Best Self Tanner

As a sunless tanning professional, I am asked daily what self-tanner should I use.

Hi my name is Kathryn, I have been a professional spray tan artist for the past 20+ years, and I am here to tell you about my favorite self-tanning mousse:

• The one I love as a spray tan professional
• That I recommend and sell in my shop
• That I use myself

This post contains affiliate links.  If you click and purchase, I may make a commission. Read my full disclosure here.

We have all seen the posts for the “97 Top Best Self Tanners for {20__ }” and had our anxiety skyrocket because you just want to know what self-tanner is the best so you can buy it and tan your pasty legs.

Digging through 97 different options isn’t helping anyone, and by the time you are done reading through all that, it will be winter again and you STILL won’t know what to buy. I mean you are looking at reviews on self-tanning products so that you can choose one and get on with it. Right?!

About Rose Gold Sunless

You may have been following along as my partner Samantha over at Blue Layne Boutique and I launched a new company called Rose Gold Sunless. We saw a desperate need for a high-quality luxury self-tanning line. That addressed the concerns that so many of you had with the sunless products that are currently on the market.

Best self tanning mousse for fair skin

I had girls coming into the spray tan studio wearing grocery store self-tanner that wasn’t complimenting their skin. Read Orange. We needed to find the perfect self-tanning mousse for fair skin.

Best self tanner that doesn’t transfer

Sam was running into a messy bronzer that was transferring onto her boutique clothing and ashy colors that looked horrible in her boutique model photos. We needed a clean rinse transfer-resistant tan that photographed beautifully.

Something had to be done!

After reviewing 97 self-tanning products (LOL–see what I did there), we decided we were just going to have to make our own. We also had a little problem with not being able to see the countertops in our bathrooms because they were covered in all the self-tanner bottles that we had been sampling.

After a long journey of product development and formula samples, we finally launched our first baby, the Rose Gold Self-Tanning Mousse!!! We are in love with it! It solves all our sunless tanning complaints and the reviews we get are so positive! Y’all are LOVING it which makes us so so happy!!

Self Tanner Reviews

We have been keeping track of all of your comments. We are definitely listening and we want to take a few minutes to share them!

First I would like to say how sweet and helpful everyone has been in the Blue Layne Boutique VIP FB Group where we first launched our self-tanning mousse. You gave us GREAT REVIEWS and FEEDBACK during the development process. And when it comes to jumping in and offering helpful suggestions to the self-tanning beginners, y’all are amazing!

We have sold out of our mousse 5 times!!

You really really like it!

Here are some of our favorite comments about our Rose Gold Mousse:

• This stuff is amazing!–T.L.
• My favorite tanner!—B.A.
• Best self-tanner I have ever used!—A.S.
• Very easy to use!–A.D.
• I love this stuff!—K.S.
• Gives me great even color and doesn’t stink!—J.K.
• Dries super quickly!—A.S.
• My boyfriend likes how it smells!–K.M.

Best Self-Tanning Mousse

If you have never used a sunless tanner before then I am here to help you get the BEST results whether you are getting a professional in-studio spray tan or you are using an at-home self-tanning product. This IS my job and I am here to help.

There are some great self-tanning tips and tricks below, and once you know what they are you will be a self-tanning expert in no time!!!

Let’s go over why we think Rose Gold is the Best Self-Tanning Mousse and why we hope you will too!

Best Self Tanner For Beginners

As a spray tan professional, I work with sunless tanning products daily.  Spray tan solution, self-tanning lotions, mousses, and sprays.

Sunless tanning suppliers are frequently sending me samples hoping I will like their products.  Clients are constantly asking me what at-home products they should use and at the end of the day, very few are on my shortlist of go-to self-tanning products that I recommend to my customers.

Remember the 97 self-tanners that we reviewed before we had our Rose Gold Mousse developed? There was something about each of them that was not working for us.

For me to recommend a product, a self-tanner needs to:

• Look amazing=natural color
• Be easy to apply=I can’t be there to do it for you
• Clean rinse and transfer resistant bronzer
• Fade evenly
• Smell good

The Rose Gold Mousse hits all these requirements.

So let’s go over the list of questions asked in the group and at my studio about the Rose Gold Self-Tanning Mousse and the best way to use it.

What Shade Of Self Tanner Should You Pick

The Rose Gold Self-Tanning Mousse is a buildable formula and has a true brown base, which is the perfect complement for all skin tones. The base helps neutralize pink undertones making it the best tanning mousse for fair skin and provides a just-off-the-beach look for darker skin tones, all without any hint of orange.

No one wants to look like they have a spray tan or are wearing a self-tanner, you want the most natural-looking tan for your skin.

How Dark Is The Rose Gold Self-Tanner?

Rose Gold Self-Tanner is a buildable mousse.  You have full control of the intensity by how much mousse you apply to your skin and how long you leave the mousse on before showering.

• For a pretty glow add one light layer of mousse and wash off in 2-3 hours.
• For a summertime, bronze tan apply two layers of mousse and wait 6-8 hours or leave on overnight before showering.
• Want more color? Add another coat the next day and go full tropical vacation tan! It’s really up to your preference.

