According to Our Rigorous Testing, This Is the Best Self-Tanner

We updated this article in March 2023 to add more detail about each featured product based on extensive testing done by the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab, as well as new picks from tanning experts and editors.

Skip the skin-damaging sun and get your glow on the safe way with a faux tan that look so real no one will believe it's from a bottle. Over the years, self-tanners have improved vastly thanks to advances in product formulation that address issues like the dreaded orange cast (by using cooler tones), unpleasant scent (helped by superior odor-neutralizing and masking fragrances) and streaking (better formulation bases such as self-tanning drops, lotions, creams, mousses, wipes and mists that apply and spread more easily).

But how exactly do self-tanners work? "The active ingredient in most self-tanners is dihydroxyacetone or DHA, which has been allowed by the FDA for external use," says Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab Senior Chemist Sabina Wizemann. DHA works by temporarily tinting skin to darken it, with results that either appear instantly or develop within a few hours or days and color lasting about a week. Remember that self-tanners will not protect against sunburn or sun damage because they don't contain sunscreen ingredients (unless indicated on product packaging), so dermatologists and GH Beauty Lab scientists still recommend applying a top-rated sunscreen with broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher to protect skin. If you apply self-tanner correctly, the color should last up to a week (and a self tan-removing product can help if you need to return to your natural skin color before that).

To find the best formulas, scientists in the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty, Health & Sustainablity Lab have evaluated all types of face and body self-tanners on consumer testers, who report on their in-depth feedback on each products's attributes, application and results. In total, they evaluated data from over 2,990 consumer survey questions to find the best self-tanners on the market. Here are the best self-tanners of 2023, according to the GH Beauty Lab, editors and pros.

You can read more about how we evaluate self-tanners in our Lab and consumer tests — plus everything you need to know to get your faux tan on — at the end of this guide. Looking for more ways to get ready for the sunshine? Check out our guides to the best mineral sunscreens and the best scalp sunscreens for your money.