Which Self Tan Formula is Right For You?

The right self tanning product makes it easy to maintain a healthy-looking tan year round. If you find yourself craving a sun-kissed glow but don’t have the means for a tropical vacation, a self tanner can help you look like a beach babe without ever setting foot on the beach.

But with so many self tanning products on the market today, it can be tough to know where to start. To help you out, we’ll take a look at the most popular self tanning formulas to help you get an idea of which will work best for you.

Things to consider

Maintenance
Are you a minimal-maintenance girl or do you enjoy time spent prepping and pampering? Some products require relatively little work to keep up, while others take time to perfect and maintain.

Skin type
If your skin is super-dry, you’ll want to pick something that will put moisture back into your skin. Dry skin will flake and leave uneven patches. If your skin isn’t dry, you’re safe with just about any formula.

How soon do you need to be beach-ready?

Are you getting ready for a hot date tonight, or do you have a week or so to build up to a perfect bronze? Your time frame will make a difference in the product you choose.

Your experience level
Some types of self tanner should be left for the pros, or at least people with plenty of experience applying it. We’ll talk about which types are most beginner-friendly.

Types of self tanner

Mousse
Mousse/foam formats are the most popular self tan formats due to the ease of application! Mousse tends to dry very quickly on the skin, which makes application fairly simple and not too messy. Look for one with a color tint to it so that you can see where you’ve applied product already and avoid uneven spots.
Lotion
If your skin is dry, a lotion will help bring back in moisture to avoid flakiness. Lotions are a great option for beginners since they can be applied like a regular moisturizer.

Spray
Self tanning sprays are best left to those with some experience in self tanning. They can be a little more difficult to apply evenly and tend to leave streaks if not applied correctly. However, the payoff is beautiful, glowing color in a comfortable and lightweight formula.

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Gradual
If subtlety is your thing and you have some time to build up a tan, you might want to try a gradual self tanner. As the name suggests, these products slowly build up color over a period of a few days (or even a week.)

This is probably the most beginner-friendly option, since the color builds slowly and naturally.

The gradual tanner is also amazing for topping up already tanned skin with an extra hydrated glow.