5 Most Natural Self-Tanners: Get Your Summer Glow On Safely!

Summer is around the corner so it's time to get our tans on safely! Nicely bronzed skin gives you the appearance of looking healthy and more slim. Say good-bye to the days when self-tanning products made you look orange, and smelled yucky. The ones below not only give you the most natural-looking tans, but have pleasant scents too!

1. St. Tropez self Tan Bronzing Mousse and Mitt

This unique mousse formula is super light-weight and can be used for both your face and body. The application mitt ensures smooth coverage while protecting your hands from the tan palm syndrome that is so common with many self tanners. I really like this product as it works well when used on all skin tones, dries quickly and is easy to apply. 

BUY: St. Tropez self Tan Bronzing Mousse, $18 and Mitt, $6.50

St. Tropez self Tan Bronzing Mousse, $18 and Mitt, $6.50

St. Tropez Tan even looks natural when used on the fairest of them all.

2. Tanceuticals CC Self Tanning Body Lotion

This fabulous product gives you is a smooth and natural, darker shade of bronze. It’s also easy to apply, dries quickly, feels great on the skin and lasts about seven days. I love the amazing coconut scent!

BUY: Tanceuticals CC Self Tanning Body Lotion, $24.95

3. Shiseido Brilliant Bronze Tinted Self-Tanning Gel

This tinted self-tanning gel for the face and body offers a sheer bronze color and a pearly shimmer. It smoothes on evenly and absorbs quickly to bring out the ideal shade and depth of any skin tone. Within a few hours, you will develop a natural, incredibly even bronze color. Plus, it provides hydration benefits to keep tan skin smooth.

BUY: Shiseido Brilliant Bronze Tinted Self-Tanning Gel, $30

4. Fake Bake Flawless

Fake Bake Flawless is one of the best “liquid” self tanners. Flawless is applied with a mitt (included) in effortless gliding strokes for a perfectly even tan. The dual function cosmetic bronzer assists in making the application even easier (shows-where-it-goes) providing an instant golden tan. The tropical scent not only smells good, but dries super fast and gives you a perfect bronzy-tan color! 

BUY: Fake Bake Flawless, $25

5. Xen-Tan’s E! Live from the Red Carpet Perfect Blend

This sweet, cucumber melon scented self-tanner is one of my favorites because it has an adjustable dial that allows you to customize your tan from light to dark--even a self-tanning rookie can achieve a flawless application. Plus, you can achieve the perfect tan no matter how dark or light your skin is naturally!

BUY: Xen-Tan’s E! Live from the Red Carpet Perfect Blend, $45

Remember to exfoliate before you self-tan (and moisturize after) for best results!
Check out my blog on the best body scrubs and oils for details.

Best Self Tanner for Fair Skin: St. Tropez

My daughter Rachel is porcelain white and while she embraces her royal skin tone, she sometimes wants to have that fresh, sun-kissed look so she can be bikini-ready for the summer. She tried a few different formulas, and found that the St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse worked best and is extremely natural-looking. I am a huge fan of this product (and use if myself) so I know it works well on all skin tones.

Rachel before applying the St. Tropez self-tanning mousse. She exfoliated her skin first in the shower with Kiehl's Soy Milk & Honey Body Polish. It's important to exfoliate before you self-tan to achieve the best results.

St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse, $32. 

Shake the bottle of mousse first and  then apply to special St. Tropez Tan Applicator Mitt. Using this mitt ensures an even, streak-free application and prevents your palms from staining.

 

Apply immediately and evenly to large areas first. Move sponge in circular motions to blend. Rachel and I love the mousse because it's super light, easy to apply and looks extremely natural. Dries in 60 seconds!
 

Dont' forget your feet! 

Before

After. Rachel is a few shades darker. If you want more color, just apply another coat and wait about 5 minutes before getting dressed!