Best Self Tanning Water Reviews

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Self-Tanners have come a long way over the last 10 years. From products that turn you into an orange goblin to wonderful, welcoming products that create a natural, beautiful color.

One of the newer tanning products in the market is tanning water. It is a tanning product that looks just like water. Although it is clear, it still contains the active ingredient DHA that creates that beautiful glow after a few hours upon application. 

Have you ever tried using tanning water before? If you are in the market or a great one, there is no need to experiment with all the brands available. We’ve put together these tanning water reviews to help you find the right tanning water for you.

Let’s start by discussing the best tanning water which is the St Tropez Purity Tanning Water .


Contents

Best Tanning Water Reviews

Preview
Top Choice!
ST TROPEZ Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Mousse, Clear Tanning Water Foam, Streak-Free Finish, Develops in 4-8 Hours, Vegan, Natural & Cruelty Free, 6.7 Fl Oz
Runner-Up
Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Water, Dark (Bronzed Glow) - Color Correcting Self Tan Spray for Bronze Glow, Vegan and Cruelty Free, 6.76 Fl Oz
Budget Pick
Tanologist Express Self Tan Water - Self Tanner for Face & Body, Dark - Bronzing Mist - Hydrating Tanning Mist, Natural Ingredients & Vegan - 6.78 Fl Oz
Name
St Tropez Purity
Isle of Paradise
Tanologist
Price on Amazon
$44.00
$32.00
$15.38
Top Choice!
Preview
ST TROPEZ Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Mousse, Clear Tanning Water Foam, Streak-Free Finish, Develops in 4-8 Hours, Vegan, Natural & Cruelty Free, 6.7 Fl Oz
Name
St Tropez Purity
Price on Amazon
$44.00
View on Amazon
Runner-Up
Preview
Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Water, Dark (Bronzed Glow) - Color Correcting Self Tan Spray for Bronze Glow, Vegan and Cruelty Free, 6.76 Fl Oz
Name
Isle of Paradise
Price on Amazon
$32.00
View on Amazon
Budget Pick
Preview
Tanologist Express Self Tan Water - Self Tanner for Face & Body, Dark - Bronzing Mist - Hydrating Tanning Mist, Natural Ingredients & Vegan - 6.78 Fl Oz
Name
Tanologist
Price on Amazon
$15.38
View on Amazon

Our Top Pick: St Tropez Purity Tanning Water 

St Tropez Purity Tanning Water

St. Tropez is a well-known brand when it comes to producing various tanning products. Of course, they have also joined the bandwagon in producing tanning water. 

The Purity tanning water is the best option for self-tanning waters. However, it comes at a higher price than our runner-up pick. Regardless, it works extremely well in producing a streak-free tan. 

This tanning water is formulated for the face and includes hyaluronic acid in the formula. That helps draw moisture to the skin while the tanning process occurs. It has a vegan-free and lightweight formula that dries quickly, making it very comfortable to use on the face. 

Apart from the hyaluronic acid, it also contains hibiscus extract, which has excellent antioxidant properties. The green mandarin water ingredient helps revive and refresh the skin. 

The carefully formulated tanning water doesn’t contain any pore-blocking ingredients, making it perfect for those with sensitive skin. Although it is formulated for the face, it can still be used for the whole body. 

You can see our article on how tanning water works for more context.

The St Tropez Purity Tanning water produces a light to medium tan.

Although some people find that it contains such a small product for the price, lots feel that it is worth it because a little goes a long way. Plus, people loved the tropical scent too.

If you’re willing to shell out the coin for your tan, St. Tropez Purity Tanning Water is the Best Self Tanning Water available.

Key Features at a Glance:

  • Formulated with hyaluronic acid
  • Lightweight and quick-drying
  • Vegan-friendly formula
  • Refreshing tropical scent
  • 80ml spray bottle
ST TROPEZ Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Mousse, Clear Tanning Water Foam, Streak-Free Finish, Develops in 4-8 Hours, Vegan, Natural & Cruelty Free, 6.7 Fl Oz
  • Achieve a natural looking sunless tan...
  • With 24 hours hydration, our self...
  • Use our tan Applicator Mitt for trusted...

Runner-Up Pick:Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Water 

Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Water, Dark (Bronzed Glow) - Color Correcting Self Tan Spray for Bronze Glow, Vegan and Cruelty Free, 6.76 Fl Oz

If you want to have a great experience with using tanning water, try the Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Water. This comes from a popular brand that produces various tanning water products.

Topping our list is this tanning water in the dark variety. It helps you get the darkest tan that your skin can produce without producing an orange tone. 

This tanning water comes in a tinge of violet. That is because it contains color-correcting actives that help you produce that dark bronze glow. 

It is very easy to use as it already comes in a spray bottle. All you have to do is to mist it onto your skin and blend it with a mitt. 

You can apply the product to both the face and body. You can even put it in the fridge to cool it before use. 

One of the best things about this tanning water is the hydrating formula. It contains hydrating oils like grapefruit, avocado, and chia seed oil. Hydrated skin looks better and will hold the tan longer. 

This tanning water is a great non-messy tanning product. It doesn’t have any color guide so it won’t stain your sheets. The lack of a color guide also prevents blocked pores. 

Key Features at a Glance:

  • Suitable for face and body
  • Lovely cucumber and eucalyptus scent
  • Comes in a 200ml spray bottle
  • With violet color-correcting actives
  • Hydrating formula
Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Water, Dark (Bronzed Glow) - Color Correcting Self Tan Spray for Bronze Glow, Vegan and Cruelty Free, 6.76 Fl Oz
  • THE LOWDOWN | Isle of Paradise...
  • MESS-FREE | Isle of Paradise...
  • HYDRATING | Isle of Paradise...
  • BRIGHTENING | Formulated with Violet...
  • TO USE | Prep skin by exfoliating 24hrs...