Is Rose Gold Mousse Vegan?

Absolutely, we love animals and do not test our products on them. Rose Gold is 100% vegan and cruelty-free.

How Many Uses Can I Get From One Bottle Of Self-Tan?

There are 6-8 full-body tans per 7oz. bottle. This of course depends on how much product you are using for each tan. This mousse is concentrated and a little goes a long way.

Does The Rose Gold Tan Smell?

The Rose Gold Self-Tanning Mousse tan is very softly scented and when dry has a light fresh smell. High-quality ingredients including the DHA means the Rose Gold tan doesn’t have the usual fake tan smell that comes with most self-tanning products.

How should I store my self-tanning mousse?

A cool dark closet or cabinet is the perfect place to store your self-tanning products.

Rose Gold Self Tanner is made in small batches, kept cool at our warehouse (heat destroys sunless tanning products), and shipped quickly so you are always assured to get the freshest product. When you get your Rose Gold Mousse you should keep it in a cool dry place away from heat sources.

Disappointing results often happen after purchasing self-tanning products at big box retailers and grocery stores specifically because of storage issues. You have no idea how long ago a product was actually made till the time that it lands on a store’s shelves and you finally purchase it. Rose Gold comes directly from our manufacturing lab to our warehouse and directly to you. It is FRESH!!

Self Tanning Tools

When we first decided to formulate our own self-tanning mousse we ran out and bought what seemed like a million different kinds of sunless tanning products to review. We also grabbed tanning mitts and brushes to apply the sunless tanner with.

Your tanning applicator makes a HUGE difference in how your self-tan turns out.

So many mitts on the market were too soft and bunched up leaving weird streaks in our tans. Or were NOT lined and we ended up with crazy stained hands after applying our mousse. Some of the mitts even fell apart after one or two uses. We wanted a really nice long-lasting self-tanning mitt to go with our Rose Gold formula.

Best Self-Tanning Mitt

To get a smooth even blended tan we recommend using a high-quality mitt for a streak-free application. Bonus points for being lined to protect your palms from getting bronzed in the process. We think this one is the best one on the market.

We love these premium double-sided lined tanning mitts which have a plush velvet feel and can be washed under warm soapy water and reused again and again! We have had ours for over a year and they are just like new. Handwash and slip over your Rose Gold Mousse bottle to dry after use.

Kabuki Brush For Self Tanner

These kabuki brushes are life-changing when it comes to blending your self-tanner and getting the perfect fade in difficult areas such as your face, hands, and feet. It also works great for contouring

First things first and that is skin prep BEFORE you tan.

• Shower
• Exfoliate
• Shave

Best Deep Exfoliating Mitt For Self Tanning

Designed for deep cleansing to remove dead skin cells, even out your skin tone, scrub away dry skin, and stimulate blood flow for the smoothest application of your self-tanning mousse.

Use BEFORE you apply your Rose Gold Self Tanning Mousse to prep and smooth your skin allowing the self-tanner to absorb better giving you a more even tan. Or use it when your tan is fading and you are ready to remove your old tan. 

After exfoliating and showering, lightly moisturize any dry areas of the body with a mild lotion.

To apply the tanning mousse work in sections buffing the mousse into your skin as you go. One-two pumps onto your mitt and then gentle circular motions, starting in the center of your leg or arm and working out toward the elbows, hands, knees, and feet. Then blend lightly over your knees and elbows with what is left on the mitt.

There is a bronze instant color guide in the mousse that helps you see where you are applying your tan. This helps you keep your tan streak-free and blended as you are smoothing it into your skin. It also gives you an immediate glow!

Hands and feet—less is more here.  Lightly apply a tiny amount of the Rose Gold Mousse to the tops of hands and feet and blend out to the sides for a professional look. Careful around the wrists and back of ankles!

Let it dry (you can dry yourself off with the hair dryer) and wait for the desired amount of time before showering.

Best Way To Prep Skin Before A Self Tanner

Your goal with any sunless tanning application is to start with clean dry skin!

Exfoliate: Your sunless tan lives in the top few layers of your skin so it’s important to remove any dry patchy skin and create a fresh smooth canvas for your tan to last as long as possible. I recommend gently exfoliating 2 times in the 2 days before you plan on tanning. Notice I said “gently” we are not asking you to remove 6 layers of skin. And red rashy skin from over-scrubbing is never cute.  Use an exfoliating mitt and a mild soap or shower wash.

Hair removal: It’s best to do all your waxing, hair removal, and shaving 24-48 hours before you plan to self-tan so that you do not remove your tan or create an uneven area during the hair removal. You want pores to close after shaving or waxing and skin to calm down after any chemical hair removal processes. Shaving after a spray tan is just fine as long as you follow a few simple rules.

Clean skin: Clean dry skin with no product residue is best before sunless tanning. Make sure you have removed all traces of deodorant, perfume, and lotion from your skin. These things can block the tan creating uneven areas if left on your skin before your Rose Gold Mousse is applied. Again a mild soap or shower wash works perfectly here.

