The Best Self Tanners

Best image of self tanners
Photo: Jergens Natural Glow 3-Day Self Tanner for Fair to Medium Skin Tone, Sunless Tanning Daily Moisturizer, for Streak-free and Natural-Looking Color, 10 Ounce
UPDATED MARCH 28, 2024

To help you find the perfect self tanner, we continuously put forth the effort to update and expand our list of recommendable self tanners. Our team collects, edits and publishes new information, in order to present it to you in an accurate, significant and neatly arranged way.

Our Picks

Jergens Natural Glow 3-Day Tanner image
FLAWLESS SELF TANNER - Create a flawless tan for gradual, natural-looking col...
Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun Body Mousse image
FLAWLESS SELF TANNER - Create a flawless, quick tan with gradual, natural-loo...
Tan Physics True Color Sunless Tanner image
PAMPER YOUR SKIN - Tan Physics replenishes and hydrates your skin with proven...
Our Choice
Jergens Natural Glow 3-Day Tanner image
FLAWLESS SELF TANNER - Create a flawless tan for gradual, natural-looking col...
Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun Body Mousse image
FLAWLESS SELF TANNER - Create a flawless, quick tan with gradual, natural-loo...
Low Price
Tan Physics True Color Sunless Tanner image
PAMPER YOUR SKIN - Tan Physics replenishes and hydrates your skin with proven...

8 More Self Tanner Alternatives

Made By Tan Lovers For Tan Lovers – The 2 HR Express Self-Tanning Mousse gives you a na...

Colour Guide Technology – The built-in colour guide contains an instant bronzer making ...

Professional Strength & Dermatologist Tested – Our products are proudly crafted in Aust...

Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam is a lightweight, tanner that’s simple to apply and gives...

Our unique, salon quality formula is enriched with aloe vera and coconut, for the ultim...

Using a mitt, apply foam using long, sweeping motions to clean, dry skin; Skin may be w...

NATURAL LOOKING, SUN KISSED SKIN WITHOUT SUN DAMAGE OR CHEMICALS. The world's first 100...

ANTI-AGING WITH ZERO NASTIES. This lightweight mousse delivers an instant bronze glow t...

SMELL SO GOOD, YOU’LL WANT MORE. Our Sunny Honey self tan has a tropical mango and guav...

NATURAL LOOKING, SUN KISSED SKIN WITHOUT SUN DAMAGE OR CHEMICALS. The world's first 100...

ANTI-AGING WITH ZERO NASTIES. This lightweight mousse delivers an instant bronze glow t...

SMELL SO GOOD, YOU’LL WANT MORE. Our Sunny Honey self tan has a tropical mango and guav...

ULTRA DARK RESULTS. i’m perfect for anyone looking for the darkest, darkest tan possibl...

SMOOTH APPICATION. i come with our best selling mitt so you can create the most awesome...

1 HOUR CURE TIME. 1 hour development time, leave on for 4+ hours for darker results

i'm perfect for anyone looking for a dark, dark tan with absolutely no orange tones

glow from head to toe with our you glow girl face + body tan mist

i come with our best selling mitt so you can create the most awesome, dark tan on the p...

A NATURAL, SUN-KISSED GLOW: Goodbye to orange hues and hello to a natural-looking tan. ...

CLEAN BEAUTY: Trust Beauty by Earth for a natural self tanner organic made with organic...

SUITABLE FOR FACE & BODY: Our organic tanning lotion can be used on both face and body ...

i'm a transfer-resistant self tan gel that you can apply & go glow your own way... no r...

enriched with hyaluronic acid + vitamin c for that ultra juicy glow

i'll leave you with darker tan results + moisturized, smooth skin

Buying Guide

There are many reasons to opt for a sunless tan rather than rely on soaking up UV rays from the sun. A sun-kissed glow will help you look more youthful, healthy and well-rested. Ironically, too much sun exposure will actually advance the aging of your skin, so a self tanner is a great compromise. Nowadays, there’s a whole world beyond your standard sunless tanning lotion, so if you choose to go this route, you have a lot of options at your hands. Here are a few factors to consider before taking the plunge.
Look for your natural skin tone

This is a common mistake with self tanning! Most self tanners come in different shades, and it might seem intuitive to buy the shade that you’re hoping to become after using the tanner. This is not the right move, however. Instead, you want to buy the shade that you are naturally. Think of it like buying a foundation or concealer — you want to color match as best as you can.

Know your tone

The most dreaded result of using self tanner is becoming that unattractive shade of bronzey-orange. When using self tanner, keep in mind that you’re not aiming to achieve some type of idealized tan — you’re looking to recreate what you would look like if you achieved a natural tan from the sun. Everybody’s skin is different, so you’ll need to find something ideal for your specific overtones and undertones.

If you’re especially pale and don’t naturally tan, then don’t try to achieve an artificial tan with self tanner. Instead, focus on adding a healthy glow and just a bit of subtle color. This will fill out your natural skin tone and make you look like you’ve been vacationing in the Caribbean for a week.

For pale skin tones, a gradual tanning moisturizer is ideal rather than a spray-on tan or mousse. Go for a self tanner with gold tones rather than orange, brown or bronze tones.
For darker fair skin, the main thing to avoid is redness or ruddiness. Use a yellow-based product to cancel out those red tones and even out the skin. Try a bronzing mousse product.

If you have a bronze or olive skin-tone, you’ll want to use neutral shades of brown to avoid an artificial-looking color. These skin tones naturally tan from the sun, so try to recreate that color with your self tanner. You can use a bronzing lotion to achieve this effect.

Brown-skinned folks can also use self-tanner. Similar to those with pale skin, you’re aiming to highlight and improve the natural glow of the skin as if you’d been hanging out in the sun all day. Deep browns with reddish or copper tones will work well for this.
One last tip that all skin tones can use is that you should use a self-tanner that has olive or green-gray tones to it rather than orange. Aside from those with fair skin, you should avoid yellow-based products as well.