Best Budget Pick: Tanologist Express Self Tan Water 

Tanologist Self Tan Water

We’ve got tanning water suitable for everyone in this review. If you have a tighter budget and would simply want to try out tanning water without committing to an expensive product, the Tanologist tanning water is best for you. 

Although it is the most affordable in this review, we find that it still does a good job and has received many positive reviews from other users. 

Technologist boasts their signature trio in this tanning water. The trio ingredients are juniper, goji berry, and pink grapefruit. These three ingredients help hydrate, brighten and soften the skin.

This tanning water is also suitable for the face as it is made of a non-comedogenic formula. You don’t have to be afraid of breakouts because this product doesn’t clog the pores. 

It is comfortable to use because you don’t have to wait long for the wetness to dry up and you don’t have to be afraid of staining your sheets or clothes when using this product.

If you want a darker shade, you can simply use more of the product. 

Some buyers had great success using the product even if it doesn’t have any color guide. However, there are still ones who developed a blotchy tan. Overall, the customers loved the tan they got out of this tanning water. 

Key Features at a Glance:

  • Softens, hydrates, and brightens skin
  • Suitable for face and body
  • Vegan and cruelty-free
  • Lightweight and non-comedogenic
  • 200 ml spray bottle
Sale
Tanologist Express Self Tan Water - Self Tanner for Face & Body, Dark - Bronzing Mist - Hydrating Tanning Mist, Natural Ingredients & Vegan - 6.78 Fl Oz
  • Spray Tan in a Bottle: We’ve bottled...
  • Effortless Application: Spray this easy...
  • Hydrate and Brighten. This tanning water...
  • No Color Transfer: Tanologist self...
  • Non-Comedogenic Formula: This...

Fake Bake Tanning Water 

Fake Bake Self Tanning Water

Apart from our top picks above, we also reviewed this Fake Bake Tanning Water. This is a good product for those who are looking into purchasing a tanning mitt as well. The tanning water already comes with a free tanning mitt so it would be less likely for you to overly tan your palms.

Like most tanning water, it comes in a hydrating formula as well and works with all skin tones. 

Sale
Fake Bake Tanning Water Self Tanner Instant Glow with Hydrating Passion Flower Rejuvenation - Natural Looking Sunless Bronzing for Women & Men - Professional Mitt For Easy Application - 6.7 oz, All
  • SUN FREE TANNING & SKIN CARE - Achieve...
  • MOISTURIZING DROPS OF PARADISE - Get...
  • WHOLE BODY GLOW ON YOUR TIME - There is...
  • NATURALLY WORKS WITH EVERY TONE - Our...
  • CLEAN BEAUTY SOLUTION - Our tanners are...

Bronze Tan Tanning Water 

Bronze Tan Tanning Water

Do you love the invigorating scent of cucumber and aloe? This tanning water features that refreshing scent. Not only does cucumber and aloe give a wonderful aroma, it also helps moisturize the skin. 

This tanning water comes in a spray bottle and can be used for both the face and body.

Bronze Tan Self Tanning Water Spray For Face | Hydrating Self Tan Water for a Natural Sunless Tan | Self Tanner Ideal for All Skin Types | Buildable Fake Tan 125ml(4.2 fl oz)
  • Hydrating and Bronzing - Bronze Tan self...
  • Gentle On Skin - Our proprietary tanning...
  • Streak-Free - This self tanner water...
  • Great For All Skin Types - This sunless...

Buyer’s Tips

Spray Bottle Packaging Vs Refills

Tanning water is available in spray bottle packaging or in refills. Although most of them come in spray bottles, take a look at how fine the mist is. A finer mist helps the product spread more evenly. 

Even if you are to use a mitt or your hands to spread the product evenly, it still helps if the mist produced is already fine in the first place. 

Some people prefer to purchase refills because they have their own spray bottle at home. There’s even a hack in Tiktok where someone used a fine mist sprayer and ended up developing a tan just like a spray tan would. 

Additional Skincare Ingredients

Most tanning water doesn’t only contain the active ingredient DHA. They also include other additives that could help with skincare. 

The most common additional ingredients are hydrating ingredients. From hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, and other oils, all of these help hydrate the skin to help maintain the tan.

Apart from hydrating ingredients, there are some that have brightening and skin-softening ingredients as well. These all help the skin while tanning it.

Just make sure that you are not allergic to any of the additives!

Non-comedogenic Formula

Most tanning waters are suitable for the face. However, if you are planning to use it on your face, make sure that it has a non-comedogenic formula, or else you can end up with breakouts. 

Non-comedogenic means that there are no ingredients that could block the pores. Most tanning waters available in the market don’t have a color guide because color guides are known for potentially clogging the pores. 

Scent

Different brands may have different scents. The scent is a personal choice but it is mostly added to mask the scent produced when DHA reacts to the skin. Some are able to effectively mask this scent but it is still normal to still smell that even with scented tanning water. 


Conclusion

In conclusion, if you are looking for the best tanning water for your face or body, you should get the St Tropez Purity Self Tanning Water. It’s pricey, but produces a beautiful, natural tan.

Alternatively, you could choose the Isle of Paradise, which also works very well but is a little less expensive.

Budgeted readers may try the Tanologist Express Self Tan Water. It is the most affordable we’ve reviewed but is still quite effective at giving you that glowing bronze skin without the streaks.

Written by Kayla Young

Kayla is the founder of LuxeLuminous. She has worked professionally in the tanning industry for years. She has been interested in esthetics since childhood, and has tried every hair, skin, and makeup product ever produced (more or less).