Nothing looks healthier than beautiful sun-kissed skin with a gorgeous golden glow. It brings to mind relaxing days of fun and sun on the beach, healthy outdoor activities, and the radiance of youth and health. Unfortunately, despite how vigorous and healthy a beautiful suntan makes you appear, a real tan is actually a sign of irreparable damage to your skin—damage that can cause not only premature aging and sunspots, but also cancer.

But with the best self tanners that are on the market today, you'll be able to fake that look that we've all come to associate with being healthy and hale, a lot more safely than lying out in the sun or using a tanning bed. There are a variety of different options on the market, in a wide range of formats. With your guide, you'll be able to choose the best one for your needs.

Read on for our picks for the best self tanners on the market, and you'll have that coveted glow in no time at all!

The winner of a number of awards, and the number-one rated best self tanner according to the Self Tanning Authority Blog, is Tanceuticals Color and Correct Self Tanning Lotion. This creamy formula lotion offers a super-smooth and even tan in a beautiful natural color that’s never orange. It blends smoothly and easily and is light and quick drying. Tanceuticals lasts six to seven days with beautiful color that fades evenly so you keep a natural look.

Tanceuticals is also good for your skin, so you can feel good about your skin while you achieve a golden glow. It’s infused with acai berry, rich mango butter and healing vitamin E to soothe and replenish tired skin.

Tanceuticals is free of harsh chemicals, with no parabens or mineral oil and is certified by PETA to be cruelty-free.

Another quality that makes Tanceuticals one of the best self tanner choices is its fantastic coconut scent that never leaves you with the traditional self-tanner odor. The cream is light and soothing, and never sticky so it dries quickly and evenly.

There is no artificial color in Tanceuticals so it does not transfer color to clothes or bed sheets. It is buildable, so a second and third application can help you achieve an even deeper glow.

Tanceuticals is great for both men and women and is used by celebrities around the world who need to achieve a photo-ready perfect tan.

Tanceuticals stands behind their product with a 100 percent money back guarantee, so it is the best self tanner to try if you’ve never used one before. Sunless tanners give you all the glory of a radiant sun-kissed glow, without the damaging UV rays.

Key Features
  • Smooth tanning lotion
  • Easy blending
  • Streak resistant
  • Rated Best Self Tanner
  • Nourishes skin while it tans
Specifications
  • Product Weight: 5.6 oz
  • Product Dimensions: 1.5 X 2 X 7 inches
  • Drying TIme: 10 minutes
  • Consistency: Lotion
  • Brand: Tanceuticals
Pros
  • Blends easily for less streaking
  • Infused with Acai Berry, mango butter and vitamin E
  • Pleasant coconut scent
  • Transfer resistant
  • Skin-friendly ingredients
  • Vegan and cruelty-free
  • Light, soft, non-sticky texture
Cons
  • Tanning is light and may require two or more applications

Coola Organic Self Tanner with SPF 50 is a creamy sunless tanner that eases you into a tan gradually. It is buildable, so you can control the level of tan you develop. One application gives a slight golden glow. Add a second application or more for a deeper tan.

Coola Organic Self Tanner also offers rich moisturizing benefits and SPF protection, to protect, firm, and replenish your skin while you develop your tan. Coola is one of the best self tanner choices on the market for healing and firming your skin with green coffee caffeine for firming and smoothing, baobab oil to infuse skin with vitamins, and shea butter for moisture. Also to benefit the skin, Coola has added pea extract to increase microcirculation to aid in cell growth for healthier, firmer skin, and alaria esculenta extract from brown algae to moisturize and improve elasticity. If you are looking for a self tanner with skin-essential ingredients, this is one of the best self tanner options available.

With Coola, your tan develops over several days of use with a streak-free formula that is transfer resistant. You can also enjoy the beachy pina colada scent. Paired with SPF 50 sun protection, the beach-friendly scent and SPF rating makes this the best self-tanner to take on a beach vacation to enjoy a gorgeous summer tan without the harmful UV rays.

Coola Organic Self Tanner is antioxidant rich, and helps to fight free radicals while being vegan, gluten, and cruelty free.

