This post is all about Sunless Tanners: The Best And The Worst Self-Tanners! Have you ever wondered which sunless tanners work and which ones don’t? I do, and I am going to share them with you today! Yay!
I have tried SO many self-tanners in the past and I KNOW which sunless tanners give you a golden, gorgeous glow (even if you have pale skin!) and which ones give you an orange, streaky ‘tan‘ (I ALWAYS burned first!).
I tried a TON of them so you don’t have to! This whole blog post is about Sunless Tanners: The Best and The Worst! Read on for all the details!
It is so hard to get your glow on when you are confused about which self-tanning products work the best. I have been using them my whole life (since I was 13!), so I know a good sunless tanner when I see one.
I know how to prep my skin for a golden, even sunless tan and I know what to do if you make a mistake and need to get that sunless tanner off your skin in a hurry!
I used to tan out in the sun ALL the time! I am a natural redhead so you know that my skin is NOT supposed to be baked out in the sun.
However, all three of my older sisters did it, so I did too! It was just the thing to do back in the ’90s! That and going to a tanning salon and baking my skin in tanning beds when I could not lay out in the sun really damaged my skin.
I am SO lucky that beyond tanning, I did take good care of my skin though. I always moisturized and exfoliated my skin so that it is ALWAYS soft feeling. My mom taught me early on to do that so I have been taking good care of my skin my whole life, minus the excessive tanning! Ugh.
Sunless Tanners: The Best And The Worst Self-Tanners
*This post includes my affiliate links
Alright, back on the subject of the best and the worst self-tanners on the market! Below are my FAVORITE sunless tanners that I have ever used. Sunless tanners cover cellulite too! So what do you have to lose? One of them doesn’t even have a sunless tan scent! Yep, it is true!
The Best Self-Tanners
1. Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun Body Mousse
Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun Body Mousse HAS to be my ALL-time favorite sunless tanner! I buy the Deep Bronze even though my skin is fair colored.
This is one that I go back to over and over again after trying other sunless tanners. I love this self-tanner because it works SO well. I have never been disappointed by this tanner, ever!
It is a mousse and it goes on effortlessly. I love mousse self-tanners because they go on your skin so nicely. It is dark-tinted so you can see where you put it on when applying it to your skin. And, you will be immediately tan after application! Love it.
This one does have a self-tanning odor as it is developing. It has a nice scent going on and as it develops into a tan, it starts to give off that all too familiar odor of sunless tanners.
But, it is SO worth it because the tan you get afterward is absolutely flawless and gorgeous! I always have a bottle of this on hand in my cupboard.
I Am Wearing It In This Picture Below (don’t mind the tiny black dots, those were pesky bugs because I was at the lake!):
It retails for $10.63 on Amazon.com. I absolutely recommend using a self-tanning mitt to apply any sunless tanner. And, it looks like there is an option on Amazon.com to grab the Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun Body Mousse AND mitt but that is out of stock right now, but you can just buy the mitt separately. (see links above!)
2. Completely Bare Don’t Grow GLOW: The Best And The Worst Self-Tanners
Where was this all my life??? This is a gradual self-tanner that not only gradually gives you a gorgeous glow, but also helps to slow the growth of your body hair, Ummm, YES, please!
I was skeptical at first only because I like a sunless tanner to just be a sunless tanner. I never liked anything ‘extra‘ only because it would mess with the whole ‘tanning‘ process.
However, this sunless tanner did not! It helped me achieve a golden glow (I used it every day for one week!). I haven’t used it long enough to see if any hair growth has slowed down, but when I do notice, I will update this post to let you all know.
Also, the Completely Bare Don’t Grow GLOW smells AMAZING!!! Think of sitting on a tropical beach and smelling the coconut trees nearby! Ahhhhhh! Yep, that is what it smells like! This lotion is also moisturizing.
So many sunless tanners pull moisture from your skin but this one does not. It really, deeply moisturizes your skin and leaves it a super soft feeling (and tanned!). This has Shea butter and natural plant extracts that help reduce hair regrowth.
It also has white Willow Bark that helps calm & soothe skin and also helps prevent razor bumps. It is Paraben & Phthalate Free and has a Vegan & Cruelty-Free Formula.
Picture Of One Leg After Using This For One Night, And The Other Leg Without So You Can Compare:
Directions: Apply to clean, dry skin in an upward circular motion across the face, neck, and body. Wash hands after application. Wait until your skin dries before applying makeup. Allow four to eight hours before getting wet.
This retails for $17.00 (if you have Rakuten, you can get 3.5% cashback from buying this!). You can also get $5 off your order if you sign up for the Completely Bare newsletter! Use code GLOWNBeholdDGG for free shipping!
