The official first day of summer is only a few weeks away- I can hardly believe it! With summer comes shorts, tank tops and bikinis and I love to have a golden tan. I think a nice tan looks healthy and it also makes me feel confident, but of course we want to avoid tanning in the sun (hello skin cancer, sunspots and premature aging). This is where some great self tanners come in. Get that golden glow with out all the harmful sun damage keep reading for my favourite vegan self tanners.
Now I’m no stranger to self tanners I feel like I have tried them all and have narrowed down some of the best ones- that are cruelty free and vegan of course! One summer quite some time ago (I must have been in high school) and I bought a self tanner from the drug store. I was going out to a festival and of course wanted to look tanned, so my 15 year old self diligently applied the cheap gross smelling stuff all over my body. I thought it look great, a little bit orange but still great, then when I got down to the festival it started to rain. Guess what the rain literally washed away all the self tanner in gross brown streaks all down my legs and arms. I was so embarrassed- thankfully self tanners have come a long way since then! And I have personally tried a ton to find the best ones!
How to Apply Self Tanner
There are a few golden rules to applying self tanner to make it look it’s best. These steps are important in getting the perfect golden tan.
- In the shower exfoliate your skin with a scrub and a glove (make sure you exfoliate the dry areas very well like your knees and elbows)
- Make sure your shave your legs to get a nice smooth application
- Once out of the shower apply a thin layer of moisturizer to knees, elbows, hands and feet. Don’t moisturize any other areas.
- Use a tanning mitt to apply the self tanner in even strokes (get someone to help you with your back if needed).
- Wait until the self tanner dries before getting dressed in loose clothes (always check the instructions on the tanning bottle)
- Rinse away the self tanner in a few hours with water only then moisturize well (always see the specific instructions for each particular self tanner).
My Favourite Vegan Self Tanners
St. Tropez Self Tan Classic Bronzing Mousse
This has to be one of my favourite brands and I’ve used it for years. All of their products are great but I always go back to the classic bronzing mousse. St. Tropez’s products are vegan and cruelty free they are lightweight, easy-to-apply classic mousse that dries quickly with no self tan smell and an even fade. And they don’t have parabens, sulfates, or phthalates.
TARTE Brilliance Plus Self- Tanner Mitt
I love a lot of TARTE’s products and this self tanner is no exception. This self tanner is a skin care-infused version of Tarte’s bestselling self-tanner with a custom application mitt. It also has Sephora’s clean seal which means it’s formulated with out a lot of nasty chemicals.
Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Water
These self tanning waters are amazing and they have three different types depending on your skin tone. A self-tanning water with color-correcting actives and either a peach (light), green (medium), or violet (dark) base for a natural-looking, bronzed glow with no streaks, smells, or orange tones. Its also organic and has Sephora’s clean seal.
JOSIE MARAN Argan Liquid Gold Self-Tanning Oil
A quick-absorbing, super hydrating self-tanning body oil infused with 100 percent pure argan oil, coconut water, and aloe. The smell is also amazing and it has Sephora’s clean seal.
St. Tropez Self Dark Bronzing Mousse
Yes another St. Tropez product I did say I loved this brand. This Mousse is amazing for giving you a natural deep dark tan.
Vegan Facial Self Tanners
Now I do recommend using a different self tanner for you face, here are some of my favourites!
TAN-LUXE Super Glow Hyaluronic Self Tan Serum
A one-of-a-kind hyaluronic, superfood self-tan serum formulated for daily use—soft, smooth, and lightly sunned skin in a bottle.
COOLA Sunless Tan Anti-Aging Face Serum
An easy-to-use, sunless tan face serum that offers a potent blend of argan oil, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and botanical extracts for smooth, glowing skin.
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While I love golden tanned skin especially in the summer is so important to protect our skin from harmful UV rays, check out our favourite vegan and cruelty free sunscreens HERE. That’s why I love self tanners you can get golden skin without any of the damage!