Key Features
  • Moisturizing self-tanner
  • 70 percent organic
  • Develops a natural golden glow
  • Firming formula with caffeine
  • Gradual tan developing
  • Pleasant pina colada scent
Specifications
  • Product Weight: 6.0 oz
  • Product Dimensions: 2.4 X 2.4 X 7.9 inches
  • Drying TIme: 10-15 minutes
  • Consistency: Cream
Pros
  • SPF 50 sunscreen protection
  • Nourishes and replenishes skin
  • Gradual tan
  • Transfer resistant
  • Softens skin with natural, plant-based moisturizer
  • Vegan formula
  • Light pina colada scent
Cons
  • May wear off unevenly

Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun Sunless Tanning Mousse is formulated with advanced color complex technology to work with your skin’s own pigment tones for a tan that’s tailored to suit you. This is a lightweight mousse that gives you results that are more natural than most other self tanning products.

The most unique quality that makes Jergens Natural Glow one of the best self tanner options is its instant color quality, making it perfect for those occasions when you need instant color. The formula is tinted to help you see where you’ve applied it in order to avoid streaks. The color continues to develop over the next several hours to deepen to your ideal tan.

Jergens is a trusted name in tanning, and this easy-to-spread mousse formula is available in light bronze and deep bronze so you can choose your desired degree of golden glow.

For best results, exfoliate first and then smooth on the fresh-scented mousse in smooth gliding motions, beginning at the feet and working your way upwards. The tint will help you to avoid streaks and uneven spots, but apply lightly to elbows, ankles and knees.

Jergens states that this light and airy mousse dries in only sixty seconds, but that may not be entirely realistic. Many users have stated that it takes five or ten minutes to be completely dry and ready to dress.

Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun Sunless Tanner is buildable so you can deepen your tan with a second or third application until you reach your desired beach bronzed look.

Key Features
  • Color complex formula
  • Light mousse formula
  • Tinted color guide
  • Color is instant
Specifications
  • Product Weight: 6 oz
  • Product Dimensions: 2.1 X 2.1 X 7.1
  • Drying TIme: 15 minutes
  • Consistency: Mousse
Pros
  • Color complex formula tailors to individual skin tone
  • Tinted for color guiding
  • Instant color and then deepens over four hours
  • Light or deep bronze shades
Cons
  • Sticky texture is not fast-drying
  • Mousse may come out runny

Beauty by Earth Organic and Natural Self Tanner is a creamy moisturizer that gradually tans your skin without the damaging rays of the sun. Like many of the best self tanner choices in today’s market, this natural formula is buildable and gradual. One application gives you a light tan, two applications or more will give you a medium and then a deeper tan until you reach the sun-kissed glow that you desire. And all without the harmful UV rays of the sun!

Another quality that puts this moisturizing formula on the list of best self tanners is the fact that this formula is free of chemical-based additives. Instead, Beauty by Earth Organic and Natural self-tanner contains skin-nourishing natural ingredients such as coconut oil, green tea extract, and soothing shea butter. You can feel good about caring for your skin while you are getting the healthy tan you need for summer-wear, for the beach, a cruise, or just so you feel good about your golden glow.

Beauty by Earth Organic and Natural Self Tanner promises a natural-looking tan that won’t leave you streaked or orange. The buildable tan formula allows you to control your tanning effect so there will be no unpleasant surprises. It is safe even for sensitive skin and works well for all skin shades, even the very fair-skinned.

Beauty by Earth self tanner is suitable for both women and men, to achieve a radiant summer tan without harmful UV rays or chemical additives. The moisturizing and skin nourishing qualities of this special formula make Beauty by Earth one of the best sunless tanner choices in today’s market.

Key Features
  • Gradual tan development
  • Streak-free formula
  • Non-orange tanning
  • Vegan, organic formula
  • Contains Shea butter, coconut oil and green tea
  • Formula works even for very fair skin
  • Moisturize while you tan
Specifications
  • Product Weight: 8.2 oz
  • Product Dimensions: 7.6 X 2.3 X 2.3 inches
  • Drying TIme: 10-15 minutes
  • Consistency: Cream
Pros
  • Suitable for even very fair skin
  • Works gradually
  • Streak and orange tone-resistant
  • Moisturizing
  • Organic and Vegan
  • Contains natural shea butter, green tea, and coconut oil
  • Buildable tan
  • Free of chemical-based additives
Cons
  • Not waterproof
  • White-colored lotion so you can't see where you've applied it

If you are looking for a fast, quick-dry self tanner that has skin-replenishing benefits while it gives you a gorgeous summer glow, Botanic Tree Organic and Natural Self Tanner may be the best self tanner for you. Botanic Tree has a rich, creamy texture that can be applied with or without a tanning mitt and promises not to streak or develop orange tones. This formula dries in less than ten minutes and develops as a rich, even tan that looks natural. It also fades evenly between applications so you always have a natural appearance.

