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Top 3 Self-Tanners for Beginners in 2025
Most self-tanners come with instructions, but especially for newbies, a highly trustworthy fake glow can feel assures the user’s manual longer than the receipt for Sephora VIB sales. Uniform applications include the preparation of important skins to apply the product itself and learn about maintenance and efficacy. And it doesn’t cover the most important parts. It’s about starting the entire process with one of the best self-tanners for beginners.
I have been testing self-tanners for over 10 years. I’m so obsessed with it that I made a completely unrealistic choice, at least for my New York City apartment. We’ve also tried dozens of home self-tanners on the market while using professional grade solutions. When I say, trust me: Not all self-tanners are beginner friendly.
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably been walking through countless mousses, mists, gels, body lotions and bronze drops that promise radiant skin. The active ingredients that color your skin, DHA, are available in all of the above formulas, For beginners, mousse and mist are your best bet.
Gradual lotions sound easy, but building colour requires repeated applications, often leading to spotted areas around tricky areas such as the ankles, wrists and knees. Clear mice also look innocent, but in reality they make it difficult to see where they have already applied the product. This is a Streak recipe. In my experience, colored mousse gives you the most control and is easy to blend. On the other hand, mist spreads more evenly. (So, even if the technique isn’t perfect, the results are still soft and trustworthy.)
Three perfect self-tanners for beginners include quick mousse that is easy to control, lightweight face mist that gradually builds, and oil-based mist that gives it rich colour. and Hydration. If you see that streakless (without damage!) finish in the mirror, you’ll wonder why you haven’t tried any of them early.
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St. Tropez Self Tan Express Bronzing Mousse Tropical Colada
There’s a reason why this Express Mooth has remained at my top rotation for years. It has little learning curve and provides consistent and reliable results. The tropical colada scent is on the beach without heading towards the territory of saccharin, and the formula itself is colored, allowing you to clearly see where you are heading when working on your skin.
I recommend using mitts at all times – always sticking to two pumps per limb will even out the coverage without streaks. For the first application, leave the water only an hour away to test, then gradually work up to 4 hours if you need a deeper payoff. In my experience, the colour develops evenly, worn well for 4-6 days, fades like a professional spray tongue: soft, gradually, and never patchy.
Prices up to the date of publication of this article: $46
WWD/ Claire Sullivan
Dolce Glow Aqua Moisturizing Self-Tanning Face Mist
Face tan drops get all the hype, but in my opinion they are not the most beginner friendly. So when I want an innocent face colour, I reach for this Dolce Glow Mist. The fog is super fine so you don’t have to worry about calming droplets on your cheeks or forehead.
You can layer it over several days to build a more bronze effect or splitz once or twice a week to maintain a subtle glow. It’s also great to have a spot where faketan (ears and neck) usually remains perfectly blended. Technically, you can I use it as a setting spray, but I found that the best colour payoff comes from fogging directly on clean, dry skin.
Prices up to the date of publication of this article: $36
WWD/ Claire Sullivan
Self-tanning oil mist on Paradise Island
This oil mist is a bit of an insider pick. Most people know Paradise Island with their tanning drops, but self-tanning oil mist deserves a spotlight, especially for beginners. It gave one of the richest fake tongues I’ve tested, and the undertones are surprisingly well balanced. It’s neither orange nor green – a deep, warm bronze that looks like you’re sunbathing in Ojai over the weekend.
The formula is moisturizing. This will help to extend the life of your tan, but don’t be tempted to apply it like a body oil. Instead, step into a dry shower or stand on a towel to protect the floor, fog it generously, and blend it using a mitt. This is one of the lowest, most impactful formulas I have tried, fading as beautifully as applied.
Prices up to the date of publication of this article: $32
Self-Tanner Tips for Beginners
The way you apply a self-tanner has a major impact on the quality and lifespan of your faketan. After a lot of trial and error when applying dozens of faketan formulas to the market, these are my top tips for perfect applications and long-term tanning.
- Preparation begins the day before the application is applied. Before planning to apply Faux-Tanner, make sure all peeling and hair removal is complete. If you choose to peel, shave, or wax to approach the sunburn time, the pores don’t have time to close completely.
- Apply to clean dry skin: Perfumes, deodorizers, and body lotions are likely to interact with the self-tanner formula, so make sure you removed what you’re wearing before your tan.
- Protects your elbows, knees and ankles from spots. Major joints, such as the knees and elbows, tend to increase the skin folding that allows the self-tanner to calm down, appearing dark or uneven. To prevent this, rub some of the body lotion on your elbows, knees, ankles and wrists.
- Take your time with the application: The way you apply a self-tanner depends on the delivery system. The facial mist can be sprayed directly on the skin, the mousse is optimally distributed and massaged in the palm of the mitt, while the body mist is rubbed against the mitt. No matter what method you apply the product, take the time to massage it and cover simple areas such as the back of your arms and the top of your feet.
- Skip the soap with the first rinse: Rinse in a lukewarm shower without soap after self-tanner has been developed for the recommended time in the package. If you use a colored self-tanner (transparent), wait until the water is clear before the towel is turned off.
- Moisturizes every dayDry skin is the number one enemy of the Self-Tanning Formula. To extend the life of your shine, moisturize daily with body butter or cream. Look for options without mineral oils that tend to break up tan. This should also help the tan fade evenly, but if there is still area of accumulation, peeling mitts will help split the excess patch.
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Meet the author
Claire Sullivan A contributing commerce editor for WWD and Footwear News, she writes and edits stories of beauty, fashion and lifestyle. She has over eight years of experience as a writer and editor in national media including Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, Instyle and Byrdie. As an editor, she has tested hundreds of products, so she is well versed in choosing products that make a meaningful difference to her skin and hair.
Source: Shop – wwd.com
