The 8 Best Self-Tanners for Fair Skin (and I’ve Tried a Ton Over Decades)

Given that I hit tweendom in the early ��00s, it goes without saying that I was obsessed with looking tan. I became a devotee of the local tanning salon, cooking my body under the warm glow of the tanning bed lights. I luckily learned the error of my ways by the time I hit college, and now, in my thirties, I’m vigilant about using SPF to protect my skin from UV damage at all times. Except that bronzed goddess craving is still there, buried in my millennial psyche, which has led me down a long and winding road to find the absolute best self-tanner for my fair skin.

Luckily these formulas have come a long way since dihydroxyacetone, or DHA—the main tanning agent in faux glow products—was discovered in the 1950s. Still, by the time I played around with self-tanners in middle school, the resulting color was much more orange and unrealistic looking than what is feasible today. Twenty years later there is a wide array of more natural-looking options, not just in brand choices but application style (mist, foam, liquid, cream, or oil) and depth of color. I set out to test the buzziest self-tanners on the market right now—nine for the body and three for the face. And while I admit that I ruined more than a few white T-shirts along the way, I’m happy to report that I now have my fake tan plan for summer ‘24 on lock.

Our Top Picks

• Best Overall: St. Moriz Advanced Color Correct Tanning Mousse at Amazon, $19
• Best Mousse: Isle of Paradise Glow Clear Self Tanning Mousse at Isle of Paradise, $32
• Best Tanning Water: Saltyface Tanning Water at Saltyface, $44
• Best for Face: St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Face Mist at Sephora, $33
• Best Mist: Tan‑Luxe The Water: Tanning Water at Tan-Luxe, $48
• Best Scent: Tanologist Daily Glow - Hydrating Gradual Tanning Lotion at Tanologist, $13
• Best Quick-Drying: COOLA Organic Gradual Sunless Tan Firming Lotion at COOLA, $48
• Best Streak-Free: Bondi Sands Everyday Gradual Tanning Milk at Bondi Sands, $13.30

Best Overall

St. Moriz Advanced Color Correct Tanning Mousse Medium

$18 at Amazon $18 at Target $18 at Jcpenney.com

This formula had me excited from the very first swipe. The mousse has a ton of immediate color payoff so I could clearly map out my application, which is a stellar perk for newbies (including my boyfriend who was still helping me reach all parts of my back). It dried down in just about 30 minutes, but I showered before getting into bed to avoid color transfer. The shade already looked nice and natural—very just-got-back-from-vacation. 

By day three I noticed a bit of patchiness on my arms but nothing too crazy or overly noticeable. Based on how easy it was to apply and how quickly it dried, I’d say this one is ideal for maintaining a golden glow (four days is about the max before you need to reapply). You do need to scrub it away before it fades too unevenly though.

Best Mousse

Isle of Paradise Glow Clear Self Tanning Mousse

$32 at Sephora View on Theisleofparadise.com View on Theperfumespot.com

This was the first mousse product I tested and I could tell it was going to be my favorite format compared to spray or cream—it just felt clear that one to two pumps per section was the perfect amount of product. I tested this one on my legs, and it was very easy to apply the tanner with the included mitt, but it dissolves super fast so you need to keep track of where you’ve already applied the product and how much to keep the color even.

I let this dry for about half an hour sans clothes and then wore loose pants for another three hours and changed into black jeans for the night. That might have been a mistake since one of my legs ended up with a massive streak. The color was really beautiful though, sun-kissed and not too orange. I’d definitely give this one another shot if I have a Sunday with nothing to do but stand around naked for a few hours.

Best Tanning Water

Saltyface Tanning Water

View on Saltyface.com $44 at Goop.com

I’ve used a few different tanning waters over the years and this one is definitely a keeper. It gave me a super subtle tan after one day, with no funky smell or streaks. I added three to four drops to my moisturizer after my serums all dried down completely, and then waited five minutes before topping it with sunscreen. 

I liked the color best after three days (it delivered a noticeable amount of color by this point) and then switched application to every other day to maintain the shade. Even my friends commented that I looked more tan than usual. No complaints here. Major bonus: I didn’t experience any breakouts from the formula, which is always a worry when you’re adding in a new skincare product. Just make sure to wash your hands after applying it. I forgot one day and wound up with a splotch of tan on my palm.

Best for Face

St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Face Mist

$25 at Amazon $33 at Sephora $33 at Target

To be fair, I’ve used this mist before but it remains one of my favorite self-tanners for the face. The color payoff isn’t super intense, it’s more of a subtle, natural glow. If you spritz it on dry skin before using any other products it’s a bit more intense, but I don’t like disrupting my skincare routine for the sake of a faux glow. Instead, I misted my face and neck while my moisturizer was still wet and before applying sunscreen. 

I didn’t notice the color coming through until day four of using the spray, so this might be better used as a maintenance product to keep an existing tan from fading, rather than acting as the base layer. I do appreciate that it feels low stakes and fairly foolproof though.