Botanic Tree Self Tanner has a natural-based ingredient priority that nourishes your skin with botanicals such as shea butter and jojoba for moisture, and apricot, rosemary, passionfruit, apricot, avocado, moringa, coconut, and vanilla for essential nutrients and a light and pleasant fragrance. This is one of the best self tanner options for those who not only want to tan without the dangerous UV rays, but also without harsh chemicals.

Botanic Tree recommends thorough exfoliation before you apply in order to prevent streaks and dark elbows and knees. Then simply apply a thin, even layer to body, face and neck, with less product applied to ankles, knees and elbows. Allow ten minutes to dry, and then wait for your tropical tan to appear, all while your skin is being nourished and hydrated.

Key Features
  • Organic self tanner
  • Natural bronze formula
  • Quick-dry formula
  • Non-toxic
  • Shea butter and ten fruit formula
Specifications
  • Product Weight: 7 oz
  • Product Dimensions: 2 X 3 X 6.8
  • Drying TIme: 10 minutes
  • Consistency: Cream
Pros
  • Non-toxic
  • Vegan formula
  • Quick-dry
  • Ten beneficial fruit extracts
  • Non-staining
  • Streak-free and no-orange tone
  • Fades evenly
Cons
  • Thick creamy formula may feel heavy or sticky on skin
  • The thick cream absorbs quickly-may be difficult to see where you have applied it

Vita Liberata Invisi Self Tan Water is a unique foaming water formula that applies quickly and smoothly. It foams into a lightweight mousse that is quickly absorbed. The extra-fast drying time means you can apply and be on your way much faster than with other self tanning products. The lightweight water formula has no risk of ever transferring onto clothes or sheets, making this one of the best self tanner choices for those on the go.

Vita Liberata Invisi Self Tan Water come in light, medium, and dark shades, so there is an ideal choice for all skin tones from fair to dark.

Vita Liberata Invisi is infused with skin-replenishing botanical ingredients such as raspberry and pomegranate for antioxidants, ginkgo biloba, and aloe for nourishing hydration. This deep tanning formula also has hyaluronic acid to help skin retain critical moisture for softness and suppleness.

Vita Liberata gives your body a radiant tan in three shades, light, medium and deep toned. It also works well for the face, but should be blended with a brush or beauty sponge blender for best results.

This is a super-hydrating formula that is 90 percent organic and has no strong odor. It blends easily with or without tanning mitts or gloves. This formula works best on clean dry, exfoliated skin. Applying moisturizer between applications will help your tan to last longer.

Key Features
  • Foaming water self tanner
  • Fast drying
  • Hydrating and anti-aging
  • Non-transfer formula
  • Lasts up to seven days
  • Light, medium, and dark tanning formulas
Specifications
  • Product Weight: 6.76 oz
  • Product Dimensions: 2 X 2 X 8.1 inches
  • Drying TIme: 5-10 minutes
  • Consistency: Foaming water
Pros
  • Non-sticky foam water formula
  • Super-fast dry formula
  • Organic and skin friendly
  • Non-transfer formula
Cons
  • May fade unevenly

Loriest Self Tanner Organic and Natural Ingredients Tanning Lotion is a creamy, lightweight lotion formula in a convenient pump bottle. It glides on smoothly and evenly, with or without a tanning mitt or glove. This easy-to-apply formula develops in less than four hours to leave you with a streak-free golden glow that is never orange-toned.

This is one of the best self tanner choices for both men and women. It has a light, pleasant scent that doesn’t become a strong odor while it develops. The formula is non-sticky and transfer resistant, drying in about ten minutes and leaving you with a radiant, sun-kissed look that makes you look like you’ve been to the tropics, but without exposure to damaging UV rays.

Apply a quarter-sized amount to clean and exfoliated skin and blend evenly. Loriest Self Tanner has organic and skin-replenishing moisturizer to soften and replenish your skin while it imparts a beach-bronzed look. Green tea extract provides your skin with critical antioxidants to reduce damaging free radical cells. It moisturizes with hydrating coconut oil.

