The Best Self-Tanners of 2024

The Isle of Paradise Self-Tanning Drops are unlike any of the others on this list. They are liquid drops that you add into any moisturizer of your choice to apply on the face or body. I chose the medium shade, but they also offer light and dark shades.

The instructions suggest adding one to 12 drops into moisturizer: two to four for a “sun-kissed" tan, six to eight for “golden,” and 10 to 12 for “bronze.” A little confusing, but I pressed on. Then the next problem occurred: I went to drop the clear solution into my Cerave Daily Moisturizing Lotion and noticed that the formula was thick enough that it wasn’t coming out as definitive drops and instead more of a stream of fluid. I don’t know how many “drops” I actually got but it was less than the dollop of lotion. After mixing the two in my palms, I rubbed it haphazardly all over my leg like I would with any body moisturizer. I didn’t have to rinse it off, per the instructions, so I didn’t.

The tan I got with this was fine. It wasn’t as tan as I would have preferred and, while I could use even more drops next time, I think I’d go through the tiny 1.01-ounce bottle quickly that way—a worry I didn’t have with any of the other tanners on this list. The experience of using the drops was pleasant despite the confusion at the beginning. I liked the clean, subtly sweet scent and how moisturized my legs felt due to the mix-in mechanism. I’d be more likely to recommend this as a face tanner than a body one.

My experience with the Loving Tan 2 HR Express Self Tanning Mousse in the medium shade was a perplexing one. It started off great—I appreciated the noticeable color guard and easy-to-blend mousse formula. It felt comfortable to wear on my skin while it dried and didn’t stain the robe I was sitting on while waiting. The bottle came with an application mitt, which is a nice bonus. I even noted that I thought this could soar above the pack. But when I showered after the recommended two hours, I was surprised to see… pale.

Yes, there was a slight tan and it was even looking, but it was not nearly as noticeable as others on this list. I felt like it never fully developed on my skin and considered even redoing it. I opted not to re-test it because I followed the instructions correctly and couldn't think of how this would be a user error—except maybe that I should have gone with the dark solution or the “deluxe bronzing mousse” line instead of the two-hour express one. I’ve heard nothing but excellent things about this brand, and my experience with using this tanner was a positive one aside from the color that developed. For that reason I wouldn’t discount Loving Tan, but I wouldn’t recommend picking up this particular one in the medium shade.

The Beauty By Earth Self-Tanner is a thick, white lotion that I found difficult to blend into the skin. My whole leg was covered in an opaque white tint at one point while I was spreading it, which led me to think that I applied too much. Still, it took less than five minutes to do my whole leg and the result was a smooth feel. After a few hours, it developed into a nice, natural-looking tan everywhere except my feet, which looked patchy. I was quick to chalk this up to user error, but then remembered that the thick formula didn’t do me any favors. The instructions recommend letting the tanner dry for 15 minutes before putting on clothing and there is no wash-off necessary.

A week after application, the tan was still present, but there were large patches on my leg where the tanner had faded more quickly. This could have been from me sitting down or crossing my legs within hours of applying the product, but even if that’s the case, I’d prefer a less finicky product.

The Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun Body Mousse is as easy to apply as all of the other mousses on this list. The light bronze shade is spreadable and it has a color guard that helps with even coverage. I tried this product toward the beginning of my testing and I wanted to know if letting the self-tanner develop overnight would be a way of testing I’d like because many instructions allow for it. I applied this on clean skin to one leg and waited until I thought it was dry. It felt tacky, but not any more than a moisturizer does for sometimes hours after application. The result was some patchiness around my ankles and feet, but an otherwise nice color. I showered and saw a big improvement—my skin looked much more even and the color was even more natural without the residue from the color guard. The result lasted a few days before fading gradually.

This reminds me a lot of the L’Oréal Paris tanner and it’s another decent drugstore option. I’d prefer a formula that dries faster and doesn’t feel tacky for hours post-application, but it works in a pinch.

The Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam fell flat for me. It has a color guard, but I still had a hard time applying this evenly—it wasn't streak-free. Almost all of the self-tanners left at least a little residue on my robe, but this one transferred a lot, causing me to worry that there wouldn’t be any formula there to actually tan my leg. The instructions say that you can shower this off after one hour but wait for up to six if you want a deeper tan. After a few hours, I showered it off and barely saw a tan. At the time, I was just relieved to see that my leg wasn’t a patchy mess after the streaky application and transfer onto my robe. While I’m sure this could be built up for a deeper color, there are too many good options on this list for me to recommend this over any of the ones above.

To apply the Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Makeup, you shake the can, spray it into your hands, and rub it onto the skin. This is considered makeup, so it won’t create a lasting tan, but we opted to include it on this list because it’s a popular product that gives an instant result.

I found it awkward to rub into the skin because the can produces a frothy liquid, sort of like spray paint. Of course, the color showed up right away, but it looked too orange on my skin tone. An upside was that it made my leg look overall smoother in appearance and even added a sheen to my skin with tiny flecks of glitter. I wouldn’t choose this for a special occasion because of the color on me, but I can see the appeal of a product like this.

The instructions for the Neutrogena Micromist Airbrush Sunless Tanning Spray recommend applying it in a well-ventilated area. I wanted to avoid putting on a show by standing outside my apartment building to apply it, so I stood in my shower instead. This way, I could walk away from the spray once I was done and hose down the shower in case of staining.

The formula is clear, making it hard to tell where you’ve applied it except for a slight sheen it leaves behind. It also felt way less precise to use a spray than to use my hands to apply a mousse, gel, or lotion. I applied it in vertical motions up my leg and hoped for the best. After a few hours, the tan started to develop and it looked somewhat natural but streaky in some areas. There was even a big white spot in the middle of my shin, which could have been from me crossing my legs under my desk, but it’s hard to say. In the end, there are too many great options on this list to settle for this so-so one.