If your pale, post-winter/spring skin needs a boost, or you naturally have a medium or darker skin tone and want some enhancement, a self-tanner may be just the thing. Today we’re rounding up three of the best self-tanners to easily and quickly give you that warmer glow without any harmful UV rays. (By the way, a “base tan” isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.)
Readers, do you use self-tanner? What are your favorite brands and products?
A quick note: As with a lot of beauty products, online reviews for self-tanners aren’t always super helpful, as there are often a wide variety of opinions, from “I love this self-tanner! It applies perfectly” to “This smells horrible, is patchy, and I hate it.” So, YMMV — that’s why travel sizes can be your friend here. Many brands offer travel/mini sizes, such as Bondi Sands, Beauty by Earth, and Isle of Paradise.
{related: what is your favorite sunscreen? — and yes, we’re due for an update!}
Here are some of the best self-tanners out there.
Reader Favorite Self-Tanners
Some of the self-tanning products readers mentioned in previous threads — and I’m excited to try these newer self-tanner drops that you add to your regular lotion:
3 of the Best Self-Tanners for 2024
Best General Self-Tanner: St. Tropez Self Tan Express Bronzing Mousse
This limited edition, Sephora-exclusive self-tanner, St. Tropez Self Tan Express Bronzing Mousse, is in mousse form and has an “island-inspired” fragrance. Specifically, St. Tropez notes, it smells like “tropical fruit blended with velvety coconut, vanilla, and Tahitian gardenia.” (That does sound nice.)
Reviewers’ opinions of the scent include “pleasant,” “fresh,” “divine,” “really good” and also … “a problem for some people.”
To use this tanner, you apply with a mitt and wait one to three hours before showering. Your tan will develop over the next eight hours.
This mousse, which is vegan and cruelty-free, is $46 for 6.7 oz at Sephora.
Best Face Self-Tanner: Tan-Luxe The Face Illuminating Self-Tan Drops
You have a choice for getting more color on your face, but if you’re seeking something that lasts longer than a bronzer or tinted moisturizer, these self-tanner face drops from UK company Tan-Luxe are a good bet. The Face is designed to be added to your moisturizer, serum, or face oil, and you can customize the shade, from 2 drops (“radiant”) to 12 drops (“bronzed”). (You might want to start small, to avoid a Ross “Mississippi” situation.)
This product is cruelty-free, vegan, and also free of sulfates, phthalates, parabens, petrochemicals, mineral oil, silicone, and talc. Reviewers say the scent is “great,” “way better than other self-tanners,” or alternately, “strongly like apple cider vinegar,” or non-existent. So, yeah.
These face drops are $50 for 1 oz. at Nordstrom and are available in two shades: light/medium and medium/dark.
Best Self-Tanner for Darker Skin Tones: Loving Tan Platinum Ultimate Self Tanning Mousse
For a recommendation for a self-tanner that works on darker skin tones, we turned to the Instagram of Jackie Aina, popular Nigerian American content creator and lifestyle brand founder. (Check out her “Black Girls Tan” Insta story highlights!)
Aina says she loves this Platinum Ultimate Self Tanning Mousse from Australian brand Loving Tan. It’s an Allure Best of Beauty award winner, too, and promises “The deepest, darkest tan possible.” (Especially if you have lighter skin, note the company’s caveat, “experienced tanners only.”)
Loving Tan claims this self-tanner will dry in as little as 60 seconds and will develop your tan in two hours — a lot more quickly than some other tanners. Not only can it enhance your skin tone, but it can help with hyperpigmentation. Various reviewers say the scent is “minimal,” “pleasant,” “does not smell good,” or is nonexistent, so YMMV.
This self-tanner mousse, is $27.96 (30% off, marked down from $39.95) at Nordstrom in the shade “Maximum.” The 6.7-oz. size is available at Ulta for $65.
Readers, please share! What are your favorite self-tanners for face and body?
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