Most Self-Tanners Look Orange on My Pale Skin. This One Doesn’t.
By Hannah Frye
Hannah Frye is a writer covering beauty and style. She swears by clothing rental services and won’t leave the house with less than three lip products.
The first time I tried self-tanner, and many other things, was in college.
There I was, standing in nothing but my underwear in my best friend’s bedroom, listening attentively as she gave me a crash course on how to use it. She taught me how to squeeze the bronze-colored foam onto a velvety mitt and apply it evenly across my body and then scrub my hands clean to prevent the most obvious evidence of a false tan: orange stains between the fingers.
The next morning, I woke up looking slightly green and smelling like rancid barbecue sauce, and I absolutely panicked at the sight of myself in the mirror. My friend reassured me that it was totally normal—the true color would reveal itself after a rinse. And, to my relief, she was right.
I stayed loyal to the bronze foam for a few years, but I always hated the process: caramel-colored streaks on my white linen sheets and towels, the awful smell, and at least one spot left lighter than the rest.
While the results were decent, they never looked quite right on my pale skin, even when I used the lightest shades. For far too long, I believed that stained sheets, gag-worthy smells, and slightly orange skin were the inevitable trade-offs for a sunless tan.
It wasn’t until I discovered the Beauty By Earth Self Tanner Tanning Lotion, admittedly purchased in a pinch when my usual choice was out of stock, that I realized what self-tanning could be: easy and understated. Over the past two years, this lotion has earned a spot as my all-time favorite and my best recommendation for self-tanner newbies, because it soft-launches you into the world of sunless tanning without the artificial finish or messy process.
Of the many self-tanners I’ve tried, this one produces the most natural finish on my pale skin. Plus, it doesn’t transfer onto my white sheets.
Unlike other self-tanners, the Beauty By Earth Self Tanner Tanning Lotion goes on white, which I love. Traditional bronze-colored foams have a major advantage in that you can see exactly where you’ve applied the product, which helps you avoid streaks. Clear self-tanning foams, on the other hand, can be tricky since they don’t offer such visibility. This lotion strikes a perfect balance. Although I can’t see it once it melts into my skin, it initially rubs in white, so I can track where it’s going without worrying about stains on my sheets and hands. After a few more swipes, it disappears. I focus on one area at a time, using a quarter size for my arms, two quarters for my legs, and so on.
Unlike many self-tanners, which require a mitt and brush, this one can be applied with only your hands (though you definitely have to wash them afterward). Although the directions recommend using a mitt or a brush, I’ve never needed one, and I haven’t seen streaks or patches. That said, using an old makeup brush to blend around trickier spots such as knees and elbows won’t hurt if you’re a newcomer, especially if you go for a deeper shade on paler skin.
The lotion dries within 15 minutes, so I have to run around in my underwear only briefly. If I jump into bed right after applying it, I feel like a slug slipping into a flannel sleeping bag. But if I patiently wait those 15 minutes, I feel completely normal when tucking myself in.
Another benefit is its scent. Of all the self-tanners I’ve tried—around 10 to 15 at this point—this one has the least offensive smell. The lingering scent is more like that of a shortbread cookie with a hint of coconut, thanks to the coconut oil in the formula, which also keeps my skin hydrated. It’s a strong scent but not a bad one.
Now, here’s a potential point of controversy: I don’t always wash off this tanner in the morning. I would never skip that step with any other self-tanner because I wouldn’t want to walk around appearing to have a light case of scurvy, but with this one, I just don’t feel the need. That said, if you’re not a fan of the coconut scent, you can easily rinse it off and apply your favorite body lotion afterward to tone it down. For me, though, it’s a huge plus that I’m not required to shower twice within 12 hours.
Most important, the tan that this formula delivers looks natural on my pale skin, so I don’t feel nervous applying it. There’s no orange hue or streaks, just a soft, subtle glow. I’ve applied it after a few extra dirty gin martinis on a Friday night and still woken up with an even tan. I’ve applied bronze foam tanners in a similar state and woken up looking like a tiger with tan stripes, so the peace of mind that this easy-to-use tanner brings me runs deep.
Some people may consider the subtlety of this tanner a downside, and that’s fair. In the summer, I’ll sometimes apply it two days in a row to achieve a deeper tan. But for me and my pasty skin, that buildability is actually a plus: I like having control over how my tan develops, instead of being at the mercy of stark streaks or the possibility of a tan that’s too noticeable on my skin. It gives me results akin to those of a gradual tanner but with overnight payoff—and I love that.
I always use the Fair to Medium shade, so I asked a friend of mine with a darker skin tone to test the Medium to Dark shade. She had never tried self-tanner, but she said she enjoyed using this one. She told me that it was easy to apply and loved that it didn’t leave streaks on her bed or clothing. She also appreciated the deep moisture it delivered, because she didn’t have to layer another body lotion on top or underneath to feel moisturized. However, the results from the single thin layer she applied were a bit less dramatic than she had hoped for. And the coconut smell was a tad sweeter than she preferred but definitely not a dealbreaker. The next time she uses it, she plans on applying the tan two days in a row or doing one thicker layer for a deeper tan.
Of course, like everything in life, this self-tanner isn’t flawless. In a perfect world, I’d like to dial down the coconut scent, and I wish the tan lasted more than a few days. I use it only once a week or so, but if I wanted to use it more often, the $35 price tag would start to look like a bit of a splurge. Plus, the Extra Dark shade offered in the brand’s lineup of tanning foams doesn’t seem to be available in the lotion. Even so, considering the uncomplicated process and the natural finish it delivers, I still love it.
I’d like to believe that because my frontal lobe has evolved enough since college, the days of subjecting myself to stained sheets and an orange glow are over. But I suppose we’ll never know, because now I have something that delivers the perfect subtle bronze without the usual drawbacks. It saves me from baking under the sun when the weather is nice, and the glow is so natural, you’d never suspect that it came from a bottle—well, aside from right now, when only half my body is tan for those before-and-after photos. But on any other day, you’d never know.
This article was edited by Hannah Rimm and Maxine Builder.
Meet your guide
Hannah Frye is a staff writer reporting on beauty and style for Wirecutter. She was previously an editor at Mindbodygreen. She has been using skin-care items since she was 11 (which, she says, is a fact, not a recommendation). When she isn’t making new Pinterest boards or shopping for vintage clothes on eBay, she’s testing vegan recipes in her Brooklyn apartment.
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