The 18 Best Designer Skin Tanning Lotion Reviews & Guide 2024

Best Designer Skin Tanning Lotion

Which is the best Designer Skin tanning lotion?

Is it a bronzer, an intensifier, or a tingle lotion?

Is it their best-selling indoor tanning lotion, or could it be a self-tanner?

We’ll explore the answers in the reviews below. In the meantime, let’s learn more about Designer Skin.

What is Designer Skin?

Designer Skin is a brand that’s part of New Sunshine, LLC. That’s the same company that also owns JWOWW, Australian Gold, Swedish Beauty, and California Tan. Their headquarters are in Indianapolis.

Right upfront, you need to know that they frown on purchasing their products outside of licensed distributors, like salons.

When random resellers offer the lotion at a discount, that’s called “diversion.” It’s like you’re getting Designer Skin tanning lotion wholesale. The problem is that you can’t be 100% certain that the “diverted” products are authentic. With that said, we can still dive deep into the world of Designer Skin indoor tanning lotions.

These are tanning products developed through decades of experience in the industry. Plus, they are all-American, manufactured in Arizona.

Moreover, Designer Skin lotions are loved by celebrities like WWE Diva Alexa Bliss and Sasha Pieterse from Pretty Little Liars. And don’t forget the Kardashians.

It’s not only women who enjoy indoor tanning. Reid Ewing from Modern Family also enjoys tanning with Designer Skin lotion.

Best Designer Skin Tanning Lotion in 2024

Now, let’s look at the different indoor tanning lotion types to see which one will help you achieve the best tan.

Tingle

What kind of tanning lotion gets you the darkest?

We vote for tingle tanning lotion. That’s because it accelerates pigment production increasing blood circulation in the skin (1).

The magic ingredient is benzyl nicotinate. It increases oxygen and blood flow and reddens the skin. The result is a deep, dark tan. It’s perfect for bronzing those pale legs and busting a plateau when you can’t seem to go darker.

When you use a tingler, the sensation ranges from a little extra warmth to an intense burn. Like Designer Skin’s Bombshell, some of the strongest tingle lotions have been compared to putting vapor rub on a sunburn.

Only try a tingle lotion if you’re an experienced tanner. Don’t apply them to your face or extra-sensitive areas.

Also, don’t play with pets or hug children until after you’ve had a shower because the tingling effect could be transferred to their skin even hours later.

Showering with cool water will reduce the sensation, as will applying moisturizer.

Designer Skin BombShell, 100XXBronzer

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Bombshell is a bronzer and a tingle tanning lotion. It’s a favorite choice of avid tanners.

The extra sizzle oxygenates the skin for extra dark tanning results. What’s more, the 100XX bronzer provides a sun-kissed glow right out of the bottle. Incredibly, the color deepens over the next few hours.

If you go tanning with Bombshell, you’ll wake up the next morning looking like you spent a week on the beach.

Plus, the floral kiwi watermelon fragrance keeps you smelling fresh, not burned after tanning.

Designer Skin So Shameless

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Could Shameless be hotter than Bombshell? You’ll have to try them both and see.

Shameless has the 400XX Heat Wave Sizzle Complex with ginger for extra oxygenation and a deeper tan.

The fragrance is pink grapefruit sorbet. It’s engineered to prevent the after tanning odor.

Then, there’s a blend of caramel and DHA for both instant and gradual color. The addition of turquoise keeps you brown, not orange.

Even if you only spend a few minutes in the tanning bed, you’re going to go darker.

Cooling

Not everyone likes it hot. Try tanning with a cooling lotion and enjoy the fresh sensation.

Designer Skin Escapade Cooling Tanning Lotion

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Escapade isn’t just for guys. The Bermuda Breeze fragrance appeals to both men and women. It also prevents the tanning odor.

While you relax and soak up the rays, a cooling essence soothes the skin.

What’s more, this is a quadruple bronzer. It intensifies every minute in the tanning bed then continues to push your bronze to the limit for hours afterward. It contains black walnut, tyrosine, peptides, and DS ProBronze Extend to maintain your sun god status as long as possible.