3. Sun Serum Glow Boosting Tanning Drops
I LOVE this stuff! You add this to ANY moisturizer you have and instantly turn your lotion into a sunless tanner! How brilliant because now you get to choose which lotion and know it will smell GOOD!
Plus, it does smell good 🙂 The Sun Serum Glow Boosting Tanning Drops are also SO moisturizing just by using it alone. With just one pump of the Sun serum, you will turn any face or body cream into a beautiful skincare-enriched sunless tanner. You can use more based on how dark of a tan you want to achieve.
Tournesol’s innovative anti-aging tanning Sun Serum is packed with nourishing ingredients such as Aloe, Shea Butter, Acai, Sunflower seed oil, and green tea extract.
The serum is also formulated with our proprietary complex Algo-Tan. Along with the DHA, this combination provides a deeper, longer-lasting tan.
Me wearing this sunless tan (don’t mind my lips, I just had lip filler done :))
This retails for $19.99.
4. Face Soleil Self Tanning Pads
I really like the face Soleil self-tanning pads for my face and neck. The pads are simple to use and I use a tanning mitt when I apply them only because no one wants stained hands, right?
A pretty tan starts to develop after about 2-3 hours and deepens with time. These are self-tanning face pad that develops a rich color while providing exfoliating and anti-aging benefits which I LOVE.
Face Soleil Self-Tanning Face Pads have been developed specifically for the delicate skin on the face. The quick-drying formula provides a streak-free, natural-looking tan that fully develops within two hours.
Enriched with Aloe, Hyaluronic Acid, and Aquacell technology the formula provides maximum hydration and anti-aging benefits to the skin. Aquacell increases the delivery of hydration to the skin and helps to reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
The self-tanning pad also contains AlgoTan ™ technology that produces a tan from within by stimulating the melanin in the skin. The results are no mess, no orange, and beautiful radiant tan skin!
These retail for $17.59 for 20 pads. I recommend Soleil PreTan Prep for a beautiful, even tan! I use it in the shower, right before I am going to apply my sunless tanner and it smoothes out my skin perfectly.
5. Bondi Sands Liquid Gold Self Tanning Dry Oil: The Best And The Worst Self-Tanners
I have never ever tried OIL when it comes to sunless tanning products so imagine my SURPRISE when I fell in LOVE with the Bondi Sand Liquid Gold Self Tanning Dry OIL!
Say what?! Yes, this self tanning OIL is AMAZING!!! It not only smells exactly like coconuts, but it smooths on your skin so nicely because its OIL, and it goes on evenly!
I first heard about this amazing sunless tanning oil because my most favorite fitness instructor uses it and she looks SOO good! Caroline Girvan uses it so why the heck wouldn’t I want to use it too? Duh! No brainer!
It dries fairy quickly with NO stickiness at all and you can get dressed quickly after applying it. I noticed it also doesn’t have an ‘after sunless tanning processing smell’ as it processes. It continues to smell GOOD like coconuts! I start to see a sunless tan around the 2 hour mark.
However, it does have a HINT of a light tan color as you put it on so you are instantly kind of glowing from the the oil and the sunless tan!
Whenever I use this I feel like I am on vacation in Hawaii! Smells so good and looks SO damn good too! This oil is enriched with argan oil to leave skin moisturized & features a spray nozzle for mess-free application.
I am wearing the Bondi Sands Liquid Gold Sunless Tanning Dry Oil in the picture below. See how natural it looks? I LOVe using it on my face and neck because it is filled with nutrients to moisturize my delicate skin and it does NOT break me out as it dries very quickly!
Suggested Use:
Lightly moisturize skin. Apply directly onto skin and smooth oil using long sweeping motions. Dress and go.
You can purchase the Bondi Sands Sunless Tanning Dry Oil on Amazon.com. It retails for $17 (on sale right now for 29% off!!!).
6. Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam in Dark
Another Bondi Sands product because they are THAT GOOD. The Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam in Dark smells like coconuts and goes on my skin so smoothly. It is obviously tan when you put it on so you can see where it goes and blend accordingly.
Because I can see where I blend it in, I know how much to use and how little to use in certain spots. It moisturizes my skin as the tan developes deeper and deeper.
You will have an immediate tan when you put it on, but the tan developes so naturally and beautifully as time goes on. I usually leave it on for about 4-6 hours and then I wash it off. Even after I wash it off, the self tan STILL developes deeper. I love that!
I am wearing the Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam In Dark, below! See how natural it looks? I LOVE IT!
