Tanning is the new normal. Many people (including you) want to appear with a golden summer glow at any time of the year.
This can be achieved by tanning under the sun, at what expense? Outdoor tanning exposes your skin directly to harmful UltraViolet radiation that might cause skin damages.
Tanning under the sun leaves you with the risk of experiencing sunburn, inflammation, and sometimes cancer. This is why indoor tanning has been the most preferred in recent times.
The tanning beds used for indoor tanning have UV rays also, but with the right sunless tanning lotion, you can protect and nourish your skin while achieving the best tan result possible.
The best Indoor Tanning Lotion
Indoor tanning lotions are formulated to enhance the tanning beds’ effect. They’re applied on the skin before the tanning process that doesn’t require direct sun rays.
They help intensify and accelerate this tanning process and also offer other side benefits like smoothing and moisturizing.
The best indoor tanning lotion should be skin-friendly, multipurpose, and highly efficient. It should provide your skin with health-improving benefits while delivering a flawless tanning effect.
Factors to consider before choosing an Indoor Tanning Lotion
The skincare and beauty products industry is saturated with lots of indoor tanning lotions from various brands.
Most of these brands employ different formulas and ingredients, which makes them differ from one another. This scenario makes choosing an indoor tanning lotion challenging.
This is why you need a detailed guide to make your selection process easy and also bring you the necessary information you might be needing.
Not to worry, our guide will do just that for you. After much research and personal experience, we’ve been able to identify some of the things to consider before purchasing an indoor tanning lotion.
Below are the most important factors we came up with:
Suitability
This factor embodies a lot of things. Before picking a self-tanner, ensure it suits your skin type, tone and contains no allergy-inducing ingredients.
One of the surefire ways of knowing this is by doing a patch test — rubbing a little portion on the inner part of your elbow and waiting to see if you’d notice any irritation.
How suited a particular indoor tanning formula is to your skin determines the level of satisfaction it provides you.
Type of lotion
There are different types of tanning lotions. While some are accelerators, some are intensifiers, and some come with tingling effects on the skin.
Ensure you consider the pros and cons surrounding the types of tanning lotion you choose to purchase to avoid compromising optimal satisfaction.
Functionality
The level of efficiency an indoor tanner boasts of is dependent on its functionality. Apart from providing your skin with a bronzed glow, your chosen formula must be able to nourish the skin, moisturize it, and leaves it looking smooth, soft, and supple.
Reviews
The best way to gain insight into the functionality of what you’re about to purchase is by reading reviews about it. However, there are lots of untrue reviews out there.
This is why you should choose a trusted source like ours. We provide you with guidance and reviews based on research and personal experiences, rather than hearsay.
Budget
The amount of money you’re willing to let go of to purchase a self-tanner should also be considered. It’s vital to ascertain the affordability of any product so as not to strain your pocket.
In this guide, we have a streamlined list of the best indoor tanning lotions. We considered the factors above through our research findings and came up with some of the best indoor tanning lotions you’ll ever encounter.
Best Indoor Tanning Lotion in 2024
Below are the Sunless tan lotions that made it to the list:
Fake Bake Original Self-tan lotion
If you long for a fast-acting sunless tanning formula that will leave you with a natural-looking tan, this is for you. The paraben-free indoor lotion is suitable for all skin types, and it contains no toxic additives.
It comes with naturally derived tanning agents like DHA, erythrulose, and DMI. These pigment-enhancing substances provide your skin with an instant, safe, and long-lasting golden tan.
It features a patented triple tanning action and leaves you with an excellent and streak-free tan irrespective of your skin tone. It is free of prevalent irritants like dye, alcohol, DMDM hydantoin, amongst others.
The highly effective formula leaves you with your desired dark skin tone within minutes of application.
Designer Skin Adore Black label bronzing lotion
This sunless bronzing formula is formulated with unique blends of ingredients that enhance melanin production. This empowers the tanning lotion to provide you with an entirely dark tanning effect.
The cruelty-free tanner is free of DHA, erythrulose, and gluten. It doesn’t contain Aloe or hemp either, but it keeps the skin hydrated all day.
