How to get a good tan without the sun.(Up front: news / trends / advice)

Sunless tanning cream isn't the oxymoron you might think. Our tests of seven tanners show that they can make you look as if you've been basking at the beach without the worry about skin damage or the expense of a trip to the tropics.

How good? The products gave most of the 19 staffers who tested them a fairly realistic tan that lasted about three days. We bought the medium tone: lighter or darker shades are available.

All use the chemical dihydroxyacetone to react with the skin and provide the tanning effect. The chemical isn't harmful. The tanners aren't a replacement for sunscreen, though, and the chemical "tan" gives no protection against sunburn.

(In late June, the Food and Drug Administration ordered seven companies to stop selling pills or capsules containing the chemical canthaxanthin that claim they tan the skin and protect against sunburn and cancer. Large amounts of the chemical can temporarily dye the skin, but the chemical has been linked to hepatitis, hives, and eye problems. Lotions like those we tested don't contain canthaxanthin.)

Sun Laboratories Tan Overnight and Lancome yielded the darkest tans overall, a shade darker on our scale than those providing a moderate tan. Some panelists preferred Coppertone Endless Summer, saying that it matched their own skin tone the best. However, our measurements showed that it yielded the palest tans.

Most tanners go on colorless; you may have to wait an hour or more for the tan to appear. The Sun Laboratories and Kiss My Face lotions are tinted to provide an immediate effect.

Your own skin ...