This formula is enriched with aloe vera and coconut, for the ultimate natural, bronzed glow. It is a lightweight sunless tanner foam that’s simple to apply and gives a flawless finish, every time. Simply smooth on the weightless self tanning foam for an even, streak-free, bronzed tan! And soon, you will be a bronzed and tan goddess! Yay!
You can purchase this on Amazon.com. It retails for $24.00!
7. Coco & Eve Sunny Honey: Sunless Tanners: The Best And The Worst Self-Tanners
I cannot say enough GOOD things about this sunless tanning mousse!! I am going to buy them out because this is hands down the BEST tanning mousse out there (that I have tried!).
It doesn’t have that processing sunless tanning smell (at all!! even when developing) and it literally gives me the best fake tan EVER. I am not kidding!
And, if it couldn’t get any better, it does! It also helps with cellulite! Say what?! YES, it does! Oh, it is also anti-aging too 🙂 Anti-cellulite, anti-aging self-tan with zero nasties.
Created using a unique Cellushape formula to hydrate and firm the skin! It comes in three different shades: Medium, Dark, and Ultra Dark. I bought the dark as you can see above!
This tanning mousse leaves my skin soft and so pretty looking with the natural-looking sunless tan! I look like I just got back from Hawaii! So beautiful!
I am wearing it in the picture below (goodness, I have lost a bit of weight since that picture below. Funny how I just realized that!):
This stuff is SO popular that on their main website, they are in the process of restocking them! But, you can also purchase it on Amazon.com. It retails for $34.20 and is 10% off! Yay!
8. b. tan Sunless Tanning Mousse: The Best And The Worst Self-Tanners
b.tan is another brand that I had heard so much about and was everywhere on the internet. I absolutely LOVE this self tanning mousse!! I have never ever been SO dang TAN! Love!
This does go on with color, so there is really no way to mess it up. And instantly you have a nice golden and tan bronzed look! So beautiful!
Below, I am wearing the b.tan Tanned AF tanning mousse! Doesn’t it look GOOD? Look REAL?! LOVE!
The Worst Sunless Tanners
Avoid These Sunless Tanners At All Costs!
Since I told you about the BEST sunless tanners, now I need to tell you about the sunless tanners to avoid the plague! I so badly wanted these to work for me but instead, they either left me smelling SO bad like sunless tanning cream, were orange and streaky, or BOTH! Gah! I tried them so you don’t have to! Save your money with these ones!
1. NuSkin Sunright Insta Glow Nuskin Sun Tanner Tanning Gel: Sunless Tanners: The Best And The Worst Self-Tanners
Oh, how I wanted to love this stuff 🙁 I heard SO many wonderful things about this sunless tanning gel and wanted it to work for me, I really did!
As soon as I received this, that night after my shower, I applied it. I used a sunless tanning mitt to apply it. Right away though, was the sunless tanning scent.
It was SO strong and I absolutely hated that smell! There was no good floral scent or any scents to cover up the yucky sunless tanning smell and it hadn’t even developed yet! That immediately turned me off to this sunless tanning gel 🙁
Of course, I did try it though. But only once because I just couldn’t get past the scent! I wish they could have at least tried to hide the odor of this sunless tanner in a floral scent but they didn’t.
The tan came out okay, but really wasn’t a tan that stood out at all. It was extremely subtle and I just did not like it. Certainly not worth having to endure the yucky sunless tanner smell for a not-so-great sunless tan.
I was pretty bummed because when I asked the lady who sold this to me, she said it has hardly any sunless tanning odor :/ So, I am not sure if she just wanted to sell this (it is also spendy!), to me just to get her commission from doing so or what, but I am turned off by this sunless tanning cream now.
Like I said above, I wanted to love this so much! There are so many wonderful reviews of this online so that is probably why I was so shocked that it wasn’t very good and smelled bad. To each their own I guess!
This retails for $50 and you can check it out on Amazon.com or find someone who sells it IF you want to check it out more. This one is a pass for me though!
2. Coconut Water Self Tan Foam from minetan
I also really wanted to love this coconut water self-tan foam from minetan because I also heard wonderful things about it. However, the bottle came defective, and even though I could still get the product out of the bottle, it was messy, very messy, and a weird color (almost a green color).
It really sticks to your elbows, knees, feet, and hands too. I tried everything to make it work but it just didn’t work for me. I do like the brand minetan but this particular product was a no go from me. It just didn’t work for my skin at all.
It also has a really bad sunless tanning smell after it starts processing and that is a huge turnoff for me. The tan was never even and just did not look real at all. This retails for $31.45 and is 10% off right now (just thought I would share that).