Bronzers with DHA

We’ve mentioned DHA a few times – what is it? It’s dihydroxyacetone, a sugar that interacts with amino acids in the skin. It turns you brown like bacon cooking in the pan or a cut apple exposed to the air.

The chemical process is called the Maillard reaction. It’s harmless, and the bronzing effect fades after a few days to a week (2).

Many indoor tanning lotions with bronzer don’t just have DHA. They also feature cosmetic bronzers for instant gratification. They make you swimsuit-ready right out of the bottle. That’s handy because both UV exposure and DHA take a few hours to work.

If you’re not sure which bronzer to choose, look at the number. The ones marked with 20X or less are suitable for pale skin because they won’t look awkwardly dark. The higher the number, the deeper the color.

Designer Skin Salacious 11X Bronzer

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Salacious smells delicious, like wild berry and plum. It doesn’t just bronze the skin, but it also softens every inch with the Passion Oil Blend.

While caramel provides a subtle glow, DHA works behind the scenes to deepen your tan. The Empowered Empress Elixir feeds the skin micronutrients and rubies to keep it healthy and radiant.

Choose this bronzer if you’re new to tanning or building a base tan.

Designer Skin Reputation 19X DHA Bronzer

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Take your color to the next level with Reputation, a plateau-breaking bronzer with extra DHA.

It features the Luxe Light Complex that helps UV stimulate maximum melanin production. Yet, it provides amino acids and minerals to keep the skin young-looking.

This is a silicone-emulsion lotion that never feels greasy or sticky. It’s lightweight and will leave the skin absolutely silken to the touch.

The fragrance is Raspberry Glaze.

Designer Skin Confessions

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If you have sensitive skin, it’s a good time for Confessions. This is a hypoallergenic formula with gentle ingredients.

Even though it’s formulated a little differently, it still contains custom-blended DHA for an extra deep tan. Plus, it smells like peaches and cream.

Glamorize Designer Skin Tanning Lotion

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Sunless tanning lotions with DHA used to turn people orange. New technology has virtually eliminated the problem. Designer Skin ensures a perfect golden tan by adding violet and red tints to the Glamorize formula.

It’s a 24X bronzer that provides anti-aging benefits and an odor inhibitor—a blend of peptides and caffeine firms sagging skin and fades fine lines.

The fragrance is called Sparkling Bellini.

Designer Skin Black Rose Fleur 40X Bronzer

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This bronzer is extra potent because it has both DHA and erythrulose.

You already know about DHA, which comes from sugarcane. Erythrulose comes from raspberries. It also bronzes the skin, but it takes longer to work than DHA. The benefit is that it maintains your tan for longer.

Next, the formula has caramel with violet, red, and blue tones for perfect results. Plus, opal immediately provides a radiant glow.

One reviewer said this is the best tanning lotion to get dark quick. Just be sure to clean your hands after applying it to keep them from getting stained.

The fragrance is Champagne and Pink Peony.

Sahara Jewel By Designer Skin

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This 30X bronzing lotion has an unusual ingredient: Color Bursting Beads. They contain caramel instant bronzer and extra moisturizers.

After all, this is Sahara Jewel, designed to keep your skin safe from dehydration and signs of aging. It’s rich in antioxidants and vitamins that ward off free radicals. Plus, it packs in the tyrosine to take your color to the next level.

The silicone emulsion leaves the skin lustrous and super soft with the fragrance of White Sands.

Designer Skin Stardom 60x Tanning Lotion

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Stardom will turn you as dark as the night sky. It blends three patented formulas: Dark Abyss Elixir, Bronzing Force, and GlowGevity Complex. Together, they ensure your tan lasts twice as long.

The luscious lotion sinks into the skin, leaving it soft and smooth with the scent of Mango Champagne.

Designer Skin Awestruck Enhanced 65X Invincible Bronzer

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Awestruck is one of the newest Designer Skin tanning lotions for 2021. They call it the Invincible Bronzer because it has both instant and delayed tanning ingredients. There’s no way you can apply it and not walk away darker.

What’s interesting is that lotion also detoxifies the skin with activated charcoal. Then, it lifts and tones with the Hero Contour Complex.

