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This is the best self-tanner of the bunch, as it has an easy-to-apply mousse formula, offers a beautiful tan, and fades evenly. Read More
This mousse has a good shade range, a long-lasting formula, and gives a beautiful hue to the skin. Read More
This tanning mousse is easy to apply, but is not noticeable enough on the skin in the medium shade. Read More
This mousse tanner transfers onto clothing and does not leave behind a noticeable tan. Read More
Evenly bronzed skin with a subtle glow is a coveted feature, as it’s generally an indication of bright, warm summer days spent by the pool or at the beach. The only problem is that basking in the sun has serious ramifications in the form of sun damage, fine lines and wrinkles, and an increased risk of skin cancer. Fortunately, there’s a safer, alternative way to get the sun-kissed look you’re after: self-tanners.
The Bali Body Self Tanning Mousse won our Best Overall spot for its smooth application, natural-looking tan, and non-blotchy fading.
The Coco & Eve Sunny Honey Bali Bronzing Self Tanner Mousse earned our Best Shade Range spot for its decent shade range.
The author's arm with swatches of the Clarins (left), L'Oréal (center), and Bali Body (right) self-tanners.
Hi, I’m Jessica, the beauty editor at Reviewed. I’ve tested all things skin-, makeup-, and hair-related for our beauty section. But perhaps most pertinent for this article—I’m pale. Ihave a very light-colored complexion that can achieve a very subtle natural tan if I sit in the sun—something I don’t do often and never without sunscreen. I’ve received a professional spray tan once in my life and have occasionally used self-tanners for a once-a-summer experiment, but I never keep up with regular applications. But knowing that plenty of people prefer tan skin for vacations in warmer climates or special events, I embarked on this self-tanner odyssey. (You’re welcome!)
There are plenty of self-tanner products to choose from that claim to give you "instant" results (as opposed to gradual), developing within a few hours of application. I sifted through bestseller lists and retailer reviews to narrow my testing list down to 12 options from top brands in this category. Because of my paleness, I typically opted for the medium shade available in any product that offered a light-medium-dark range, and the lightest option in any that only offered deeper hues.
At the beginning of my tests, I tested two self-tanners at a time by applying one to each leg. Because these products are designed to last several days, this method would give me accurate results wear-wise while also speeding up the testing process.
Then, I individually tested the four self-tanners that aced my first round of tests with an all-over application. I recorded my results on a scientifically calibrated rubric created by Reviewed’s team of scientists, rating the self-tanners on the following attributes:
Shade range: Does the self-tanner offer a very limited, decent, or plentiful amount of shades?
Application: How easy is it to dispense the self-tanner from the container? Do you need a lot of the self-tanner to cover the legs/body?
Wear: After following application instructions, how tan does your skin look? How does the self-tanner feel on your skin? Does the color fade evenly?
Longevity: How quickly does the self-tanner fade away?
Scent: Does the self-tanner have a smell? Is it pleasant or unpleasant? How powerful is the fragrance?
Staining: Does the self-tanner leave any residue/staining on clothes or bedding?
In order to understand how self-tanners work, it’s important to know that the two most common types of self-tanners are instant (which we tested) and gradual. Instant self-tanners begin taking effect immediately and fully develop over the course of a few hours. This kind of self-tanner requires you shower it off after a few hours, or overnight for a deeper tan.
There are several self-tanner formulas available among instant self-tanners: mousse, spray, lotion, gel, and mix-in drops that you add to your body lotion of choice. With any of these options, a self-tanning application mitt (I used the one that came with the Loving Tan bottle) is helpful for evenly spreading and blending in the formula to prevent you from staining your hands.
Most instant self-tanners, including the ones on this list, contain an ingredient called dihydroxyacetone (DHA) that reacts with the outer layer of the skin to temporarily darken it.
Some self-tanners have a color guard, or a pigment that lightly tints the skin (though this is not the final color) to show where you’ve applied; other self-tanners are clear so you need to do your best to remember where you’ve applied it.
The gradual self-tanners out there require multiple applications over the course of a couple of days to build up a subtle tan that fades away without regular maintenance. An example of one of the best gradual self-tanners is the Reviewed-approved M-61 Hydraboost Gradual Tan Body Butter.
