The 19 Best Self-Tanners of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Even for a self-tanning rookie like us, we had no issues achieving a glorious tan with this iconic product. With the help of a mitt, the whipped texture helped the formula spread easily across the body, even in the tricky-to-reach spots (like our back). It features a guide color, which made it a breeze to ensure we’d gotten even coverage and not missed any areas. Once we finished applying, the formula didn’t feel tacky at all, and dried rapidly—to the point that even when we accidentally put on (and quickly removed) a sports bra, our tan’s development was not disrupted. It didn’t stain our clothing or our sheets, and the scent was unobtrusive, so we didn’t mind sitting around for the suggested eight hours to let the tan develop.

The color began to show within four hours of application, which was a huge plus. We showered after eight hours, and loved the radiant glow left behind. The tan looked its best at the two to three day mark, but it was still noticeable after five days. The only caveat to using this product is that it works best on cooler skin tones.

Shades: 1｜Type: Mousse｜Development Time: 4-8 hours｜Size: 8 oz

This was our first time using a self-tanner and this product made it easy, thanks to the lightweight foam that spread across our body as smoothly as lotion, especially with our mitt. The natural-looking tan was flattering (and unintimidating) with just one application, though it was clear that the formula could be layered for a deeper glow. It had a pleasant floral scent that seasoned self-tanner aficionados confirmed was nicer than those of other formulas they tried. Once the tan fully developed, it lasted for five days.

While we do love that this formula instantly gives us a glow, it’s worth noting that it didn’t dry very rapidly—it took up to 30 minutes to fully set. However, once it did dry, it didn’t transfer at all, so keep that in mind if you plan on applying this formula before an evening out.

Shades: 2｜Type: Mousse｜Development Time: 5 minutes and over time｜Size: 5 oz

This genius formula is fantastic for bronzing skin and making it look toned, subtly tightening skin, and smoothing the look of cellulite. Even though we showered four times within the six days our tan lasted, it never faded patchily and looked quite realistic on our fair skin—like we’d spent a few days in the sun, not like a spray tan or fake tan at all. The formula went on easily and we found its scent pleasant, with light tropical fruit notes that helped mask the traditional self-tanner smell.

We will note that the bronzing foam left our skin feeling tacky on our face and chest. Also, some color transferred to our sheets and the clothing we wore post-tan, but it washed out easily and we didn’t experience any transfer or staining in the subsequent days of wear.

Shades: 3｜Type: Mousse｜Development Time: 2 hours｜Size: 6.7 oz

If you want to get a glow quickly without a fuss, this Bondi Sands formula is a must-try. You use it by simply mixing four to 12 drops into your favorite moisturizer and applying it as you usually would. We got great results by blending six drops into our go-to face cream and massaging it using circular motions to ensure thorough coverage. We noticed no fragrance, only the scent of our moisturizer, and it gave us a very natural glow that our tester’s husband noticed the same day. We found that the glow faded within three days if we didn’t reapply, but following the same protocol (six drops in our moisturizer) on a daily basis maintained our tan flawlessly.

Remember, a bronzing drop-type self-tanner allows you to completely customize your tan. That’s not a bad thing, but if you’re new to self-tanner or are wary of going too dark, you’ll want to test out different levels of glow and possibly even different moisturizers to get a final look you’ll love.

Shades: 1｜Type: Drops｜Development Time: 6+ hours｜Size: 1.35 oz

If you want a tan that develops quickly and lasts for a long time, look no further than this formula from Loving Tan, which lasted for a week and a half on our skin when we tested. The mousse formula went on easily and smoothly, gliding across skin without skipping or creating streaks. Though it felt somewhat sticky as it dried, it didn’t transfer unless our skin made extended contact with whatever we touched.

Because this is an express formula, we showered two hours after application to reveal our tan, which was very deep. If you have very fair skin, the color of this tan may be startling at first. However, while the color is darker, it’s never orange, but may be better suited for deeper skin tones. It looks even better after the first two days and looks natural and even as it wears off.

