If you want a golden glow, self-tanner is your best bet — and you don’t need to spend lots on a good formula. “Today’s drugstore formulas are truly competing with high-end brands,” says Mishel Chernyavskiy, celebrity spray tan artist and owner of MSK Studio in New York.
“Whether you’re paying $15 or $50, many self-tanners now include skin-nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamides that help hydrate and nourish the skin while giving you a great tan. At the end of the day, the biggest difference in results usually comes down to how you apply it, not just the product itself,” she says, noting you should exfoliate and shave 24 hours prior, use a mitt or body brush to blend, and take your time to make sure every area is evenly covered.
As for the different formulas, your options are vast. Foams, lotions, waters, and drops all offer slightly different textures, dry times, and intensities. Foams and mousses tend to dry quickly and offer faster results, while gradual lotions build color over time and are nearly foolproof. Clear formulas are great for those who want to avoid staining clothes, but can be tricky to apply evenly since there’s no immediate color to guide you.
Whatever your preference, there’s a budget-friendly formula that will work for your skin tone, lifestyle, and experience level. To find the best of the bunch, I tested 15 different formulas over six weeks and narrowed it down to the eight that truly impressed me.
How I tested
To evaluate drugstore self-tanners, I applied each product to clean, freshly exfoliated skin using a tanning mitt (unless the package directions suggested otherwise).
I wore dark, loose-fitting clothing post-application to monitor drying time, color transfer, and overall wear. For formulas that didn’t require a mitt (like gradual lotions or drops), I followed the package instructions and washed my hands thoroughly after application.
To give each self-tanner a rating from one to five, I judged each product on the following factors:
The best drugstore self-tanners for 2025 are:
Beauty by Earth self tanner
Best: Drugstore fake tan overall
Type: Gradual lotion
Shades: Fair to medium, medium to dark
Develop time: Six to eight hours
Why we love it
- Great for sensitive or dry skin
- Moisturizing formula
Take note
- Slower to develop
- More expensive than most drugstore options
If you’re ingredient-conscious, this formula delivers an even and warm tan without harsh chemicals or synthetic dyes. It’s made with coconut oil, aloe vera, shea butter, Japanese green tea, and DHA derived from sugar beets. It’s great for all skin types, but its creamy texture makes it particularly nourishing on dry skin. It feels more like a rich moisturizer than a self-tanning product.
During testing, the tan developed more slowly than some others — it looked best after two applications — but was even and had a nice, natural warm brown tone. It was easy to work with, highly buildable, and mild-smelling. My perennially dry skin felt hydrated after use, and I was able to put on loose clothing within just five minutes or so without transfer. As far as longevity goes, the tan faded gradually and evenly over about five to six days.
Buy now £35.99, Target.com
St Moriz professional medium self tanner mousse
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Best: Budget buy
Type: Tinted mousse
Shades: Medium, dark, ultra dark
Develop time: Four to six hours
Why we love it
- Fast-drying mousse
- Easy to see where you’ve applied
- Vegan and cruelty-free formula
Take note
- Scent is noticeable
A longtime drugstore favorite, this tanning mousse from St Moriz continues to impress with its combination of performance and affordability. The vegan and cruelty-free formula is often compared to high-end brands like St Tropez, thanks to skin-friendly ingredients like aloe vera and vitamin E.
The tinted mousse was easy to work with: you can see where you're applying, making it great for beginners, and it spreads readily and dries quickly without leaving a sticky residue. After application, my skin felt surprisingly soft, and I was dressed in about five minutes. The color payoff was also nice and natural, not orange or overly warm, and it fades evenly after four to five days. The slight downside is that it has a light scent that lingered for a few hours, but it didn’t stain sheets or clothes.
Buy now £9.61, Amazon.com
Jergens natural glow self tanner body lotion
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Best: Drugstore gradual self-tanner
Type: Gradual lotion
Shades: Fair to medium, medium to dark
Develop time: Builds within a week of daily use
Why we love it
- Subtle, buildable color
- Hydrating and beginner-friendly
- No mitt required
Take note
- Can take a few days to notice full color
This Jergens tanning lotion is a classic and remains a go-to for anyone after a low-commitment, streak-free tan. The daily moisturizer gradually builds to deliver a believable, sun-kissed color over several days without any telltale orange tint or the usual self-tanner smell. If anything, it’s so gradual that you may not even notice a color difference until a few days later.
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I found the lotion easy to apply and nearly impossible to mess up — it spreads smoothly and dries down quickly without patchiness, making it ideal for beginners who need something forgiving. The scent has come a long way, too — I found it to be more lightly tropical than in-your-face fake tan.
Those with dry skin will appreciate the creamy, hydrating formula — it made my skin feel moisturized and smooth afterward, and I could get dressed almost immediately. Since it develops slowly, there’s no staining on sheets, and the subtle glow fades evenly.
