Want to add a little healthy-looking color to your skin without risking a sunburn? A spray tan is an easy and convenient way to get a tan without spending time in tanning beds or laying out and exposing yourself to potentially harmful UV rays.
Many salons and spas offer spray tans as part of their services, but you can get a spray tan in the privacy of your own home. We review some of the best spray tan solutions on the market right now, so you can confidently choose a spray that works for you.
What’s the Difference Between Self-Tanners and Spray Tan Solution?
If you’ve been considering a sunless tan, you might be curious about the differences between spray tan solution and self-tanners. Although spray tan solution and self-tanners have similar results, one of the biggest differences is the application process.
- What’s the Difference Between Self-Tanners and Spray Tan Solution?
- Our Recommended Tanning Sprays & Solutions
- Benefits of Spray Tan Solution
- Norvell Premium Sunless Tanning Solution
- SJOLIE Sunless Tanning Solution
- Norvell Sunless Kit
- St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse
- Golden Star Beauty Self Tanner for Face
- Top Choice for Best Spray Tan Solution
Both self-tanners and spray tan solutions can last anywhere from a few days to up to around ten days. The longevity of either sunless tanning method depends on a variety of factors such as your skin, the quality of the self-tanning solution, and how well you maintain your tan after the process.
Self-tanners are typically available in a spray and easy to find in any health and beauty aisle. If you are looking for a sunless tan solution that’s easy to use and only want to apply to small areas of your body, such as your arms or legs, a self tanner spray is an excellent option.
Many people choose self tanner spray because it’s more affordable, easy to apply, has decent coverage and the results are near instant (at least compared to using a tanning bed or sunbathing).
Other reasons for their use is to conceal skin imperfections much in the same way makeup does while making your skin look healthy. Whereas when sunbathing, this can dry the skin out and expose these imperfections even more than usual.
To use spray tan solution, you need a spray tan applicator to apply it evenly to your body. Although an applicator, which is similar to an airbrush gun, is an additional investment, it might be more cost-effective in the long run. Spray tan solutions are the best option for a high-quality, full-body sunless tan.
Buying your own spray tan solution and gear can save you frequent and costly trips to the salon, but one downside is that you need to know how to apply the solution.
If you want full-body coverage, which includes your back or the back of your arms and legs, applying spray tan requires another person.
In this review, we showcase spray tan solutions but will also discuss a few of our favorite self-tanners to ensure you have options.
Our Recommended Tanning Sprays & Solutions
| #1 | Norvell Premium Sunless Tanning Solution |  | Suitable in a variety of shades including Dark, Venetian One, Venetian Plus and Double Dark is ideal for specific skin tones. |
| #2 | SJOLIE Sunless Tanning Solutio |  | The vegan tanning solution with all-natural ingredients such as aloe vera, deionized water, vitamin C, walnut extract, and natural dihydroxyacetone. |
| #3 | Norvell Sunless Kit |  | The complete sunless spray tan kit that includes a sprayer & Norvell solutions in various shades, making it the perfect “starter kit” |
| #4 | St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse |  | A top-rated self-tanning solution that is easy to apply. It’s vegan-friendly, dries quickly but may take up to eight hours for optimum results. |
| #5 | Golden Star Beauty Self Tanner for Face |  | Containing natural & organic ingredients, this tanning serum is specifically designed for delicate skin on your face. |
Benefits of Spray Tan Solution
Spray tan solution is often an investment that some are hesitant to make, but here are a few more benefits to consider:
Ready to give spray tans a try? Check out our top picks for the best spray tan solution on the market right now.
Norvell Premium Sunless Tanning Solution
Norvell Premium Sunless Tanning Solution is a professional grade spray tan solution that is available in a variety of shades that are ideal for specific skin tones. The Clear solution contains no cosmetic bronzers and is an excellent option for light to medium skin tones.
The variety of shades, which also includes Dark, Venetian, Venetian One, Venetian Plus, and Double Dark, will ensure that your sunless tan looks natural.
