14 Best Self-Tanners for Pale Skin That Won’t Turn You Orange, Tested and Reviewed in 2024

Dolce Glow is one of my newest favorite self-tanning brands on the market. Not only is the Italian-inspired brand created by a celebrity spray tan artist (hi, Isabel Alysa) and backed by celebs (hi, Miley Cyrus), but it's a clean beauty pick and also puts skincare at the forefront of all its tanning products. This gradual self-tanning formula in light-medium dries super fast, gives you the most natural glow, is filled with a ton of moisturizing and hydrating ingredients (see: macadamia oil, jojoba oil, aloe, and glycerin), and for the kicker—it doesn't stain your sheets. *Drops mic, adds to cart*

• Key ingredients: DHA, vitamin E, sodium hyaluronate, macadamia oil, jojoba oil, aloe, glycerin
• Formula: Lotion
• Applies clear? Yes

THE REVIEW: "I am very pale and often turn orange with self-tanner," one reviewer writes. "Not with Dolce Glow! I have the darker color tanning lotion and foam and they leave me looking nice and bronzy! No orange. And the Mia Instant Body Glow is a must; it leaves a light tint with a natural shine!"

If you're super fair, it's a smart idea to purchase a self-tanner that allows you to customize how tan you're going to get. That's why tanning expert Sophie Evans recommends this one by St. Tropez. "The best part is that you can customize the color of your tan by how long you leave it on your skin to develop," she says. To achieve a lighter tan, shower after one hour, two hours for a medium tan, or leave it on up for three hours for the deepest color, she explains.

• Key ingredients: DHA, glycerin, aloe vera
• Formula: Mousse
• Applies clear? No, has a bronze color guide
  

THE REVIEW: "Always a favorite! The deep olive tan is just perfect, even for fair skin tones," one reviewer notes. "The color it gives my fair skin is so incredibly natural and beautiful."

Reasons why I love Isle of Paradise: (1) Founder and pro spray tanner Jules Von Hep is all about body confidence and that self-tanning is for everyone, and (2) they're the OG tanning drops, and they do it right. Filled with antioxidants that protect the skin, a slew of moisturizing oils, hydrating glycerin, and caffeine which temporarily firms your skin, these drops will give you the most healthy-looking, bronzed glow ever. I simply add a few drops to my favorite body moisturizer, rub it all over my skin, and give my hands a good wash.

• Key ingredients: DHA, vitamin C, vitamin E, avocado oil, glycerin, aloe vera, caffeine
• Formula: Serum
• Applies clear? Yes

THE REVIEW: "I love this stuff," writes one reviewer with fair skin and red hair. "This gives me a beautiful glowing tan—I mix it in with the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, and once you figure out the lotion-to-tan ratio, you’re set!"

Who needs to spend major moola on a spray tan when you can do it yourself? Let me introduce you to my favorite self-tanning spray that's foolproof for an even, airbrushed-looking tan you can DIY at home. I start with clean, dry skin, spray the fake tan on one area of my body at a time, and, using large circular motions, blend it in with a tanning mitt. Thanks to the aloe vera and glycerin, my skin looks immediately hydrated and, two to four hours later, naturally tan.

• Key ingredients: DHA, glycerin, aloe vera, raspberry seed oil, vitamins B, C, and E
• Formula: Liquid
• Applies clear? Yes

THE REVIEW: "I've tried several different self-tanners over the years," one reviewer notes. "From lotions to foams, this mist is my all-time favorite. It’s seamless and develops so nicely."

Trust me when I say you absolutely need this body glow. Not only does it leave your skin looking like it's been airbrushed from head to toe, but it's also rich in shea butter and sunflower seed oil (to moisturize), squalane (to hydrate), and vitamin C (to brighten). Just like makeup for your skin, it adds the slightest bit of bronzed tint and all the luminizer.

• Key ingredients: Shea butter, sunflower seed oil, squalane, vitamin C
• Formula: Lotion
• Applies clear? No* (*tinted)

THE REVIEW: "I went to a pool party with this on and I was told by everybody how great I looked," one review reads. "I was in and out of the pool all day, and it was still on! I had to wash it off with soap and water."

I truly don't have enough good words to say about this self-tanner to do it justice. This is my favorite face tanner on the market, and it's the easiest thing in the world to apply. Thanks to the fine mist, it gives a super-even result, while the superstar ingredients (hi, retinol, glycerin, and aloe vera) smooth your skin tone and hydrate it in the process. Start with a clean face, and holding the can about eight inches away, mist the tanner on your face, neck, and décolleté. It goes on clear and will develop within six hours throughout the day or night. Feel free to apply every few days (I typically do three) to keep your skin bronzed.

• Key ingredients: DHA, green tea extract, retinol, glycerin, aloe vera
• Formula: Liquid* (*mist)
• Applies clear? Yes

THE REVIEW: "So, I have tried ALL self-tanners," writes one reviewer. "I bought this on a whim as I wanted a facial tanner and I have not tried this line—to my amazement, this product is BEAUTIFUL not only for your face but for your body as well!"

Ahhh, the OG gradual tanner on the market. This bb has stuck around for so long because it's that freakin' good—especially if you have fair or pale skin. The great part about this Jergens tanner is that it develops over time, and each day you apply it, the darker you get, meaning your level of tan is totally up to you. Self-tanning beginners, this is a great start. Plus, it's filled with superstar humectant, glycerin, and a ton of antioxidants to protect your skin against environmental aggressors.

• Key ingredients: DHA, glycerin, antioxidants
• Formula: Lotion
• Applies clear? Yes

THE REVIEW: "Non-streaky and moisturizing," writes one tester. "I enjoyed using this as it felt like a risk-free self-tanner option—it gave me a nice glow!"