Buy now £10.47, Amazon.com
Bondi Sands self tanning foam
Best: Color
Type: Tinted mousse
Shades: Light, medium, dark, ultra-dark
Develop time: One to eight hours
Why we love it
- Easy to apply
- Flexible color based on development time
Take note
- Scent turns over time
This Aussie favorite has earned its cult status for good reason. The lightweight foam delivers an instant bronze tint that deepens into a richer, more long-lasting tan over one to eight hours, depending on how long you leave it on before washing it off.
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I found it applied effortlessly with a mitt and blended without streaks. My skin felt smooth but slightly tacky for the first 10 minutes after application, so I had to wait a little longer before getting dressed. The finished result is a nice golden shade that’s ideal for anyone who wants a noticeable glow without looking orange. It lasted a solid week and faded evenly without any of the weird patchiness some tanners leave behind, especially in areas like the knees, ankles, or elbows.
Buy now £16.99, Walmart.com
Banana Boat summer color self tanning mist
Best: Quick-drying option
Type: Spray mist
Shades: One buildable shade
Develop time: Two to three hours
Why we love it
- Fast and convenient spray application
- Golden-toned, natural color
- No greasy or sticky residue
Take note
- Overspray is possible if not used in a spot like the shower
Banana Boat summer color self-tanning mist is great if you find it cumbersome to rub in lotion or mousse and want a quicker, hands-free application. All you need to do is spritz on the clear, lightweight formula, let it dry for a minute or two, and go on with your day. Just note that the aerosol-style nozzle works best in a well-ventilated space — I found the shower to be the best spot to avoid any overspray mishaps. The formula dried down quickly, so I was able to get dressed almost instantly without any transfer to my clothes.
The resulting tan was subtle and natural-looking with a flattering golden undertone, but those wanting a deeper color may need a second layer. Still, it’s hard to complain about a glow that doesn’t require the labor-intensive circular strokes of a mitt. The color did fade a little quicker than some — within three to four days — but did so evenly.
Buy now £11.49, Amazon.com
Sally Hansen airbrush legs
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Best: For an instant glow
Type: Spray mist
Shades: 1 buildable shade
Develop time: Instant
Why we love it
- Immediate, even-toned glow
- Great for quick application for special events
- Though temporary, it doesn’t streak or transfer easily
Take note
- Washes off in the shower
- Only need a very small amount
Technically a body make-up, not a self-tanner, this longtime favorite delivers instant, water-resistant color that washes off with soap. It’s perfect for last-minute panics or creating a more even skin tone on your legs when you’re wearing a dress.
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I found the finish to be pleasant — it’s smooth, and not sticky or greasy. But it is very thick upon application, so I’d recommend using a very small amount at first and building once each layer is absorbed. With a fair amount of rubbing, it dried down in about five minutes and didn’t transfer. Once the day was done, I had no trouble washing off my tan in the shower.
Buy now £13.37, Amazon.com
Tanologist express medium self tan water
Best: Clear self-tanner
Type: Clear water
Shades: Light, medium, extra dark
Develop time: 4–6 hours
Why we love it
- Dries almost instantly
- Non-comedogenic, vegan, and cruelty-free
- Buildable color
Take note
- Easy to miss spots
This water-based self-tanner feels more like a weightless body spray than a typical sticky mousse or lotion because it's completely clear. Owing to the lack of guide color, it can be a little tricky to know where you’ve already applied, but I ended up with a streak-free finish that gave off an even, golden glow.
My skin felt completely dry within a minute or two after application, and I put on clothes without any transfer. The express formula begins to develop in as little as four hours and can be reapplied for those who want a deeper tan.
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There was no staining on sheets overnight, either, and the tan lasted about four to five days, fading nice and evenly.
Buy now £13.49, Amazon.com
Jergens natural glow instant sun sun drops
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Best: Drugstore self-tanner for your face
Type: Drops
Shades: 1 buildable shade
Development time: Instant
Why we love it
- Affordable and widely available
- Easy to mix into any moisturizer
- Oil-free formula
Take note
- You need a lot of product for a deeper tan
- Doesn’t have as many skincare benefits as other options
These tanning drops may be budget-friendly, but the results are surprisingly impressive. I mixed seven drops (the upper end of what’s recommended for a subtle glow) into my daily moisturizer, and by the next morning, I noticed a natural-looking radiance. For deeper color, you can use up to 15 drops, though it’s worth noting the bottle is small.
One of the best things about this formula is that it’s oil-free, so it doesn’t leave skin feeling greasy or sticky, especially helpful if you’re prone to breakouts. The tradeoff? It doesn’t have some of the skincare extras (like hyaluronic acid) you’ll find in pricier self-tanners for your face. Still, my skin felt like it normally does with my usual moisturizer, and the glow built up nicely over the course of two to three uses without any staining on clothing, pillowcases, or towels.
Buy now £12.38, Amazon.com
What’s the best drugstore self-tanner?
If you’re looking for a buildable formula that delivers a streak-free, natural-looking tan, I would recommend Beauty by Earth’s self-tanner. But if you're looking for the best drugstore self-tanner on a budget, St Moriz’s self-tanning mousse stands out for its easy-to-use, fast-drying formula that rivals higher-end brands.