Loriest Self Tanner is a buildable formula, so if you prefer a deeper tan, apply a second time for further darkening.

To extend the longevity of your tan, keep your skin moisturized and reapply every ten to fifteen days.

Key Features
  • Easy to apply
  • Develops in less than four hours
  • Streak-free
  • No orange tone
  • Softens skin
  • Organic and natural ingredients
Specifications
  • Product Weight: 5.12 oz
  • Drying TIme: 10-15 minutes
  • Consistency: Lotion
Pros
  • Contains coconut oil and green tea extracts
  • Fast developing
  • Natural and organic ingredients
  • Formula suitable for men and women
  • Softens skin while you tan
  • Convenient pump bottle
Cons
  • Color is white, so you may not be able to see where you have applied it

If you like a lightweight, self tanning mousse, St. Tropez Self Tanning Mousse might be the perfect choice for you. The unique, super-fast drying formula dries in only one minute, making this the best self tanner for those who need a fast application and the ability to dress soon after applying your tanner. It glides on easily and is never sticky. Just apply and go, with no waiting and no hassle.

Apply with a tanning mitt for optimal results, using wide sweeping motions beginning at the feet and working upwards. This best selling tanner develops into a sun-bronzed glow in four to eight hours, making you look like you’ve enjoyed a tropical beach vacation, without the damaging UV rays. It is safe for all skin tones and goes to work to give your skin a glow with natural plant-derived DHA without leaving you with a strong odor. With prior exfoliation and frequent moisturizing, your tan will last up to ten days. St. Tropez is the best self tanner for longevity and fades evenly so you never get an unnatural look.

St. Tropez Self Tanning Mousse comes from a top tanning brand chosen by professionals for its reliable results. The shade range allows for every skin tone and the formula is super-hydrating to leave skin moisturized for up to 24 hours.

This St. Tropez formula self tanner is paraben-free, phthalate-free, and sulfate free, for skin-friendly ingredients safe enough for sensitive skin.

Key Features
  • Lightweight tinted mousse
  • Super-fast drying in less than 60 seconds
  • Streak-free and natural looking
  • Lasts up to ten days
  • Super hydrating
Specifications
  • Product Weight: 8 oz
  • Product Dimensions: 6 X 5 X 4 Inches
  • Drying TIme: 60 seconds
  • Consistency: Mousse
Pros
  • Pleasant scent
  • Easy to apply
  • Non-sticky mousse
  • Extra-long lasting tan
  • Dries in 60 seconds
Cons
  • Some transferring to clothes and sheets

Skinerals Californium Organic Sunless Tanning Mousse gives a natural, sun-bronzed glow that lasts up to seven days. The exceptionally spreadable whipped-foam mousse formula glides over the skin to produce a fast, even tan that resists streaking and won’t leave orange tones.

One of the unique qualities that makes Skinerals one of the best self tanner products on the market is its light and pleasant clean-apple scent. The fresh scent is enjoyed by both men and women and is a welcome change from the unpleasant odor of many self tanners.

While Skinerals Californium Organic Sunless Tanning Mousse can be applied with bare hands if carefully washed afterwards, it is meant to offer the best, streak-free results when applied with a tanning mitt or glove. Skinerals offers a compatible microfiber mitt as an accessory to their self tanner.

Skinerals takes skin-health seriously with a focus on using natural and organic plant- and mineral-based ingredients rather than harsh chemicals, making it safe for all skin types. Plant- and fruit-based essential oils, like orange peel and lavender, make this one of the best self tanner options for those who want to treat their skin to nourishing and restorative benefits while gaining a gorgeous summer glow that lasts from four to seven days. Keeping your skin moisturized will help to extend the longevity of your tan.

Skinerals can actually relieve irritating skin conditions while providing your skin with a healthy, gorgeous glow. With four to eight full body applications per bottle, this is one of the best sunless tanner choices you can make for both face and body.

