The 7 Best Facial Self-Tanners for Faking a Post-Vacation Glow

Best Overall

Lux Unfiltered N°12 Bronzing Face Drops

$44 at Amazon $42 at Luxunfiltered.com

Format: Drops | Recommended Use: Mix 2-6 drops with moisturizer and apply in the AM | Development Time: 2–8 hours 

This product is everything we could ever want in a facial self-tanner, earning it our best overall pick. The lightweight drops are meant to be mixed in with your moisturizer and applied to clean skin in the morning, making for a quick and easy application. You can customize your color by applying fewer drops for a subtle tan, or up to six drops for a deep tan. We love that once you apply it, it dries quickly and doesn’t transfer onto your clothing or pillowcases. We noticed that the formula felt totally undetectable on the skin—no stickiness or residue—and we could start to see the color develop after just a few minutes, though the brand says it takes a few hours for it to fully develop. After the initial application, the tan lasted about two days without re-applying. We also appreciate that, unlike a lot of self-tanners, this one doesn’t lean orange on the skin, rather it creates a subtle, bronze glow. 

Also nice, the formula is fragrance-free, suitable for all skin types (even sensitive), and contains hydrating ingredients, like hyaluronic acid, pomegranate extract, vitamin E, and more. If you’re looking for a super fast and easy self-tanning product that’s customizable and great for all skin types, we highly recommend checking out this one. 

Best Overall, Runner-Up

Tan-Luxe The Face

$25 at Amazon $25 at Sephora $50 at Ulta

Format: Drops | Recommended Use: Mix 2-12 drops into moisturizer, oil, or serum | Development Time: 10–12 hours 

These facial tanning drops come in at a close second for us—the only thing we wish we could change is that the formula contains synthetic fragrance, which can be irritating for those with sensitive skin. But aside from that, we were incredibly impressed by how well these drops performed. All you need to do is mix between two and 12 drops in with your moisturizer, face oil, or serum and apply to clean skin. The more drops you mix in, the darker your tan will be. Once you apply the mixture, the color takes roughly 10 to 12 hours to fully develop, but it’s worth the wait—the end result is a beautiful neutral bronze hue. 

We actually used these drops with a night cream before heading to bed, and to our surprise, they left no marks or staining on our pillowcases. They didn’t feel sticky or oily, and we loved that once the color developed, it lasted for nearly five full days without much noticeable fading. If ease and longevity are what you’re looking for, these drops are a fantastic option for you.  

Best Budget

L'Oréal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Water Mist

$10 at Target View on Lorealparisusa.com $15 at Riteaid.com

Format: Mist | Recommended Use: Spray onto a cotton pad and apply to face | Development Time: 8–10 hours to fully develop

If you like conveniently applying skincare with a cotton pad, this self-tanning mist could be the perfect product to help you achieve a sunkissed glow. You just spritz the formula onto a cotton pad and sweep it across your face, and then spray the mist a few times about eight inches from your neck and décolleté to ensure your tan is even. The formula is incredibly lightweight, and while we did find it a bit sticky when we first applied it, this feeling dissipated relatively quickly, and luckily, the stickiness didn’t translate to the product transferring. 

As for the color, we were really impressed by how natural and not orange-looking it appeared—one of our testers even received multiple compliments about how tan and radiant he looked. While it does contain synthetic fragrance which we don’t love, it doesn’t have an overpowering scent and it was tested for all skin types. It’s an excellent option and an affordable price, making it easy for our team to recommend. 

Best Drugstore

Sol by Jergens Deeper By The Drop Serum

$21 at Target $13 at Walmart $23 at Riteaid.com

Format: Drops | Recommended Use: Mix 3–15 drops with moisturizer | Development Time: 4–24 hours

If you’re looking for easy-to-use facial self-tanning drops from the drugstore, these are the ones for you. Aside from their super simple and fast application, we appreciate that you can customize your color depending on the number of drops you mix into your moisturizer. The tan it creates looks authentic, and we were impressed that it didn’t transfer onto our hands or pillowcases throughout the application and development process. Though you can start to see the color develop after just four hours, the full intensity of the tan comes through after 24 hours—and we loved that it lasted really well without fading for around five days. While we wish it didn’t contain synthetic fragrance, the scent isn’t overpowering, so it’s not a dealbreaker. Overall, we were incredibly impressed with the performance of this product, and considering how accessible and relatively affordable it is, it’s easy for us to recommend it. 

Best Mist

St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Face Mist

$33 at Amazon $33 at Sephora $27 at Ulta

Format: Mist | Recommended Use: Spray 5-6 full pumps directly over face, neck, and décolleté | Development Time: 4–8 hours 

Tanning mists make for an easy on-the-go application, and this one really impressed us during our testing process. The lightweight formula feels refreshing and nongreasy on the skin, and we like that it contains hydrating ingredients, like hyaluronic acid glycerin. It couldn’t be easier to use—you simply spray five to six pumps across your face, neck, and chest and let it develop for four to six hours. We adore this application method for those who crave a fast beauty routine, but it is a bit tricky to tell whether or not you’ve applied the product evenly. 

This product yielded the most subtle results out of the ones we tested, making it a great self-tanner for fair skin or anyone who’s looking to achieve an understated tan. It didn’t transfer throughout the test, and despite not being able to assess whether or not the application was totally even, we didn’t notice any streaks or patchiness. If you’re looking for a tanning formula in the form of a mist, this one is an excellent choice.  

Best Gel

Dior Solar The Self-Tanning Gel

View on Dior.com

Format: Gel/lotion | Recommended Use: Apply an even layer to clean skin and build up more layers as desired | Development Time: 2–10 hours

Along with drops, mists, and wipes, facial self-tanners come in lotion or gel formats, like this one, that can be easily applied just like you would apply a moisturizer. The gel-like texture absorbs quickly into the skin leaving it feeling balanced—neither too dry and taut nor too greasy. One layer creates a subtle glow, while additional layers build up to create a more noticeable bronze tan—this buildability allows for customization which is one of the things we love the most about it. 

We noticed very minor patchiness around dry spots and texture near the hairline, so we recommend gently exfoliating before applying it. After it sets and develops, it looks natural on the skin and lasts well for up to four days without needing to reapply. It’s a fantastic option for you if you’re looking for a facial self-tanner that you can apply like a moisturizer and customize your color with. 

Best Exfoliating

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Glow Pad Intense Glow

$40 at Dermstore $40 at Walmart $39 at Nordstrom

Format: Wipes | Recommended Use: Apply to face, neck and décolleté in circular motions | Development Time: 3–4 hours

If you’re a self-tanning aficionado, then you know that one of the fastest ways to remove your faux glow is to exfoliate your skin—so the idea of a product that both exfoliates and provides a tan in one seems a bit strange at first. However, this one does both via a solution-soaked pad that contains AHA’s to exfoliate, as well as encapsulated DHA, the active ingredient that creates the tan. You just evenly sweep one wipe across your face, next, and chest, and let the product work its magic—it first lifts away dead skin cells and then works to create a gradual tan. 

We loved how easy it was to use, how quickly it dried, how comfortable it felt on the skin, and the fact that the tan started out really subtle. Due to the subtly, we did need to apply it daily for three days to yield our desired results, but this could actually be a great thing for anyone whose goal is to achieve an understated color. Once we built it up to our desired color, it lasted well for three days without needing to touch up with another wipe. Plus, we appreciate that it doesn’t transfer, it’s fragrance-free, and the formula also contains lactic acid for hydration.