The fragrance is Paradise Coconut and Musk, which wipes out any hint of tanning odor.

Tanning intensifiers without DHA

DHA isn’t necessary for a tan. Some tanners prefer the natural color they achieve all on their own.

Designer Skin New Adore Black Label Bronzer Lotion

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Black was one of the first tanning lotions that Designer Skin released. Now, the new Adore Black Label Private Reserve lotion is winning hearts, too.

It’s a tanning intensifier with no DHA or erythrulose. Instead, it has Dopa, a melanin precursor that prepares your skin to go dark.

Next, there’s MelanoINK and Quicksun Color Tint to add instant color and mattify the skin. You’ll never look greasy like you would with some tanning lotions.

Finally, the silicone emulsion and Skin Activated Moisture formula leaves your body feeling luxuriously smooth.

The tasty fragrance is called Vanilla Musk.

Designer Skin Bronzers Visionary

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Visionary deepens your color with tyrosine and peptides – no DHA needed. The tyrosine promotes melanin production for rapid natural pigment formation. You’ll never have to deal with streaks or off-color orange results.

The Mega Magical Silicone Emulsion smooths and soothes dehydrated skin to make you look and feel younger.

The exotic fragrance is White Sands, the same as Sahara Jewel.

Men’s tanning lotion

Guys will appreciate the masculine cologne fragrance of this tanning lotion.

Designer Skin Command Tanning Lotion

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It smells fresh, clean, and manly. But that’s not the only attraction.

This lotion also has a quadruple bronzing blend with Malabar Black Natural Bronzers and DHA. You’ll look sun-kissed from the moment you smooth it on.

It also protects ink from fading with a special tattoo complex of green tea and licorice.

Face tanning lotion

What is the best face tanning lotion?

Designer Skin recommends using facial tanning lotion, not regular indoor tanning lotion. It’s non-comedogenic and typically fragrance-free, and hypoallergenic.

Instant Icon Facial Tanning Lotion by Designer Skin

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Enjoy a radiant complexion with Instant Icon lotion. Even if you don’t spend a moment under the sun, it will deepen your color with caramel and DHA.

Moreover, it features hyaluronic acid, vitamins, peptides, and collagen to firm and tone.

The pleasing effects are hard to resist. You might decide to replace your regular moisturizer with this one.

It’s non-comedogenic and fragrance-free to protect delicate skin.

Sunless tanning

If you can’t get to the tanning salon, that doesn’t mean you can’t get a gorgeous tan. All you need is self-tanner.

Designer Skin CC Sunless Primer

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There’s no shame in a fake bake tan. This sunless tanning lotion is so good they won’t be able to tell that it’s not real.

Even though it’s a primer, you can use it to deepen your color with or without tanning lotion. It color-corrects so that the bronze comes out perfect.

Plus, it rejuvenates tired skin with coffee seed and caffeine.

Tan extenders

Enjoy your tan for as long as possible with these handy products. They can extend the bronze for a few days more.

Designer Skin Faux Natural Sunless Tan Extender

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It has a light dose of sunless bronzer to maintain your gorgeous glow. Furthermore, coffee seed smooths fine lines while moisturizers rehydrate the skin.

Just like the color-correcting Sunless Primer above, it smells like passionfruit mango.

Designer Skin Angel Moisturizing After Tan Lotion

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The best way to maintain your tan is to keep your skin hydrated. Drink plenty of water and slather on a moisturizer.

This one smells like kiwi pear. It’s an enchanting scent that will stay with you throughout the day.

The creamy lotion is packed with luxurious moisturizers like avocado and hemp seed oil. But it doesn’t just leave your skin velvety soft; it noticeably improves its appearance. With regular use, the alpha-lipoic acid, Copper PCA, and Phytoage turn back time.

Conclusion

Which is the best Designer Skin indoor tanning lotion? We hope you found the answer today.

Whichever one you choose, we hope it makes your tanning experience more luxurious.

If you found your new favorite tanning product today, we’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indoor_tanning_lotion accessed January 27, 2021

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydroxyacetone accessed January 27, 2021