Each self tanner reviewed this month will be rated across four categories, on the following scale:

1 = very poor
2 = poor
3 = satisfactory
4 = very good
5 = excellent

And the categories:

• Scent, ranging from gag-inducing (1) to heavenly (5). DHA is so foul that I doubt any of them will score a 5, but we shall see!
• Color. Tanners that show up orange (or not at all) get poor ratings; those with good depth of natural-looking color get praise.
• Texture. Does it spread easily? Go on smooth? Look for high ratings. Slide around on your clothes? Gluey? Thumbs down.
• Drying time. If you have to walk around in the buff all day waiting for it to dry, it might not be worth it.
• Neatness. Neatness counts! Tanners that leave your bathroom, clothes and sheets looking like you just rolled around in the mud lose major points.
• Bonus points. Tanners can earn up to 5 possible bonus points, for any added extras like sunscreen, shimmer, moisturizing ingredients, or the like.

Category ratings will be added together for a combined total of 30 possible points. At the end of the month I'll post a leaderboard listing the best and the worst.

Also, check the labels on each post so you can search by product type (tinted tanner, gradual tanner, etc).

Happy tanning!