The 15 Best Self-Tanning Products for Summer 2024

Tanning mousses, tanning lotions, and tanning creams are all familiar formulas in the world of fake tan, but in the last few years, tan has become one of the most innovative beauty categories out there. With something now available for everything from dry and sensitive complexions to skin that’s a little breakout prone, you can now get your glow on with the help of some of the best self-tanning products.

Whether you prefer tanning mists, gels or 1-hour express mousses with either a subtle everyday glow or a full-on tan, there are plenty of glow-giving options to choose from. Scroll down to discover the best self-tanning products we’ll be reaching for this summer.

A few drops of the Coco & Eve Bronzing Drops turns your favourite night cream or body moisturiser into a bespoke self-tanner that builds colour subtly, giving you the kind of tan you can pass off as your own. Providing all the results with half of the effort, it’s ideal for beginners and gives skin a noticeable glow in just one use. In fact, it happens so fast we’re quite convinced that Coco & Eve’s secret ingredient is sunshine.

After a self-tanning mousse that’s weightless and easy to use? Available in four shades, the Forever Sundays Self Tanning Mousse glides over your skin to leave you with a smooth and streak-free tan that looks like it came straight off the beach. A quick dryer that doesn’t transfer colour, add this to your Summer ‘24 kit.

Gone are the days of biscuit-scented self-tans thanks to The Fox Tan’s Tropical Self-Tan Mousse. Lightweight and non-sticky, this tan leaves your skin with the most delicious, tropical, pineapple-scent, that’ll make you never want to wash it off! Perfect for pro-tanners and first timers, this one needs to be on your radar.

Ever used a self-tan that just does not compliment your skin tone? Meet Bondi Sands’ Technocolour 1 Hour Express Self Tanning Foam. Not only does this formula develop in just one hour (perfect for those last minute plans), but each shade works to enhance your natural skin tone, not change it. Choose your best shade and get to work!

Tailor your tan to your bronzey preferences with the EFFN Tanning Foam. Thanks to colour guidance, get an idea of how glowy you’ll be left looking. Quick-drying, non-sticky and hydrating – becoming your summer-ready self has never been easier.

Name something better than a personalised tan? Adding the Bondi Sands Self Tan Drops to your existing skincare and body care routine is the easiest way to achieve that glowing finish we all crave, in just one easy step. Lazy tanners, listen up!

Gone are the days of messy mousses thanks to St Tropez’s Self Tan Express Mist. With a 360 degree nozzle, this mist evenly and weightlessly applies onto the skin, even those hard to reach areas. The formula can also be left onto the skin between 1-3 hours, depending on how dark you like your tan to be.

Into a gradual formula? Meet Loving Tan’s Gradual Tan, a lightweight, luxurious lotion that can be used to extend or enhance your existing tan for up to 2 weeks or used on its own to build your perfect shade. You’ll definitely be loving your tan with this top pick…

Get flawless skin with the By BEAUTY BAY Future Bronze Body Base. This blurring, lightweight and instant body makeup gives an instant tint of tan whilst evening out skin tone. With a matte finish and moisturising formula, enriched with hyaluronic acid, castor oil, vitamin E, jojoba oil and sweet almond oil, you won’t want to be without it.

Not a huge tan of a mousse? Bare By Vogue’s Self Tan Lotion is the perfect alternative. This lightweight, quick-drying, smoothing formula gives a glowing, radiant finish that lasts up to 7 days, making it one of the best self-tanning products for this summer.

Get instantly glowing skin with SOSU Cosmetics’ Skin Sheen. With just one spritz, this bronzing mist leaves your skin feeling soft and hydrated and looking bronzed and photo-ready. It’s a yes from us.

Pro-tanner Jules Von Hep broke onto the tanning scene in 2018 with some of the best self-tanning products – a revolutionary line of products designed to use colour correction to deliver the best colour tan possible. The stand-out in the range is the Isle of Paradise Self-Tanning Water, which comes in three shades. The refreshing, weightless solution reaches everywhere (including those hard to get areas), dries down instantly, and develops in record speed.   

Can you name a better combo than being deliciously glowy and velvety soft? The St Tropez Prep And Maintain Tan Enhancing Moisturiser leaves you with a natural looking tan whilst keeping your skin nourished and supple – all thanks to a gorgeous blend of hydrating ingredients. And thanks to these skin-loving additions, your tan stays for up to three days longer and fades evenly.

Tan-Luxe are favourites on the tanning scene and are constantly releasing innovative new products. That said, we’re still obsessed with one of their long-term bestsellers, Tan-Luxe The Gradual. Formulated with a lower pH than most tans (which results in a more natural-looking tan and less of that nasty DHA odor), the formula also does more than just tan – it contains ultra-hydrating raspberry seed oil, glycerin, and vitamin E to keep skin hydrated (which helps your tan to stick around for longer). 

If you’re still feeling loyal to old-school mousse formulas, opt for this Tanologist Self Tan Mousse – it’s a water, but it dispenses in mousse form rather than as a mist. There’s no need to rinse off because there’s no residue – so you’ll have an even, streak-free, golden tan in 1-4 hours. One coat will give you a subtle, natural wash of colour – just layer on daily to build the intensity.

FYI: This article was previously published at an earlier date and has since been updated