Shades: 3｜Type: Mousse｜Development Time: 2 hours｜Size: 6.7 oz

Face tan is a newer self-tanner format, and after trying this formula from St. Tropez, we’re hooked. We spritzed it in across our face, neck, and chest, following the brand’s instructions of using about seven pumps, then just let it sit—there’s no need to rub it in or even rinse it off. It didn’t dry fully, which we actually loved. It didn’t leave our skin feeling sticky, just gently moisturized, with a light tropical scent that didn’t linger. After four hours, we saw a beautiful, delicate glow that made our skin look healthy, though not necessarily tan, that we looked forward to achieving day after day.

Because this formula is clear and mists on instead of being rubbed in, it can be a bit nerve-racking to apply, even if you’re a self-tanner newbie. Don’t overthink it—just go for it and spray it on liberally. Though it seems like it would go on blotchy, it doesn’t, and it creates such light color that you won’t ever feel overdone.

Shades: 1｜Type: Mist｜Development Time: 4-8 hours｜Size: 2.7 oz

This serum-like formula is very straightforward and easy to use: We just mixed it into our favorite coconut-scented body butter, applied it all over our body, then washed our hands to make sure the tanner didn’t stain our palms. While we’ve experienced streakiness with other tanning drops, we found this formula went on smoothly and evenly, and didn’t transfer to our sheets at all. Usually, we sleep in loose-fitting, wild-leg sweatpants and long sleeves after self-tanning, but this formula absorbed easily with our body cream, leaving our white sheets bright and clean. We woke up to beautiful, sun-kissed skin, and our glow lasted for about four days, even though we worked out and showered daily.

Overall, we loved the formula and plan on purchasing a new bottle after we use up this one (and recommended it to our friends!), but we do wish that it wasn’t clear. If the serum had a color, we’d be able to see if we thoroughly mixed it into our body lotion to ensure accurate application.

Shades: 3｜Type: Drops｜Development Time: 4-6 hours｜Size: 2.54 oz

As seasoned self-tanners, we assumed that stained sheets are par for the course when applying a formula before going to bed—that is, until we tried this Tan-Luxe formula, which featured a light floral scent. It applied easily with a mitt and after waiting 20 minutes for it to dry (it never felt sticky), we hopped into our bed made with white sheets, and woke up to clean sheets and a great tan that lasted for five days. Our tan faded evenly without any patchiness.

While we saw a subtle glow before falling asleep, we really loved our results when we woke up—the mousse gave us a fabulous deep glow, just how we like our tans. We’d  highly recommend waiting the entire four to six hours to let the tan develop to its full potential. Consider applying it before a night out with friends so you come home looking bronzed and fresh.

Shades: 2｜Type: Mousse｜Development Time: 30 minutes, with full color developing in 4-6 hours｜Size: 6.76 oz

We self-tan every Thursday to get ready for the weekend and this formula fits seamlessly into our routine. While testing, we mixed four drops into our nighttime moisturizer to achieve a deep glow, massaging it into our skin and letting it dry for 30 minutes (normal for our night cream) before going to bed. There was no noticeable scent and the tan didn’t transfer to our sheets—and we woke up to a noticeable and effortless bronze with zero streaks.

Because of how frequently we shower and wash our face (twice daily), we expect we’ll have to use this twice a week to maintain our glow, but that’s fine by us. We loved these drops and our skin did too, but not everyone will necessarily have the same experience. Some people have reported irritation from this formula, likely due to the inclusion of alcohol, so keep this in mind if your skin is especially sensitive.

Shades: 2｜Type: Drops｜Development Time: 4-6 hours｜Size: 1.01 oz

Though our tester had never used a self-tanning drop formula (or any facial self-tanner!) before, this one was easy to use. The instructions said to add anywhere from five to 20 drops, but because this was our first time using a self-tanner, we only added a few drops to our moisturizer so we wouldn’t create an unnatural glow. After applying our bronzing cocktail, we went to bed and woke up with a subtle and even glow. Because the formula is oil-free, our skin stayed clear throughout our testing process.

