best facial self tanning products, for a Sun-kissed glow
Until recently, I didn’t even know what a self-tanner was, but when I bought my first one, I fell in love. Now I didn’t have to sit in the sun for hours and damage my skin to get a perfect tan. If you don’t know what a self-tanner is, to explain it briefly, a self-tanner gives a fake tan that lasts approximately 5-7 days. Searching for the best facial self-tanning products, when you don’t know what to look for, might be hard. Some self-tanners have an unnatural orangey look, others may stain your clothes or sheets, and some may even irritate your skin. If you’re looking for a tan you can achieve instantly, we’d recommend you check our article on the 11 best bronzers.
We reviewed and tested a dozen facial self-tanning products, and chose the 7 best that will deliver a sun-kissed glow.
Our Top Picks:
1. St.Tropez Self Tan Express Mousse
This is one of the best facial self tanning products I’ve used. I love it, because, it’s super easy to apply, dries quickly, you can customize your desired glow. One reviewer says “I am so pale that people have thought I was wearing white tights in the middle of Summer when I wear shorts and skirts. I’ve been using this sunless tanning mousse for years. I’ve tried other products and they don’t work as well for me. This gives me a natural looking tan within 3 hours and the tan lasts 7-10 days.”
2. Clarins Self Tanning Milky Lotion
If you want to achieve a natural, sun-kissed glow without irritating sensitive skin, you’ve found the product. This product has a very light formula, which won’t irritate sensitive skin or clog pores. While being so light it still has natural ingredients like aloe vera and organic fig. You’ll need to use it 3-4 times a week, to get even and lasting results, and our suggestion is to wait a couple of minutes after application because it can stain clothes.
3. Beauty By Earth Face Tanner
Beauty By Earth is known for providing amazing quality skin care products without being too expensive. This facial self-tanner is packed with natural and organic ingredients, like shea butter, aloe vera, argan oil, and Japanese tea tree. All of the ingredients give the skin intense hydration and anti-aging properties. There are 3 shades available – fair to medium, medium to dark, and extra dark.
4. Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops
If you’re traveling, and constantly on the go, you’ll probably want to choose a self-tanning product that is easy to carry and can be applied fast. This product has skin-loving ingredients like chia seed, avocado oils, grapefruit, and more, that will deliver intense hydration. In truth, the application of this product left me amazed. These drops are a concentration, so you’ll need to mix 2-12 drops to 1/2 tsp. of your moisturizer and spread it evenly across your skin. Different amount of drops allows you to customize the desired tan. After 4-6 hours, you should notice a difference. There are 3 shades available – light, medium, and dark.
5. Norvell Venetian Sunless Facial Self Tanner
If you love tanning mousse formulas, you’ll love Norvell Venetian facial mousse. It has a long-lasting formula and is packed with botanicals and essential extracts for a unique glow to the skin (not orange), as well as anti-aging, hydrating, and soothing benefits. “5 stars for the color, quality, value, and scent. This is the exact same stuff the technician sprays you with at the spa/salon. In fact, it’s the brand they used that I loved when I worked at a spa and lived in FL. The color is ridiculously perfect. NO ORANGE – just a deep reddish brown. You will definitely not feel like your sunless tan is ”on the yellow or orange side” compared to the real tans at the beach or pool.” One reviewer says
6. Coco & Eve Anti-Aging Tanning Serum
This is one of the best facial self-tanning serums there is, it is packed with niacinamides, and a bunch of skincare ingredients. The ingredients protect the skin from the environment, minimize enlarged pores, improve skin tone, and hydrate. While being a serum, it will still develop a natural-looking tan in 4-6 hours.
7. Loving Tan Deluxe Face Tan
This might be the lightest facial self-tanner on the list, it is specifically designed for your face, to not irritate the skin and clog pores. There are 4 natural-looking shades available – medium, dark, ultra-dark, and platinum. The only downside of this self-tanner is that you’ll have to use it daily.
How frequently should a facial self-tanner be applied?
It depends on how deep you want your tan to go, if you want extra dark you can apply it every day, if you want a sheer, natural-looking tan it can be applied every 2-3 days.
What ingredients should a good facial self-tanner have?
You should look for DHA, an active ingredient for sunless tanning, which can be found in most self-tanners. If you have dry skin you can also look for hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, and vitamin E. There are good facial self-tanners with countless ingredients, so look for one that can help with your skin concerns.
How to choose the right facial self-tanner for any skin tone?
It’s very easy to decide, if you have fair skin go for a light to medium shade. If you have a medium or dark skin tone, choose a medium to deep shade. There are also facial self-tanners with whom you can build color slowly to match your skin tone.