Its blend of moisturizing ingredients ensures it doesn’t leave your skin dry or flake. It is non-greasy and leaves no orange hue on the skin.
This Natural bronzer helps you achieve a darker golden skin color and provides you with an even skin tone. It is streak-free and can be used for both indoor and outdoor tanning.
It comes with a sweet vanilla scent and leaves your skin smooth, vibrant, and young. It should be applied before the tanning session for optimal results.
Ed Hardy Hollywood indoor tanning bronzing lotion
When it comes to formulating tan lotions, Ed Hardy is a household name. They have some of the best tanners out there, and this Hollywood tanning lotion is yet another one.
It is designed for tanning beds and leaves you with the celebrity-like golden glow you crave. The multipurpose bronzer comes with an array of benefits, making it highly functional.
It contains an Amino-peptide complex that helps it eliminate fine lines, wrinkles, and other aging signs on your skin. It also helps speed the tan process and leaves you with a streak-free, flawless, & natural-looking tan.
It is enriched with essential vitamins, oils, and other skin-nourishing ingredients, enabling it to leave the skin soft and supple. It leaves your skin with a deep, dark, golden-brown tan that makes you look all shades of beautiful.
Jergens Natural Glow Sunless tanner
This sunless tanner comes in two shades — fair – medium and medium-dark. It glides over the skin gently and locks in moisture while providing you with a gradual, streak-free glow.
It doubles as a daily moisturizer and helps keep the skin hydrated all day. It is formulated for wet skin and can be used in the shower.
The quick-absorbing formula is colorless, and it provides your skin with an even tone and a perfect color within seven days.
It is all-natural; therefore, it contains no irritants, toxins, harsh chemicals, or artificial additives.
Cheeky Brown Accelerator and Bronzer by Australian Gold
Here’s a non-messy, foolproof formula that’s enriched with Vitamins and native Australian oils.
The lightweight and non-greasy indoor tanning lotion provide your skin with a perfect bronze color. It is rich in Vit E, which keeps the skin moisturized and repairs possible skin damage.
It also contains henna and caramel extracts, enabling it to provide your skin with a darker skin tone. It is non-blotchy, and it excellently even out skin while making the skin softer.
It contains essential oil from natural sources like fruit, tea tree, Aloe extracts, sunflower, etc. These extracts help keep the skin moisturized, smooth, and supple.
Codace Self Tanner lotion
This organic self-tanning lotion is formulated with natural ingredients. It provides the skin with a darker bronzer, and it’s suitable for all body parts, including the face, legs, and arms.
It is infused with milk extract, Jojoba oil, argan oil, Vit E, and Glycerol. These ingredients provide your skin with enough nourishment and health-enhancing benefits. They keep it moisturized, soothed, smooth, and soft.
The indoor tanning lotion is a quick way of achieving a natural sun-kissed glow without being exposed to harmful UltraViolet radiation.
Its tan effect fully manifests within 4-6 hours, and it lasts for 5-7 days. Unlike most tanners, this one leaves no orange tint on your skin. It comes with a pleasant fragrance and contains no artificial additives.
You’re assured of a natural-looking darker skin tone with a correct and consistent application of this tanning lotion.
Devoted Creations Limited Couture Tanning Cream oil
Devoted creations is a brand that’s devoted to the formulation of highly efficient tanning formulas. This limited Couture tanning cream happens to be one of their best products.
It is enriched with Macadamia and Coconut oil, which keeps the skin moisturized all day. It also contains Vitamins and Matrixyl technology, both of which aids skin firmness and reduces wrinkles appearance.
It acts as a tanning accelerator and provides the skin with an instant darkening effect.
It is hypoallergenic and excellently enhances skin glow and promotes healthy skin, thereby leaving you with young-looking skin. You surely can’t go wrong with this indoor tanning lotion.
European Gold Flash black 1000X Ultra dark tanning lotion
This indoor tanning lotion is formulated to have a high darkening effect. It can be used on all tanning beds and provides pale skin with an extremely dark tan.