While we loved our results, we were entirely new to self-tanner when testing it. You can add many drops to your moisturizer but you still may find that it’s subtler than other formulas—plus, you’ll run out of product more quickly. We think this one is definitely best for self-tanning rookies or those with fair skin who want a light hint of color.

Shades: 1｜Type: Drops｜Development Time: 4-24 hours｜Size: 1 oz

We were hesitant to try this product considering we didn’t know what color to expect and our previous self-tanning experiments had gone awry, but we were very satisfied with this formula, which made our legs glow with a natural hue that lasted for five days. While some self-tanners are sold solo and you’re forced to find your own application tools, this Il Makiage product came with two—a body mitt and a kabuki brush—that made it a breeze to flawlessly apply the smooth, spreadable foam and buff it into our skin for a seamless finish. We experienced zero streaking when we applied, and the tanner dried practically within one minute of putting it on, meaning we had zero issues with stickiness or transfer.

We will say that this is one of the most fragrant self-tanning formulas we’ve tried (it also has a hint of vanilla to make it more pleasant), the scent lingered for a full day after application, even after showering the formula off four hours after we put it on. That said, we’ll be using this product again—we loved its results.

Shades: 1｜Type: Mousse｜Development Time: 4-6 hours｜Size: 4 oz

Heading into this test, our tester had never used self-tanner before, but we’re total converts after trying this formula from Lux Unfiltered—this easy-to-apply foam gave a medium complexion a deep, radiant glow that looked just like the real thing without the sun damage. We got about five days of wear out of it despite daily showers, though it was admittedly hard to tell how long the tan lasted because it faded so naturally.

The formula’s directions state to wait about 20 minutes for the tanner to dry on your skin before getting dressed, but we found that it took about twice as long for any tacky sensation to go away (though we luckily didn’t run into self-tanner stained palms in this period). Keep that in mind if you’re hoping to get dressed immediately after application. That said, we didn’t notice any transfer while waiting around in our robe to fully dry.

Shades: 1｜Type: Mousse｜Development Time: 2-8 hours｜Size: 6.8 oz

We’ve used bronzing drops before, but most of them come right off, which is why we loved this durable formula from Lux Unfiltered—and because it’s fragrance-free, it was totally compatible with our sensitive skin. A few drops blended beautifully into our moisturizer, making it easy to apply, and didn’t leave our palms stained afterwards. We got two days of wear out of each application and delivered a true tan that caused us to switch to our summer shades of foundation and concealer. It also evened out our skin tone nicely, meaning we didn’t need to apply as much base (a bonus!).

While our tester had lighter skin and saw great results from this formula, deeper complexions may need to use six or more drops to get their desired level of glow. That said, we loved these drops so much that we’ve become converts and ditched our old formula.

Shades: 1｜Type: Drops｜Development Time: 8 hours｜Size: 1 oz

As an expert tester who grew up applying self-tanner for Irish step dancing competitions, we know our way around fake tans—and once we tried this dermatologist-tested formula, it replaced our old standbys. The featherlight foam went on easily and dried within five minutes (with no sticky sensation), after which we went to bed and woke up with bronzed skin and completely clean sheets. We loved how there was zero odor; our friends know we’re loyal to self-tanner and asked if we were wearing any because they couldn’t smell anything at all.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get a long wear time out of this formula, though we weren’t bothered by this. Our dry, pale skin tends to eat up self-tanner quickly, and we’re used to applying it on the regular. We also noticed some patchiness as the tan faded, but we chalked that up to not being consistent with our moisturizing routine. We’re still recommending Tanologist formulas to all our friends and plan on sticking with it moving forward.

Shades: 3｜Type: Mousse｜Development Time: 1-4 hours｜Size: 6.76 oz

Soaked in tanning solution, these thick cottony pads glided easily over our skin. Though there’s no guide color, the damp sensation of the towelette made it simple to tell where we’d previously swiped, so we barely experienced any streaking. They’re completely mess-free—zero dripping, residue, or transfer—making them ideal for travel, and because they offer a subtle, gradual glow, they’re ideal for helping fair complexions build up their bronze.

