Everyone wants to get a glow, and when it comes with a touch of bronze, it’s all the better. With the best self tanner, you can get a radiant, well-rested look that seems to be the byproduct of a sun-drenched getaway—it’s up to you whether or not to disclose that it came from a bottle. Fortunately, Vogue editors and celebrity tanning experts don’t gatekeep their intel on the best self tanners for every age, skin tone, and gender.
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“Self-tan has always been a cloak of confidence for myself, and for my celebrity clients, but for some reason, it was only communicated to consumers as a one-body-shape, one-skin-tone type of beauty product, which has never been the case for me!” explains celebrity tanning expert and founder of Isle of Paradise, Jules Von Hep. He believes we should rely on self tan to help boost confidence by awakening a lit-from-within glow that naturally peps us up. “Our skin looks more even and our glow more prominent–and that, in turn, affects our day-to-day mood,” he says. Want to experience the glow-boost yourself? Just ahead of summer, here are the best self tanners, according to Vogue editors and bronzing buffs.
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Best for Face: Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Glow Drops
- Why We Love It: Time spent on TikTok or a peruse through the beauty cabinets of cosmetics enthusiasts will likely reveal Isle of Paradise’s Self-Tanning Glow Drops, which is lauded for their color-correcting, convenient incorporation. According to Hep, “the more drops you add into your moisturizer, serum, or liquid foundation, the deeper your glow will be.”
- Key Ingredients: DHA, vitamin C, avocado
- Format: Liquid drops
- Shades: Three
- How to Use: According to Isle of Paradise, just mix at least four drops into your moisturizer or foundation and apply to the face in neck. You should see results in four to six hours.
Best for Prolonging a Tan: Vita Liberata Fabulous Gradual Tanning Lotion
- Why We Love It: Think of Vita Liberata’s gradual tanning lotion as a moisturizing solution for the face and body. When you know you want an effortless glow, substitute your favorite lotion or cream with this to prolong your summer tan. Not to mention its full of hydrating, firming, skin-protective ingredients.
- Key Ingredients: DHA, aloe vera, shea butter, natural silk, hyaluronic acid, and botanical extracts
- Format: Lotion
- Shades: One
- How to Use: According to Vita Liberata, massage the lotion onto clean, dry skin; then, shower off after four to eight hours.
Best Hydrating: Tan-Luxe The Water Hydrating Self-Tan Water
- Why We Love It: Tan-Luxe describes this formula as “crystal clear, odorless, water-based formula delivers deep hydration and a natural looking tan without clogging pores, streaking, or dehydrating skin.” This means you have a mess-free application that won’t even transfer to your clothes or sheets.
- Key Ingredients: DHA, glycerin, aloe vera, vitamin C, raspberry seed oil, and caffeine.
- Format: Water-based liquid
- Shades: Two
- How to Use: According to Tan-Luxe, applying The Water is as simple as misting directly onto skin. Per Elrick, one should “ensure that the skin is saturated with the product and then buffed into the skin using your tanning mitt.”
Best for a Short-Term Glow: Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Sunshine Drops
- Why We Love It: A bronzing serum is the answer for an effortless glow on its own or under makeup—especially if you’re looking for a short-term facial solution. Thanks to a blend of fatty acids, virgin marula, and black currant seed oils, Drunk Elephant’s Sunshine Drops protect skin against pollution and environmental stressors. Think of this as a short-term bronze than a long-term tan, perfect for a day poolside or latte makeup look.
- Key Ingredients: Cocoa extract, peptides, white tea extract, chronocyclin, and vitamin E.
- Format: Bronzing serum
- Shades: One
- How to Use: According to Drunk Elephant, simply add a drop (or two!) to your favorite serum, oil, or moisturizer.
Best Oil: Bondi Sands Liquid Gold Self Tanning Dry-Oil
- Why We Love It: This Bondi Sands elixir delivers the instant sheen of a body oil and the enduring bronze of a self tanner. No rinse required, just allow the tan to develop after six hours to last up to a week.
- Key Ingredients: DHA, glycerin, castor oil, coconut oil
- Format: Oil
- Shades: One
- How to Use: According to Bondi Sands, use their Self-Tanning Mitt to apply the oil in long, sweeping motions on the legs, arms, and body for streak-free wear.
Best for Boosting Radiance: Coola Sunless Tan Anti-Aging Face Serum
- Why We Love It: This summer, we’re relying on face serums for lightweight hydrating, firming, and brightening benefits, but how about one with glow-boosting abilities? Enter Coola’s option that utilizes 99% natural ingredients, including sugar beet-derived DHA, for a shimmery radiance in a few hours.
- Key Ingredients: DHA, hyaluronic acid, and centella asiatic cell cultures
- Format: Serum
- Shades: One
- How to Use: According to Coola, apply two to three drops onto skin on its own or mixed into your chosen moisturizer.
Best Skin-Smoothing; Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pad Self-Tanner for Body
- Why We Love It: Celebrity dermatologist Dr. Dennis Gross’s skin-care lineup delivers a self-tanning solution through its Alpha Beta Glow Pad. Featuring a blend of AHAs, BHAs, and vitamin D, this offers a streak- and mess-free tan with ease. Better yet: there are pads formulated for the face too.