Key Features
  • Mousse formula self tanner
  • Lightweight, spreadable formula
  • Organic and natural ingredients
  • Pleasant scent
  • Lasts up to seven days
  • Streak-resistant
  • No orange tone
Specifications
  • Product Weight: 8 oz
  • Product Dimensions: 1.97 X 1.97 X 7.87 inches
  • Drying TIme: 10 minutes
  • Consistency: Mousse
Pros
  • Both face and body tanner
  • Mousse is easily spreadable
  • Natural and organic ingredients
  • Paraben and harsh chemical free
  • Scent is pleasant and light
  • Vegan and cruelty-free
  • Fades evenly
Cons
  • Does not apply smoothly without tanning glove
  • Leaves a residue on the skin
  • Not waterproof

Fake Bake Flawless Self Tanner liquid is streak-free and non sticky during application. The liquid formula contains no moisturizing lotion to delay drying. Instead, the liquid formula is quickly absorbed for fast drying time. A professional application mitt is included for easy-gliding application that won’t stain your hands.

Exfoliate and moisturize prior to applying and then apply the tropical scented spray beginning at the feet and working your way up in gliding motions with the application mitt. Fake Bake is formulated with a temporary tint as an application guide so you can see exactly where you’ve applied it to ensure a smooth, streak-free tan. You can get dressed and go within five minutes, making this one of the best self tanner choices for those who appreciate fast drying for convenience.

Another quality that makes Fake Bake absolutely one of the best sunless tanner choices today, is its unique formulation that works with your skin’s own pigment to develop a color, tone, and depth of tan that looks natural on you, rather than a one-size-fits-all shade. Your gorgeous natural glow will develop in four to six hours of application and will be uniquely suited to you.

Fake Bake is a trusted name in self tanning due to the naturally plant-derived DHA that develops a more natural tan that is never orange-toned.

Fake Bake Flawless Self Tanner is paraben free and skin-friendly. It is the sunless tanner of choice for celebrities and professionals around the world.

Key Features
  • Liquid tanner
  • Fast drying
  • Color guide tint
  • Individualized results
  • Application mitt included
Specifications
  • Product Weight: 8.5 oz
  • Product Dimensions: 8.3 X 2 X 0.5 inches
  • Drying TIme: 5-10 minutes
  • Consistency: Liquid
Pros
  • Color guide tint so you can see where you appy
  • Works with individual skin tones for tailored results
  • Pleasant tropical scent
  • Fast absorbing liquid
  • Includes mitt for smooth application
Cons
  • No moisturizer

When sunless tanners first came on the market, they were a risky prospect. You knew your options were probably going to be either go out looking pale and pasty, or to put on your shorts or bathing suit while you looked orange and streaky.

The good news is that the best self tanners have come a very long way since its tangerine-streaked early days. Today, the best self tanner choices on the market offer a beautiful beach-bronzed glow that is even, smooth, natural looking, and safe. Options range from a light golden tan to a deep rich tan that gives you the look of having just enjoyed a tropical vacation—all in just a few hours at home!

When it’s time to tan how do you choose a self tanner? There are many options available today to deliver your perfect summer-sun look without the sun. It pays to investigate the options in order to find the best self tanner to suit your needs. The choices are endless. There are gradual self tanning moisturizers that offer a buildable tan you can control by applying each day until you reach your ideal sun-kissed glow. Or you can get an instant tan with a tinted self tanner that also nourishes and replenishes your skin with beneficial botanical moisturizers and essential oils—all while giving your skin a gorgeous glow. Apply with your hands, or a new tanning mitt that ensures a smooth, even application.

Versatile Options in Today's Tanners

You can choose between a rich and creamy lotion, a cooling mist, a foamy mousse, or even a tanning water that dries fast enough to allow you to tan on the go.

Many of today’s best self tanner choices offer organic and natural ingredients with plant-based DHA and skin-friendly minerals and extracts so you can moisturize and replenish your tired skin while you achieve the perfect look for the beach, a cruise, or simply so you can wear your new sundress out for the day with a lovely golden glow.

Whichever option you choose, you can enjoy the versatility of being able to decide when you tan and what kind of product works best on your skin. Unlike the unpredictability of tanning in the sun, with the best self tanner options on today’s market you can decide if you want a light rosy glow, or deep beach-bronzed, sun-goddess look that will turn heads. Then all that's left to do is invest in a darker-toned foundation and perhaps some new makeup to match your new look.

It’s all in your hands—or your tanning mitts!

Resources— Loreal Paris, WebMDCosmopolitan

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