Moisturize: Sunless tans will stick to dry patchy areas of skin, so hydrated and moisturized skin will help with an even glow. The best lotion to use before and after your tan is mild and unscented lotion.

How To Apply Self Tanner On Hands, Elbows, Knees, And Feet

To avoid any unwanted tan build-up in dry areas like hands, elbows, knees, ankles, and feet I recommend using an unscented lotion lightly on any dry areas before applying your Rose Gold tan on these areas and then blending lightly. This makes sure the mousse doesn’t absorb into the dry skin and you get dark spots. Also, the skin on your hands and feet tends to grab the tanning product so just use a tiny bit and blend well.

How To Apply Self-Tanner To Your Face

Rose Gold self-tan is safe to use on your face. For a softer glow mix a bit of the mousse with your daily facial moisturizer and apply with a brush for the smoothest application. Careful around the hairline and eyebrows that you blend lightly and don’t over-apply the product.

How Long To Leave Self Tanner Tan On Before Showering

This depends on how deep of a tan you would like to achieve.

• 2-3 hours for a light tan
• 4-6 hours for a medium tan
• 6-8 hours or overnight for a dark tan.

Pro Tip: Rinse off before going to the gym so your tan does not become streaky.

How long will my Rose Gold self-tan last?

The length of time a sunless tan lasts depends on how you are taking care of it, your skin type, and your lifestyle.

The Rose Gold tan will last approximately 4-7 days when taken care of.  Gentle soap or shower wash. Unscented lotion and warm not hot showers. When it starts to fade just exfoliate to smooth and add another layer to bump your color up again.

Can you swim after using a self tanner?

Yes, you can swim or go to the beach, AFTER you have let your sunless tan set in, and develop and you have rinsed the bronzer off. However, hanging out in the water for extended periods of time will fade your tan faster.

Check out my pro tips on how to get the best spray tan for your vacation!

Does sunless tan protect you from the sun?

Absolutely NOT, sunless tanners are not sunscreens and they are not base tans.  You look like you are tan but you are not. Please use a good SPF on top of your fake tan when your skin is exposed to the sun.

You will tan or burn right through a sunless tan.

Here are my favorite sunscreens safe for your sunless tan.

What is the best way to extend my fake tan?

Simple steps to help you extend your self-tan as long as possible:

• Shave or wax BEFORE you apply your tan
• Stay out of the hot tub, sauna, or steam room
• Don’t exfoliate till you are ready to reapply your Rose Gold Self-Tanning Mousse
• Avoid excessive sweating
• Limit your time in the shower, or swimming
• Use a gentle soap or shower wash to cleanse your skin
• Don’t use harsh skin care products that contain Retin-A, Acne Treatments, Glycolic, AHA’s or Anti-Aging Treatments

Best self-tanner that fades evenly

Having your skin is in good condition and using “sunless tanning safe” beauty products with your Rose Gold self-tanning mousse will have your tan fading evenly and softly. As your skin exfoliates the Rose Gold tan will naturally fade a little bit every day. After 5-7 days, your sunless tan can be exfoliated off in the shower using warm water and an exfoliating glove.

I have sensitive skin or eczema, should I do a patch/skin test before using a Self-Tanning Mousse?

If you know you have allergies or sensitive skin then a patch test can’t hurt. I do these at the spray tan studio for clients as well.  Just apply a bit of the self-tanning mousse to the inside of your elbow or back of your knee and let it sit for 24 hours to make sure nothing bothers you. The Rose Gold tan is infused with skin-nourishing oils and ingredients so it is gentle for sensitive skin.

Is a sunless tan safe to use if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?

Generally speaking, sunless tanning products are safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding–please avoid the girls if you’re nursing or close to delivery. We don’t want sunless tanner on our baby! And we always recommend you ask your OB what they suggest.

Best tips and tricks for safely nursing your baby with a spray tan.

Where to buy Rose Gold Sunless Self Tanning Mousse

Just click the “Add To Cart” buttons below and it will take you directly to our secure Shopify website and we can ship your order directly to you. Make sure you check out our self-tanning tools, our bundles, and our other self-tanning products!

My webpage is a great sunless tanning resource for anyone who needs advice no matter where they live. And I am always adding new information when it comes out.  And you know I am always happy to help a pale girl get a glow 😉

Need to BOOK A SPRAY TAN? Head over to the contact page for all the info.

As a small business owner, I can’t stock all the amazing products that are available in the world of sunless tanning but I can give you my professional opinion.

Spray Tan Business Pros:

Do you have a mobile spray tanning business, a home-based spray tan business, or are you looking for information on HOW to start a spray tan business? Then check out my tools of the trade area of this website for help in setting up your own airbrush spray tanning business.

• Professional advice on choosing the best spray tan equipment
• Spray tan equipment and product reviews
• Spray tanning business resources to help you learn and grow
• Wholesale self-tanning mousse

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Hi, I'm Kathryn! I'm here to help you have the best spray tan experience possible. I spend my days creating beautiful sunless tans in my Northwest Ohio spray tan studio and sharing everything I know about how to get the perfect spray tan and how to build a boutique spray tan business here on my spray tan blog.