The Norvell solution is available in various sizes, and the smallest is 8-ounces, so you can test out a color or the product without spending too much.
It’s important to note that the solution is only good for about seven months, and you need to use an airbrush applicator or other spray tan methods to apply the solution.
Positives
Needs Improving
SJOLIE Sunless Tanning Solution
SJOLIE Sunless has a variety of tanning solutions. Ultra One is a rapid one-hour solution, No. 6 is for fair skin tones, No. 9 is for medium, and No. 12 is for darker tones.
SJOLIE tanning solution is for High/Low Volume Sprayers only (HVLP), but some users have success by putting the solution in a spray bottle and using a tanning mitt.
Although SJOLIE has a rapid one-hour solution, the other tanning solutions may take up to eight hours for results to show.
The tanning is vegan and all-natural containing ingredients like aloe vera, deionized water, vitamin C, walnut extract, and natural dihydroxyacetone (which gives you color) from sugar cane and sugar beets.
Positives
Needs Improving
Norvell Sunless Kit
If you’re applying spray tan solution for the first time on your own, you might be looking for a complete sunless spray tan kit that includes a sprayer. The Norvell Sunless Kit includes an HVLP sprayer and Norvell solutions in various shades.
The tanning solutions come in 8-ounces bottles, which makes the Norvell Sunless Kit a great “starter kit” for anyone who wants to try out different shades.
The sprayer is lightweight and portable, has an adjustable spray pattern, a standard 110v plug, and designed to have minimal overspray. If you run out of Norvell solution or find a sunless spray tan solution you like better, you can use it in the sprayer.
Positives
Needs Improving
St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse
If a sunless spray tan solution sprayer is not in your budget, St. Tropez is a top-rated self-tanning solution that is easy to apply and is available as a body mousse.
For best results, apply the vegan-friendly self-tanner with an applicator mitt. Similar to other sunless spray tan solutions, St. Tropez dries quickly and may take up to eight hours for full results.
St. Tropez is an excellent option for all skin tones. Keep in mind that the color will vary based on factors such as how much self-tanner you apply and the after care.
Like other spray tan solutions, the bronzing mousse may last up to ten days.
Positives
Needs Improving
Golden Star Beauty Self Tanner for Face
Applying a self-tanner to your face is often challenging, so many people end up applying makeup in hopes that it will match the tan on your body. Golden Star Beauty Self Tanner is designed specifically for your face and has natural-looking results.
The tanning serum contains natural and organic ingredients, such as rosehip, jojoba, avocado, and evening primrose oils, that are beneficial to the delicate skin on your face.
Golden Star Beauty tanning serum also contains aloe, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin B5.
Positives
Needs Improving
Top Choice for Best Spray Tan Solution
With dozens of self-tanning spray solutions on the market, it’s difficult to know which one works and feels the best with professional-looking results. Our top choice for the best spray tan solution is Norvell Premium Sunless Tanning.
Not only do we love it for its all-natural formula, but that it’s also available in small sizes and in a variety of shades.
If you don’t have an HVLP sprayer, St. Tropez is our favorite alternative for getting a natural and professional looking sunless tan.
✓ Which spray tan lasts the longest on your skin?
In theory, darker spray tan should last the longest as it contains higher levels of DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid). Of course, other factors are in play, such as the quality of the spray tan and even the skin colour of the recipient.
✓ How long do spray tans last?
Spray tan that lasts for 10 days is not uncommon and is considered good runnings. However, this figure can vary considerably depending on your skin's natural shade and the quality of the tanning solution (on average though, a spray tan can last between 5 to 10 days).
✓ Should I moisturize before a spray tan?
Ensuring your skin is hydrated leading up to the spray tan is important. So moisturizing two to three days before is recommended. The reason it's recommended not to moisturize immediately before is because oils and creams will block the color from penetrating into the skin and ultimately prevent absorption.