Best Mist

Tan‑Luxe The Water: Tanning Water

$22 at Amazon $48 at Sephora View on Tan-luxe.com

This gave me a surprising amount of color payoff for a mist format. I didn’t love the color on day one but after I showered again the next morning it turned into a lovely toasty bronze. I sprayed it over my arms (about eight sprays for each side) and then rubbed it in with the included mitt. I thought it might turn out splotchy since I couldn't really tell where it had landed but thankfully there were no major splotches to report. 

I was worried the mist wouldn’t cover my hands evenly so I used a foundation brush to apply, spraying it a few times and then buffing in between my fingers and all over my hands and wrists. I definitely used too much and my hands were a shade too dark but this is going to be my go-to method to get my hands and toes covered without weird lines or splotches. This one lasted a pretty long time, especially considering how lightweight it felt on the skin.

Best Scent

Tanologist Hydrating Daily Glow Gradual Tanning Lotion

$12 at Amazon $13 at Target View on Ulta

The quintessential smell of self-tanner was starting to get to me by this point, so the first thing I noticed was how amazing this formula smelled; lightly fruity and summery, without a hint of DHA funk. It’s a hydrating cream formulation (with hyaluronic acid and squalane) though so you have to work in smaller sections over your body to keep track of how much you’ve applied. 

The color itself is subtle but incredibly natural-looking, especially on pale skin. I didn’t struggle with any streaks or unevenness but gave myself a solid hour before getting dressed. The drying time is definitely more of a commitment than some of the others I tested but it does feel worth it when you’re entirely splotch-free.

Best Quick-Drying

Coola Organic Sunless Tan Firming Lotion

$46 at Amazon $46 at Sephora $46 at Ulta

I was wary of any product that promised a “gradual tan” especially in the form of a lotion since it felt like such a throwback to the early '00s; however, this formula was a pleasant surprise. I only need 15 minutes before getting dressed and going about my day and I didn’t see a single streak. The color was pretty natural-looking—only a tad bit more orange than my favorite of the bunch. It also took a little longer for the cream formula to rub in than some of the other formulas I tested. I started with my hands and then switched to a mitt to help it sink into my skin. The shade was richer than I expected in a good way and I’d assume that with one to two more applications it would reach a deep golden tan.

Best Streak-Free

Bondi Sands Everyday Gradual Tanning Milk

$15 at Amazon $15 at Target $21 at Ulta

Here’s another gradual tanner with a gorgeous color payoff. This had a lighter texture that absorbed super quickly, even though I used about a quarter-sized amount per limb (I’m learning that more is better to avoid streaks, except for the hands and feet), and zero discernible smell. The color was super sun-kissed but still rich enough that I noticed a difference, even after only a few hours. There were zero streaks in sight (I gave myself a half hour before getting dressed) and managed to apply it to my back without any patchiness. 

Honestly, for the super affordable price tag and high quality, this might be my new go-to for a foolproof faux glow. It’s already worked its way into my body care rotation every third day to keep the golden glow going.

What to Look for When Buying Self-Tanner for Fair Skin

• Buildable Formulas: Opt for formulas that allow you to measure out your level of tan (i.e., tanning drops) or gradually build up your color over time (such as express tan formulas or gradual tanning lotions). By starting light and working your way up to a darker tan, you’re less likely to go overboard and end up with a color that’s either too dark or too orange.
• Percent of active ingredient: DHA or dihydroxyacetone is the active ingredient in most self-tanners that creates that tan pigment (it reacts with the amino acids in the top layer of your skin). According to the FDA, it's safe to use externally, but if you've got fair skin, you'll want to opt for a lower percentage of DHA so you don't go to the dreaded orange place. The lowest percentage available (usually 1 to 3%) is a good place to start.

Why Trust Byrdie

Hannah Baxter is a New York-based editor, creative consultant, and contributing writer with over a decade of beauty reporting experience. When evaluating a new product, she ensures that her skeptical side balances out her love for all things beauty to find the formulas that are truly worth the price tag. She's been testing self-tanner on a trial-and-error basis (emphasis on the error) for over 20 years. She is the author of the mental health newsletter, Anxiety Beer, and was previously the deputy beauty editor at The Zoe Report and senior beauty editor at Coveteur. Her work has been featured in Allure, The Cut, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Byrdie, and more.

• Jennifer Materia is GLOW’s founder and CEO who started a mobile tanning business out of her home 12 years ago and has transformed her one-woman operation into luxury studios that specialize in organic airbrush tanning and body sculpting services in Fairfield and Westchester counties.

According to our Diversity Pledge, 15% of products in our newly-published market roundups will feature Black-owned and/or Black-founded brands. At the time of publishing, we were not able to find any self-tanners from a Black-owned and/or Black-founded business. If you know of one we should consider, please email us at contact@byrdie.com and we will evaluate the product ASAP.