The ultra-dark formula comes with a Celeb Glow Selfie-enhancing serum that gives your skin the picture-perfect glow you crave. It leaves your skin with a flawless, long-lasting, and even deep bronze tone.
The instant coloring bronzer is streamlined to meet salon-quality, thereby making it fast-acting and highly efficient. It will make an excellent pick if what you need is an ultra-dark tanning lotion.
Bronze Shores Bronzing lotion by Supre Snooki
Here’s another high performing formula from a household name in tan lotion formulation. This indoor tanning lotion leaves you looking like you’ve been to the beach for hours after application.
It is enriched with antioxidants that eliminate free radical damages and boasts of excellent conditioners that put your skin in shape for optimal tanning results.
It contains matcha green tea and tropic dark tanning extract, which helps enhance its tanning effect.
It can be used for professional indoor and outdoor tanning and contains erythrulose and other natural bronzers.
The indoor tanning lotion leaves you with a streak-free and even tan. Its blend of high-quality ingredients leaves your skin smooth, hydrated and looking stunning. It’s a must-have indoor tanning lotion that worths every of your money.
Norvell Sunless Self-tanner mousse with bronzer
This lightweight bronzing formula feels smooth and gentle upon contact with your skin. It provides you with a natural-looking tan and leaves your skin moisturized all day.
It is formulated with blends of natural ingredients and a Natural color complex, which ensures its high functionality. It helps protect and improve the skin’s health while providing it with a long-lasting tan.
It contains an extract from tomato seeds, which aids oxygen absorption by the skin, and also prevents aging signs. It also contains Vit E, which acts as an antioxidant, thereby eliminating free radicals.
It stimulates collagen production and tightens the skin, thanks to its Vit C constituent. It also has extracts of Aloe leaf that helps it retain skin moisture.
The cruelty-free formula is non-comedogenic, gluten & paraben-free, streak-free, and comes with a pleasant raspberry-almond fragrance.
Love Queen Rich warming bronzing lotion
If you’re a fan of tingling tanning lotion, this is an effective one from Ed Hardy. It effectively increases the circulation rate to your skin’s surface and later reduces the redness to produce an excellent tan.
It contains two principal substances that enhance melanin production for a more darkening skin tone. These substances are Melactiva and Melanobronze.
It also contains a tanning stimulator that keeps the skin ready and perfectly conditioned for the tanning process, thereby improving the tan result.
It keeps the skin hydrated and soothes it, thanks to the blend of hemp seed oil, cucumber, and Aloe extract in the formula.
It features DHA bronzers and warming stimulants for an instant, long-lasting, bronzing effect on the skin.
Advanced Matrixyl Synthe 6 technology is also employed in its formulation, enabling it to reduce wrinkles, make the skin firmer, and tone the skin.
Tan Organic Certified Organic Self-tanning lotion
This odor-free is formulated with 84% Aloe vera, making it highly hydrating and skin-soothing. It also contains other highly beneficial ingredients from natural sources.
It is suitable for all skin types and comes with anti-aging properties, thereby enabling it to fight off aging signs on your skin. It leaves a delayed tan that is neither dry nor flake on your skin.
It is suitable for both body and face application and delivers impeccable tan results on these body parts. The vegan formula is free of irritants like alcohol, paraben, or artificial fragrance.
It is chemical-free, streak-free, and highly recommended by dermatologists.
Millennium Black Chai bronzing lotion
This indoor tanning lotion leaves your skin hydrated while tanning to ensure an efficient tan result. It can be used on all skin types and provides the skin with a firm, smooth, and supple appearance.
It employs auto-darkening technology to speed up the darkening process, thereby leaving you with a perfect dark tan and bronzed skin color.
The deep-penetrating tan enhancers contain no DHA, but it provides the skin with an instant bronzing effect upon application. It is yet another excellent formulation from the brand Millennium, and it will surely provide you with all your want from a tanning lotion.
The Sicilian 200X Black Bronzer
This is one of the latest self-tanner formulations, and it has been growing in acceptance due to the effective tan results it delivers.
The double dark tanning formula is infused with the high-level DHA to produce a maximum darkening effect on the skin. It acts as a moisturizer and keeps the skin hydrated for a long time.