According to our tester, its $34 price tag is worth it, given that she achieved a subtle tan a few hours post-application and it didn’t leave her skin feeling sticky or tacky. "Because it's a multi-purpose product that hydrates and tans, for me, it's money well spent," she writes.
Other best-selling gradual self-tanners that have received rave reviews include the Tan-Luxe The Gradual Illuminating Gradual Tan Lotion, the St.Tropez Gradual Tan Firming Lotion, and the Bondi Sands Everyday Gradual Tanning Milk Body Moisturizer.
The best self-tanners should provide a glowing, lasting tan. To ensure that you reap all the benefits of your self-tanner, we recommend the following steps when applying self-tanner.
Step 1: Before applying a self-tanner, make sure to exfoliate the skin all over your body. This step will get rid of all the dead skin cells and any other residue that sits on the top surface of your skin, resulting in a polished, smooth canvas for your self-tanner to absorb into.
You can use a body scrub—we like the Sol de Janeiro Bom Dia Body Scrub—or just a washcloth or cleansing brush with some water will also give you quick exfoliation.
This is also the perfect time to shave because shaving is another means of exfoliation that not only removes dead skin cells but also gets rid of any body hair.
Once you’re done exfoliating and shaving, get out your favorite body moisturizer and slather it all over your skin. Saturating your skin in moisturizer will help give an extra boost to your soft, smooth canvas ahead of applying self-tanner.
Step 2: Once your skin has been renewed and refreshed after exfoliating, you’re ready to tan. But make sure that your skin is 100% dry from exfoliating. Using either your hands or a self-tanning mitt, apply the product onto your skin in circular motions, as if you were putting on body lotion.
Our tester found that using a self-tanning mitt helped make a much more seamless experience than without it. Otherwise, the tanner will create dark stain marks all over your skin.
Step 3: Finally, depending on what self-tanner you choose, you will have to let it sit on your skin for four to eight hours before taking a shower. And, of course, make sure your skin is completely dry before getting dressed.
Through our testing, we found that tans from instant self-tanners tend to last one week—or seven days—and faded away evenly without any awkward marks or streaks left as the self-tanners disappeared. However, the self-tanners’ claims don’t explicitly say that the tan should last a week.
For example, the claims for our best overall and best for beginners picks, the Bali Body Self Tanning Mousse and the Clarins Self Tanning Instant Gel, respectively, state that each formula delivers "long-lasting results."
Similar to how you prepare your skin for self-tanning, getting rid of your self-tanner is a matter of exfoliating your body. Use a body scrub or baking soda mixed with some water and scrub your body to lighten your self-tan and speed up how long it takes to fade. If you apply self-tanner to your face, use a face scrub.
We like the Sugar Face Polish from Fresh Beauty. It leans on brown sugar to slough away dead skin cells.
Despite their shared purpose, self-tanners for the body and face are not the same. While both types of self-tanner use DHA tanning active as the hero ingredient, the rest of the formulas are dramatically different from each other. Self-tanners for the body tend to have a thick texture and powerful scent. In turn, body self-tanners would likely be too heavy on the more delicate skin on your face.
Meanwhile, self-tanners for the face are lightweight, usually formulated into drops or oils, and contain more skincare ingredients that are specifically designed to moisturize the skin on the face. Some of the most popular top-rated face tanners out there include vitamin C, aloe vera, and even SPF protection.
Easy to apply
Decent shade range
Includes tanning mitt
Not tan enough
Not streaky despite difficult application
Not tan enough
Transfers onto clothing
Difficult to apply
Jessica writes and edits beauty content as a member of Reviewed's commerce team and manages a beauty TikTok called Beautorial. She's spent four years testing makeup, skincare, hair care, and body care products, and she acts as Reviewed's beauty expert.
Jessica represented Reviewed's beauty section at CES in-person and virtually for four years, and she was nominated for and graduated from the Gannett Emerging Leaders 2021-2022 program.
Jessica holds a Bachelor's degree in journalism from Emerson College, and she's written for Scary Mommy, 7News, Boston.com, Citizine, and Boston Common Magazine.
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