The towelettes are generously sized, but they could be a little bigger as we needed two of them to cover our entire body. Considering we needed to use them several days in a row to get our desired glow, this could get pricey pretty quickly. That said, we’re still huge fans of the product, and if you prefer to only tan your legs or are very fair, these wipes will serve you well.

Shades: 3｜Type: Wipe｜Development Time: 2-4 hours｜Size: 5 towelettes

This formula features a texture similar to a thick hair gel, which was more pleasant to apply than it sounds—it spread easily and never made our skin feel sticky, even as it was drying, just damp. Despite the feel of the formula, it was easy to wash off of our hands, and because it was clear, it didn’t transfer onto our sheets. After seven hours, we rinsed off, and could see a great glow. Usually, we apply self-tanner twice in two days to achieve our preferred level of bronze, but we only needed to use this once to see a satisfying glow.

While we loved the formula, we needed to adjust to its unusual texture at first—we accidentally applied too much at first and those areas took much longer to dry as a result. We got the hang of it quickly, but there’s a good chance that if we’d used a mitt, this wouldn’t be an issue at all.

Shades: 1｜Type: Gel｜Development Time: n/a｜Size: 16 oz

A downside of self-tanner is that when using it, you usually have to skip your skincare routine the day of, and using active ingredients afterward could destroy your tan. With this formula, you’ll get a subtle glow over time while treating yourself to a blend of salicylic, lactic, and glycolic acids to slough away rough texture and reveal fresh skin. We used the nonsticky, smooth pad on clean skin before bed and woke up to a subtle glow; the tan actually develops in one hour so you can use the wipe before work in the morning or an impromptu date to naturally enhance your complexion.

The formula gradually gets deeper with regular application. We used it three days in a row to get to our desired color, then didn’t use it again for three or four days before touching up. However, if you were to keep using it on a daily basis (like you can with the brand’s regular Alpha Beta peels), the color would build up to be a little orange, so we’d recommend going with every-other-day application if you want to get into a tanning rhythm.

Shades: 2｜Type: Wipes｜Development Time: 1+ hour｜Size: 20 towelettes

If you’re looking for an indulgent self-tanner that smells luxe (like fancy coconut) and feels gorgeous, Dior is worth the investment. We love how the formula felt similar to a hyaluronic acid-based gel moisturizer—we used about a nickel-sized amount, which spread easily to cover our face and neck. It absorbed in 30 seconds to leave our skin feeling soft but not greasy, and sat well under makeup with zero tacky texture. About three hours after we put it on, we noticed our complexion had deepened by a shade. If we’d wanted, we could have applied three layers to achieve a bolder glow, but as we have fair skin, we were happy with the subtler bronze.

We used this on our face, but it could also be used on our bodies if we wanted. We ended up going to Dior’s website to look for more guidance on how to use the formula, but there was no information beyond the suggestion of layering more coats for a deeper tan. This may be a bit nerve-racking if you’re new to self-tanner, but seasoned pros will have no fear diving in and experimenting with this product.

Shades: 1｜Type: Gel｜Development Time: n/a｜Size: 1.7 oz

This silky formula is rich in buriti oil, so it went on luxuriously, but never felt greasy at all. We used it by mixing a few drops into face moisturizers as well as applying it directly in its concentrated form to our legs. At first, we applied it twice a week, but the tanner was so effective that we backed off—we were looking too bronze. We loved the golden brown glow it gave our skin (which lasted the whole week) and plan on continuing to use this formula all year round, because we know the bottle will last a while.

While we experienced no color transfer to our hands, clothes, or sheets, we did find that it transferred to our towels, which we’ll probably have to end up bleaching to get clean. That still won’t keep us from using this product. Instead, we can switch to darker towels.

Shades: 22｜Type: Oil drops｜Development Time: 6+ hours｜Size: 1 oz