It has also got anti-aging properties, and it leaves the skin firmer, softer, and smoother. It contains walnut extract and Macadamia nut oil, which enhances the bronzing effect.
This indoor tanning lotion is enriched with silicone, which softens the skin, and Coq10 enhances collagen production, thereby leaving you with vibrant skin.
It has tan extending properties and provides you with an immediate, natural-looking, and long-lasting tan. It’s indeed a great choice of self-tanner, and it will leave you with nothing but satisfaction.
New Sunshine Swedish Beauty Bronzer
This bronzing formula contains an extract from caffeine and allantoin, which helps tone the skin and improve tissue growth.
It eliminates skin dryness by providing natural moisture, thereby keeping both oily and dry skin stabilized. It works perfectly for all skin types and various fragrances, including cherry, Apricot, Dark Rum, and Vanilla.
It contains skin-nourishing ingredients that provide the skin with lots of benefits.
The tanning lotion features praline that gives the skin firmness and improves skin tone. It’s also enriched with a combination of antioxidants, which prevents the skin from free radical damage.
It helps improve the skin’s texture and leaves it looking smooth and soothed. This is due to the Vitamins, minerals, and honey employed in its formulation.
It contains three moisturizers that promote glow and bronzing effect for all skin types. It is one of those high performing indoor tanning lotions out there, and you’ll surely be satisfied with its resulting tan.
Miami Gorgeous la playa Glow Self-tanning Mousse
This cruelty-free self-tanning formula is formulated using high-quality ingredients that provide your skin with numerous benefits.
It comes with a radiant bronzing complex that leaves you with an impeccable tan and bronzing effect. The sulfate, gluten, and paraben-free formula is streak-free and leaves no orange tint behind.
It contains Jojoba oil, coconut oil, argan oil, olive oil, and other essential oils that leave your skin smooth, soft, and hydrated.
The quick-drying formula also contains pure Vitamins, which provides the skin with nourishment.
It is streak-free and provides your skin with a natural-looking tan.
It contains Eco-cert DHA, which enhances pigmentation, thereby providing your skin with a safe and flawless tan.
The tanning lotion offers you 10-12 fully body use, making it highly functional.
Bronze Tan Dark Self-tanning Mousse
This is a salon-quality indoor tanning lotion that’s suitable for fair-medium skin tone. It comes with a pleasant vanilla fragrance and provides you with a natural bronzed look.
The vegan and cruelty-free formula takes 24hrs to develop fully, after which it can last up to 5-7 days. It comes with an airy mousse texture that’s smooth, gentle, and soothing on the skin.
The fast-drying formula is made with natural ingredients. It provides you with a flawless, streak-free, sun-kissed glow without being exposed to the sun.
It is made by professionals and boasts of high quality and efficiency.
Just Nutritive Indoor tanning lotion
This tanning lotion contains a blend of moisturizing ingredients that keeps your skin hydrated, thereby making your tan last longer. It contains natural ingredients like extracts from coffee, Aloe, hazelnut, kokum butter, and Avocado oil.
These ingredients offer incredible benefits to your skin, thereby making the tanning lotion highly beneficial. It is formulated for indoor tanning but also provides excellent outdoor tan enhancing function.
The natural-based indoor tanning formula provides you with a stress-free tan. It is devoid of artificial additives like color, fragrance, or preservatives. It is also free of toxins, irritants, and harsh chemicals, making it safe for use.
It gives your skin-nourishing benefits, helps improve skin’s health, and leaves you with a perfect tan that looks like your natural skin tone.
Conclusion
Indoor tanning offers you a safe alternative to tanning directly under the sun, which exposes your skin to harmful sun rays. It gives you the same tan result if not a better one when effectively done.
To get maximum satisfaction and optimal tan result, using an efficient Indoor tanner is advisable. Our guide contains a list of the best indoor tanning lotions you can find around.
We’ve compiled this list putting essential factors like functionality, affordability, Brand image, and compatibility in mind. This guide will surely come in handy for you when choosing an indoor tanning lotion for yourself.