion version which gives your their amazing serum combined with their lotion that contains shea butter, sunflower and coconut oils, rosehip, aloe vera, and prebiotics so that'll be next on my list to purchase.
I've been testing my fair share of Odylique products over the years and I've always been a big fan of how well their skincare products transform my dry and sensitive skin. I really like that this serum doesn't irritate or sting my skin so once I have it in a set routine, I will come back with some before and after photos in my review as I want to find the right balance of how often to apply it in the week for me and I love how you can literally use it as often or as little as you like depending on how much of a gradual tan and glow you want for your skin.
Have you tried a tanning serum?
Speak to you next time!
*This blog post contains items gifted for review. All opinions are honest and my own.