Sometimes, there's not enough damn time in the day to go through the entire self-tanning process. And hey, that's okay, and why products like the Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti-Pollution Bronzing Drops are such cult favorites. Forgot to tan? No prob, just apply this to your face after your skincare routine/before your makeup or mix it in with your foundation, face lotion, or tinted moisturizer for a subtle, natural, glowy tan in seconds.

• Key ingredients: Vitamin E, green tea extract, sodium hyaluronate, glycerin
• Formula: Serum
• Applies clear? No* (*bronzer)

THE REVIEW: "This product is just gorgeous because it leaves your skin with an alive, glowy look," writes one reviewer, adding, "I love it as an alternative to self-tanning, which is too much of a commitment for me—I am extremely fair, and find it buildable, and not overwhelming for my skin."

Calling everyone on a time crunch—this bb is for you. These self-tanning towelettes are basically the easiest, quickest solution for getting tan and prepping your skin in one. They're packed with AHAs and BHAs (i.e., chemical exfoliants) that eliminate blackheads and clogged pores, so not only will your skin look super bronzed, but it'll also be super smooth. All you do is apply the towelette to your clean, dry face in circular motions—just remember to wash your hands.

• Key ingredients: DHA, salicylic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, glycerin, vitamin E
• Formula: Towelettes
• Applies clear? Yes

THE REVIEW: "The application is amazing—especially for lazy girls)—there are no greasy, gross hands, you just swipe it on and you're done!" one review reads.

So you want to look like you just came back from a tropical, sun-filled vacation, huh? That means you need a bronzing formula that gives you a deep color sans the dreaded orange undertones. Enter: This bronzing foam from clean and sustainable brand Coco and Eve. The fast-developing formula comes in three shades (medium, dark, and ultra-dark) and is packed with antioxidants for some skin repairing and protecting benefits.

• Key ingredients: DHA, antioxidants, cocoa seed extract, glycerin
• Formula: Mousse
• Applies clear? No, has a color guide

THE REVIEW: "I've been asked repeatedly if I went on vacation or laid out in the sun," writes one tester. "the color is the most natural I've ever seen and lasts for a good four to five days."

So the point of self-tanning is to give your skin a bronzed glow without all of the sun damage, right? Right. That's why this sunless tan by Coppertone with SPF 45 checks all of the boxes. The formula provides 80 minutes of water resistance, gives you a gradual tan, and even has a nice sheen to it, so you'll have glowy skin whenever you apply (which should be ~every two hours).

• Key ingredients: DHA, SPF
• Formula: Lotion
• Applies clear? Yes

THE REVIEW: "I have been looking for something that gives me sun protection and a tan without making me orange and having a gross smell to it," one review reads. "So far so good! It has almost no detectable scent and gives me a nice moisturized glow when I put it on."

Got somewhere to be soon but forgot to tan? Trust me when I say that's me almost every single weekend. That's why you need to get yourself an express tanner that develops in one to four hours, like this one from Tanologist, so you're ready to go no matter how last minute you pushed it. The formula comes with a spray nozzle for easy application and is filled with aloe vera for soothing, hydration, and a ton of brightening antioxidants.

• Key ingredients: DHA, aloe vera, vitamin E, grapefruit extract
• Formula: Liquid
• Applies clear? Yes

THE REVIEW: "LOVE this stuff!" writes one reviewer adding, "it leaves a natural, non-orange glow, is easy to apply, and is without the typical self-tanner smell."

Let's be real, those with super-duper fair skin may not be able to find a self-tanner they're comfortable in. That's why sometimes it's a smart idea to instead opt for a luminizing cream bronzer, like this one from Tower 28 Beauty, that's filled with moisturizing castor seed oil and mango seed butter. Add it to your face where the sun would naturally hit, and follow it with a shimmery blush (try: Nars Orgasm Blush) for extra warmth.

• Key ingredients: Green tea extract, castor seed oil, mango seed butter
• Formula: Cream
• Applies clear? No* (*bronzer)

THE REVIEW: "If you REALLY like to glow, this is the product for you," reads one review. "This makes you look very glow and tan."

Having a glow for me means l-a-y-e-r-i-n-g myself in body shimmer and oils in the summer. (Hey, I aim to be a ~glistening goddess~ 24/7, 365.) This self-tanning oil by Josie Maran will make you feel like you just bathed in a tub of liquid magic and then slathered your body in the most natural and glowy bronze. Apply to clean, dry skin, and wait about eight hours before rinsing the color off.

• Key ingredients: DHA, argan oil, vitamin E, glycerin, aloe vera, green tea extract, coconut water
• Formula: Oil
• Applies clear? Yes

THE REVIEW: "I am a super super SUPER pale Puerto Rican woman," one tester writes. "The sun has never kissed my skin—it either burns me red or sprinkles me with freckles. This tanning oil is a game changer to all my pale queens out there who normally turn orange when they’ve used any kind of self-tanner."

Face tan can double as face contour—yes, rlly. Tantouring is, IMO, the best tanning hack there is, and it's exactly what it sounds like—contouring with tanner. Like you would any 'ol regular contour, apply the fake tanner with a kabuki brush. (If you really want to amp it up, use the fake tanner around your lips for a semi-permanent lip liner.) I swear this little makeup hack is about to revolutionize your freakin' face.

THE REVIEW: "This is a great body and face kabuki brush," writes one tester, adding "it is rounded which is very comfortable in your hand and large enough to use for spreading a shimmery body oil or tanner."