- Key Ingredients: Encapsulated DHA, AHAs, and BHAs
- Format: Single-use towel
- Shades: One
- How to Use: According to Dr. Dennis Gross, swipe the towel across the body in circular motions until dry. Color should develop in one hour.
Best for Body: St. Tropez Self-Tan Luxe Whipped Crème Mousse
- Why We Love It: St. Tropez’s Self Tan Bronzing Mousse is a great option regardless of your comfort level. The niacinamide-infused formula offers skin benefits like evening tone and alleviating redness. Even more: it’s a long-wear option that may last throughout days of travel.
- Key Ingredients: DHA, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, echinacea, and Vitamin E
- Format: Lightweight mousse
- Shades: One
- How to Use: According to St. Tropez, apply a few pumps onto a mitt, then massage onto the body. Just be sure to wait eight hours for your tan to develop before showering.
Best Drugstore: Jergens Natural Glow Self Tanner Lotion
- Why We Love It: Dare we say Jergens Natural Glow is the ultimate drugstore self tanner? The gradual tanning lotion is easy to apply, and is full of antioxidants and conditioning ingredients to help keep skin healthy from within.
- Key Ingredients: Glycerin, avocado fruit extract, jojoba seed extract, and olive fruit oil
- Format: Lotion
- Shades: Two
- How to Use: According to Jergens, apply this as your daily body lotion—allowing a few minutes to dry to avoid transfer on clothes or fabric.
Best Express Tan: Loving Tan 2 HR Express Mousse
- Why We Love It: Need a tan ASAP? Get your hands on this Loving Tan formula. Designed to deliver a natural-looking bronze in just two hours, the mousse is a TikTok favorite for great coverage that dries easily.
- Key Ingredients: Naturally-derived DHA, aloe vera
- Format: Mousse
- Shades: Three
- How to Use: According to Loving Tan, moisturize dry areas first. Then, work the mousse in circular motions with a mitt for even coverage. Wait one minute before touching clothing or fabric.
Best Mix-In for Moisturizer: Clarins Self Tanning Body Booster Drops
- Why We Love It: Those looking to customize their glow year-round should consider adding this recipe by Clarins to cart. Inside its sleek tube is a concentrated blend of 99% ingredients of natural origin—including DHA, plant sugars, and aloe vera to illuminate and bronze the skin with each drop
- Key Ingredients: DHA, plant sugars (erythrulose), aloe vera, and glycerin
- Format: Liquid drops
- Shades: One
- How to Use: According to Clarins, mix four to six drops with your body moisturizer, then apply to the body.
What is a self tanner?
If you’re new to the world of self tanner or simply are curious how products create that bronzed effect, Hep breaks it down: “The self-tan ingredient [found in many products], DHA (dihydroxyacetone), reacts with our skin giving the illusion that we’ve been away.” From gradual tanning lotions to self-tanning drops, there are plenty of easy-to-apply options offering a subtle face and body glow infused with skin-nourishing ingredients like shea butter, aloe vera, and hyaluronic acid. “The best way to think of self-tan is that it mimics vacation skin without having to go on vacation–essentially, it’s a vacation in a bottle!” says Hep.
What to Look for in a Self Tanner
“I would opt for a self tanner that has a bronzer, which is also known as the color guide,” says Dolce Glow founder Isabel Alysa, a celebrity spray tan artist whose clients include Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Lopez, and Kim Kardashian. This helps guarantee a more even application so you don’t miss any spots. “[If you’re more fair-toned], I would also choose a self tanner that is a light or medium shade, versus going with a dark option. The DHA with a dark self tanner might be too high and can actually cause orange hues if not used on the correct skin tone.” Another pro tip (especially if you’re in rush) Alysa shares? Opting for an easy-to-apply spray or mist to ensure “a good, even tan.”
How to Choose the Self Tanner for You
When it comes to choosing the best self tanner for you, “the rule I always use is light for light skin tones, medium shades for medium skin tones—think someone who naturally tans in the sun, with an olive skin tone—and dark shades for deeper skin tones,” Alysa says. “Following those guidelines will ensure a brown, natural-looking self tan, and reduce the chance of orange hues.”
According to Bethany Menzel, co-founder and creative director of Saltyface, “Why you want to self tan can also help determine which tanner is best for you.” If you want to have an everyday glow that’s easy to maintain, she recommends a product that goes on transparent and develops gradually. “This will make your tan routine feel maintainable and avoid tan transfer on your clothing and sheets.” On the other hand, she says: “If you just plan on tanning for a single event you might be willing to put up with the transfer of a quick-developing product with guide color.”
How Often to Use Self Tanner
Alysa recommends using self tanner on the body once a week, though the face could benefit from some extra bronze. “Self tanner on the face fades the most quickly because we tend to wash the face the most, and the skin there is very thin,” she says. “Having self-tanning drops or a touch-up spray for the face is amazing.”
How to Maximize Your Self-Tan
None of us want to go through the effort of self tanning to reveal streaky, patchy bouts of color. The key to a great tan is all in the preparation, says Marc Elrick, founder and CEO of Tan-Luxe, who recommends prepping skin 24 hours before application. “Any shaving, exfoliating, and moisturizing should be done the day before to ensure you have the perfect base,” says Elrick. Then when you’re ready to apply your tanner of choice, moisturize dry patches to avoid product buildup and prevent sparse color.