Choose the right formula

There are self-tanning lotions, mousses, sprays and towelettes. There are also bronzing powders for temporary self-tanning. Different formulas are appropriate for different skin tones as well as for different parts of the body. It’s often appropriate to use a different formula for your face than you will on your body, since faces are naturally a different tone than the body and they tan differently. Many products, like St. Tropez's bronzing mousse, come in a separate formula just for the face.

One helpful tip for beginners is to use a gradual lotion or moisturizer, since it will take time to show on the skin. You’ll be able to tell whether you’re achieving the desired effect before it’s too late.

If you choose to use a regular tanning lotion (not a gradual one), go for one that has a dye to it so that you can tell where you’ve already applied it. This will be incredibly helpful — the goal when self-tanning with lotion is to apply it evenly, avoiding streakiness and not applying it more than once in one area. This takes practice, but will be easier if you can immediately see where you’ve applied the tanner.
Mousses are great for customizing your color, since you can easily layer and build coverage. However, they are not great for beginners since there’s not a lot of room for error.
At-home spray tans are surprisingly easy to use, as long as you choose one that doesn’t deposit too much color at once. These sprays are great for reaching your back, which can be quite to evenly self-tan without some assistance.

Tanning towelettes are appropriate for small areas or touch-ups.

Don’t cheap out

Yes, self tanners can be quite pricey, but you’ll likely be using the same bottle for quite some time. If you’re going to use self tanner, you need to use a formula that works and doesn’t look tacky. In most cases, that will mean buying a product according to its formula and quality, not its price. Luckily, that doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune on self tanner.
There are some quality self tanners under $15 that may be suitable for you, depending on your skin tone and desired tanning formula. Jergen's gradual tinted moisturizer, for example, is available for under $15, and is a popular and effective self tanner. Neutrogena also makes a popular tanning mist that's inexpensive.

Higher-end brands to look for include St. Tropez, Clarins, Tarte and Josie Maran -- all of whom make wonderful self tanners. If you'll be using an instant lotion, mousse or towelette, it's best to go the high-end route.

When in doubt, test it out

You may have to try a couple different self tanners before you find one that gets you that just-right sun-kissed glow. Don’t fret! Like any beauty product, you won’t really know how it works for your skin until you try it. Everyone is different, so be patient and be ready to try out a couple self tanners.

Top Rated Self Tanners

If you're looking into finding the best rated self tanner, you should probable check out the Loving Tan 2 HR Express Mousse. We looked at various sources of reviews and found this one to have the best mix between review count and average rating stars.

Loving Tan 2 HR Express Mousse

The Lowest Price We Could Find

Often, going for the best price is a simple but good option. With a price of $12.97 (last checked this morning), we do not list any other self tanner cheaper than the B.tan Clear Tan Gel. Just remember that it's not always the best option to go for the cheapest one.

B.tan Clear Tan Gel

The Self Tanner With the Most Reviews

With at least 1036 reviews and counting, the Jergens Natural Glow 3-Day Tanner might be another option to consider. This large amount of reviews signalizes that many people are using it, with most of them beeing satisfied.

Jergens Natural Glow 3-Day Tanner

High Quality Self Tanners

It's quite rare that the saying "You get what you pay for" turns out incorrect. If you have the money on the sideline, feel free to choose the most expensive item from our list: The Loving Tan 2 HR Express Mousse currently sells for $39.45.

The Self Tanner With the Most Clicks

If you trust us and our users, feel free to check out the Jergens Natural Glow 3-Day Tanner. Our statistics say that it is the most favorite Self Tanner from the list above.

Our Bestseller

If you're still undecided, I would recommend that you go with the masses and choose the top selling self tanner: The Jergens Natural Glow 3-Day Tanner is the hottest bestseller in this category right now.

Self Tanner Reviews

There are no reviews on self tanners, yet.
Be the first to write a review, or check for additional reviews in the Further Reading section below.

Further Reading on Self Tanners

New: Our editorial list of additional articles. We decided to gather informartion all around the internet and present you a list of helpful, external links to interesting reads about reviews, pros & cons and similar products.
Ranking and Reviews Of The Best Self Tanning Products
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Best Fake Tan & Self Tanning Products 2018 | Bri...
The best fake tan and self tanning products to try now for 2018, as recommended by Vogue. Reviews, features and prices of the best fake tan  People also askIs sunless tanning safe?Can you go in a swimming pool with fake tan?Do self... ...
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Soaking up the Self-Tan: The Pros and Cons of DHA an...
This article reviews the health benefits and possible drawbacks of dihydroxyacetone, the main active ingredient in self-tanning products. ...
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I've Worn Self-Tanner Every Day for the Past 20 ...
I have been self-tanning for as long as I can remember. the fact that scorching my skin was bad news, so I sought out a healthier alternative. ...
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Part 3: Pro's and Con's of Self Tanning Prod...
Part 3: Pro's and Con's of Self Tanning Products. Sep 14. Is it a Do or a Don't? Many debate this very issue…Here is a perfect example of various opinions on the  ...
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Our Favorite Safe Tanning Alternatives, Say Goodbye ...
Instead of turning to the usual lotions and creams that leave those suspicious looking streaks, we've come across some more innovative self-tanners that won't  ...
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Research

Do you want to know more about self tanners? Check out the links below to gain knowledge about the whole topic of self tanner products.

Useful Videos

TRY THIS, NOT THAT! DARK SELF TANNERS I RECOMMEND | Casey Holmes

Don't forget to subscribe here-- bit.ly My online boutique: rosiedaze.com How I take off my makeup- youtu.be ...

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