Sunless Tanner Guide

The beauty product I can not live without. I have been using sunless tanning products for around 6 years now and have no idea how I went the first 21 years of my life without it. My skin tone is naturally fair. Like need to reapply sunscreen every few hours (which everyone should anyways) or I will burn kind of fair. Sunless tanner can be an intimidating thing. I know a lot of people have the assumption that they will turn you orange (and I’m sure some of them do or maybe did in the past, but the ones I have always tried do not).

To properly answer the question, “Which sunless tanner is best?” would be near impossible considering all different skin tones and your needs. For example, a lot of sunless tanners require you to leave them on for 6 hours and then wash off the product. I am currently nursing and would prefer to keep my sunless tanner on my skin and not my baby’s so finding one that didn’t need to be washed off was huge. There are pros and cons to each and every one and I’m ready to dive into each of them and share some tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way.

From Left to Right:

1. Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops in the shade Medium
2. Loving Tan Deluxe Bronzing Mousse in the shade Ultra Dark
3. Bondi Sands Liquid Gold Self Tanning Foam
4. Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam 1 Hour Express
5. Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam in the shade Dark
6. Bondi Sands Liquid Gold Dry Oil

As you can see, I am a Bondi Sands lover. I mean, who better to make a sunless tanner than the Aussie’s. The first sunless tan I ever tried was the Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam in the shade Dark and it is still to this day one of my favorites.

For starters, it’s so so so important to exfoliate and shave prior to applying your product. It will make your tan last longer and it will fade out evenly instead of blotchy. Bondi Sands does have a Self Tan Eraser Foam that I have tried and it does work but in my opinion it doesn’t work any better than a bar of soap does (and for a lot steeper of a price). I like to use this exfoliating towel and a bar of soap.

Products Needed for Sunless Tanning:
Exfoliating Towel
Bar of Soap
Sunless Tanning Product
Mitt
^I’ve tried SO many different mitts and this one is by far and away the best!
Regular Lotion

Tanning Tips:
// Exfoliate your skin and shave 24 hours prior to applying your tan
// Apply lotion to elbows, knees, feet, hands, and face prior to applying your tan
// When applying tanning product to your hands and feet, do not put more product on your mitt, just use the leftover product that was on your mitt
// If you’re new to sunless tanning, start with a foam product that has a bronzer so you can see where you are applying product
// Mix Dawn dish soap with toothpaste to wash your hands if you applied your product with your hands (which I would not recommend)
// Apply baby powder to areas that you are more likely to sweat to lock in your tan while it is developing
// Use a daily moisturizer to extend your tan and avoid patchy fading

1. Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops in the shade Medium // These are a bit different from your typical sunless tanner. You mix these drops in with your everyday lotion and the more drops you add, the more color you get. You also don’t have to wear a tanning mitt when applying this product (just make sure to wash your hands really well after). This product goes on clear but you are less likely to end up with streaks because you are applying it like you would lotion.

2. Loving Tan Deluxe Bronzing Mousse in the shade Ultra Dark // This is a classic foam product that is applied with a mitt. This brand makes a few different shades and a 2 hour express product. I have found that the color develops best if left on for 6 hours so I always put this product on before bed and rinse off in the morning. This product has a bronzer in it and will transfer to your sheets. I always lay a dark colored sheet down so it doesn’t stain my white sheets!

3. Bondi Sands Liquid Gold Self Tanning Foam This product works great and is very similar to the Bondi Sands Liquid Gold Dry Oil but it is a foam version which is a little easier to apply for beginners.

4. Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam 1 Hour Express This product isn’t my favorite, but works great if you are in a bind and need a quick tan.

5. Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam in the shade Dark // This was the first sunless tanner I ever tried and is still a go to for me! It has a green undertone to it and when applied develops to a beautiful bronze color. This product typically lasts me one week. Before vacation or a big event where I want a deeper color, you can apply this one, wait 30 minutes and then apply a second coat for a darker color! This color develops very similar to the Loving Tan Deluxe Bronzing Mousse but is less expensive!

6. Bondi Sands Liquid Gold Dry Oil This product is a little harder for beginners due to the colorless application using a mitt but the big upside to that is that it does not have to be washed off and won’t rub off onto your clothes or sheets (MAJOR PLUS). This one is by far my number one because of that… not to mention the color is perfect!

If I had to rate these 6 sunless tanners in the order I would buy them:

1. Bondi Sands Liquid Gold Dry Oil
2. Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam
3. Loving Tan Deluxe Bronzing Mousse
4. Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops
5. Bondi Sands Liquid Gold Self Tanning Foam
6. Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam 1 Hour Express

Let me know if you have any more questions about sunless tanning or if you’ve tried out any of these products. Thanks so much for reading!