3. Tan Physics True Color Sunless Tanner Formula 12: Sunless Tanners: The Best And The Worst Self-Tanners
The only good thing about the Tan Physics True Color sunless tanner Formula 12 is that it smells GOOD. Like creamsicles to be exact! But, other than the yummy scent, I don’t care for it. It is tinted which is helpful when you put it on your body but it really doesn’t do much after that.
I tried it several times and it really did not tan me very well. This wasn’t a terrible sunless tanner, just not for me because it did not do much in the way of tanning my skin.
This retails for $36.00 on Amazon right now (just wanted to share).
Sunless Tanner Will ALWAYS Darken Any Spots, Moles, Freckles!
This is just a fact. I know some claim to NOT darken any skin spots like moles, freckles, age spots, etc, but they ALWAYS do! Sunless tanner is made to darken your skin by ‘staining‘ it so, of course, it will always darken any spots on your skin too.
How To Lessen Dark Spots While Self-Tanning
A way to lessen the look of your dark spots after you apply sunless tanner is to gently exfoliate the ‘dark spots‘ after your tan has been processed. This will lighten the spots and help make them less noticeable.
Other than that, I have also found a pro blender barrier cream that is supposed to help with dark spots or uneven coloring. Same with self-tanner getting into the pores on your legs where your leg hair grows.
You can gently exfoliate your legs after the self-tan has been processed (usually the next day), and it will lessen the look of darker pores on your legs. So companies that say their sunless tanner won’t do this are more than likely lying :/
How To Prep Your Skin For A Sunless Tan
Before I put on my sunless tanning lotion, I prep my skin! I exfoliate using this exfoliating sponge (it is the BEST!!!) and I pay close attention to my hands, elbows, knees, and feet.
I also enjoy using a pre-tan exfoliating mitt that I bought off of Amazon which is specifically formulated to exfoliate, nourish, balance, and prepare your skin before applying your sunless tanning products. This mitt will prepare your skin and get you ready to glow without any residual soaps or oils.
When I get out of the shower, I then apply a small amount of body lotion to those parts to ensure they are soft and ready for a sunless tanner!
This is the best way, I have found, to prepare my skin for a gorgeous and flawless sunless tan. You can my secrets on how I apply sunless tanner here!
How To Keep Your Sunless Tan For Longer
There are plenty of ways to help keep your sunless tan past a couple of days. You can do that by moisturizing daily, multiple times a day.
I actually moisturize my skin 3 times a day, especially when I have a sunless tan on! That way, my sunless tan stays put longer and doesn’t start to look gross or splotchy after one or two days. I like to help maintain my sunless tans with this Sunless Tanning Color Extender Moisturizing Lotion.
There’s no better way to hang on to that beautifully bronzed glow than by using the sunless tanning color extender moisturizing lotion.
This tan extending lotion is packed with a nourishing blend of ingredients that will leave your skin velvety smooth and help to reduce sunless tan fading.
You can purchase it on Amazon.com and it retails for $28.60.
Skin Cancer 🙁
I know this post is about sunless tanners but I want to explain to you why I now love self-tanners and am not a sun worshiper anymore! Last year, I noticed spots on my skin and went to the dermatologist. The spots turned out to be cancerous and I have quite a few of them!
I did not know how horrible the process was going to be when they took them off of me! I even got stitches! I thought they were only going to burn them off but no! They CUT them off of me!
I still have quite a few that need to come off of me and so thinking back to all that tanning (AKA burning!) I did to my skin back in the day is haunting me now 🙁
Just don’t do it, kids! Don’t abuse your skin as I did and always wear a good hat!! It is not worth it and the tan/sunburn will fade but the damage will always be there 🙁
A Recap Of My List Of Sunless Tanners: The Best And The Worst Self-Tanners
So, this is my list of Sunless Tanners: The Best And The Worst Self-Tanners. I hope it has helped you find the perfect sunless tanner for your body.
I know everybody is different, but this list should help point you in the right direction, I hope!! Feel free to share this list with your friends and family so they can achieve their perfect sunless tans too!
What is your favorite sunless tanning product? What is the worst self-tanner you have ever tried? Any tips you want to add to apply the perfect sunless tan? Share below! Thank you!
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Dana says
Haven’t been able to get the contest to show up these last few days – it just spins and spins and spins. Doesn’t matter which browser I use
Maria Egan says
Nice list of the best self-tanners. Makes me want to give one a try.
lisa vance says
Thanks for sharing. This was very interesting to me.
lisa vance says
I’m highly considering trying out the sunless tanners this years. Thanks for sharing.
monique s says
So nice to have the tan legs for skirt and shorts and swimwear
Dana says
I remember how bad these were when I was younger – wouldn’t take much for them to be better all these decades later