Tan Hed

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Best Self-Tanner 2026

By Readers' Choice On 9/9/26 at 12:00 PM EDT

Get vacation-ready without the wait. From beach getaways to girls' weekends, the right self-tanner can help you achieve a sun-kissed look wherever you travel. Newsweek is proud to recognize this year's 10 standout self-tanners—selected by our editors and voted on by readers for their exceptional quality and distinctive excellence. Each has been officially recognized by Newsweek as one of the Best Self-Tanner of 2026.

Winners of the 2026 Newsweek Readers' Choice™ Awards for Best Self-Tanner were announced on October 21, 2026.

1. Beauty By Earth

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Beauty by Earth's self-tanning collection includes lotions, mousses, drops and facial tanning products designed to create temporary color without UV exposure. Its formulas include options for customizable results, while exfoliating and moisturizing products can be used to prepare skin or maintain a tan. The brand also produces other skin care products.

2. b.tan

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Known for its range of tanning products, b.tan creates formulas designed to produce temporary color without traditional sun exposure. Its collection includes mousses, lotions, gradual tanners, face products and tanning accessories. Products come in different depths, including options intended for lighter or darker results. Tanning maintenance products round out the lineup.

3. Norvell

Norvell

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Professional and at-home tanning products form the core of Norvell's collection, which includes tanning solutions, mousses, lotions and bronzing products. The brand serves both salons and individual users, with formulas designed for different application methods. Its range also includes products for skin preparation, aftercare and maintaining tanning results.

4. Tanologist

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Tanologist's collection includes tanning drops, mousses, sprays, lotions, facial products and gradual tanners designed for customizable color. Its products come in several shades and application formats. The brand also makes exfoliating products and tanning accessories intended to support skin preparation, application and maintenance before, during and after tanning.

5. Coco & Eve

Coco & Eve

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Coco & Eve's Bali-inspired beauty collection includes self-tanning mousse, drops, facial tanning products and application accessories. Its Bali Bronzing Foam develops color after application, while other formulas provide gradual or customizable results. The brand also makes exfoliating products intended to prepare skin before tanning and support maintenance afterward.

6. St. Tropez

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St. Tropez has a broad tanning collection spanning mousses, lotions, sprays, drops, facial products and gradual tanners. Its formulas are designed to create temporary color without UV exposure and come in different shades and application formats. Exfoliators, tan removers and accessories are also part of the brand's broader tanning lineup.

7. Tan-Luxe

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Tan-Luxe emphasizes customizable tanning through products that can be incorporated into existing skin care routines. Its collection includes tanning drops, serums, waters, lotions and facial formulas. Several products allow users to adjust color intensity by changing the amount applied. The brand produces formulas for both facial and body tanning.

8. Dolce Glow

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Celebrity spray-tan artist Isabel Alysa founded Dolce Glow, developing a collection of products for creating temporary bronzed color. Its assortment includes self-tanning mousse, body lotion, bronzing mist, tanning drops and accessories. Products come in different shades and formats, with formulas designed for application to the face, body or both.

9. Loving Tan

Loving Tan

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Loving Tan's collection focuses on products that create temporary bronzed color, including mousses, lotions, gradual tanners and facial formulas. Products are available in multiple shades and application formats to accommodate different depths of color. The brand also produces tanning accessories and products designed to prepare skin or remove existing color.

10. Isle of Paradise

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Customizable tanning is central to Isle of Paradise's product range, which includes tanning drops, mousses, lotions, sprays, facial formulas and body products. The brand uses color-correcting concepts throughout its collection, with products available in different depths. Its lineup also includes exfoliating products and accessories for tanning preparation and maintenance.

FINALISTS Bondi Sands Dr. Dennis Gross Jergens Natural Glow TanTowel Vita Liberata

About Newsweek Readers' ChoiceTM Awards

Nominees for Newsweek Readers' Choice Awards are selected through an editorial review process conducted by Newsweek editors. The editorial team identifies brands, destinations and services within each contest category based on editorial research and industry knowledge. Winners are determined through a public voting process hosted on Newsweek.com, where readers may vote once per category per day during the contest period.

Read the contest voting rules here. For further information, see our FAQs or email readers.choice@newsweek.com.