5 Best Face Self-Tanners For Acne Prone Skin 2025
Are you looking for the best facial self-tanner for acne-prone skin?
In this article, I’ll cover everything you need to know to choose the best self-tanner for you.
I’ll also explain why some tanners are better for acne-prone skin than others and what to look for and avoid.
So what makes a face tanner good for acne-prone skin?
Self-tanners that are oil-free, dermatologist-tested, and fragrance-free are the best for acne-prone skin. There are some self-tanners that contain beneficial oils and natural fragrances that don’t aggravate acne, so read ingredient labels carefully.
There are a ton of self-tanning products on the market today, so it can be hard to know what to look for.
In this article, I’ll review my 5 favorite fake tanners for acne-prone skin.
Then, I’ll go into a bit of a buyer’s guide of what you should be looking for and how to use it. I’ll also go over tips on how to apply it properly.
Ok, let’s get right into it.
The Best Face Tanners For Acne-Prone Skin
Okay, so when we’re considering purchasing a good facial tanner for our skin, there are almost a ridiculous number of products out there.
This can make it really hard to know what to even look for. Do I need a lotion, a mousse, a wipe, etc?
So in this list, I’m going to try to just list out my absolute best recommendations for you. I took a ton of things into account over the many hours I wrote this article.
Some, but not all, of the criteria I used in ranking were:
- Price
- Quality
- Type of Self-Tanner
- Easy To Apply
- How It Affects Acne
- Customer Reviews
Alright, enough boring stuff, let’s get to the list.
1. Coola Suncare Organic Sunless Tan Anti-Aging Face Serum
An amazing facial serum that works extremely well for acne-prone skin: the Coola Suncare serum is a gradual self-tanner.
It’s made of 70%+ organic products and is extremely high quality.
Unlike some facial tanners, this is meant to be an everyday, gradual self-tanner.
On top of that, it’s also an anti-aging serum with ingredients like Argan oil, Vitamin C, and Hyaluronic acid.
You don’t have to plan when you want the perfect facial tan or worry about how often you need to reapply this product; you can just apply it each day.
It will leave your face looking and feeling amazing. Although the tan can last up to three days, it works great as an everyday application.
Like the Tan-Luxe, this facial self-tanner can be used alone or added to your favorite lotion or moisturizer.
So, if you’ve already found a product that works well for your skin and doesn’t cause you to break out, just add a few drops of this to it for a perfect tan.
Or, if you want to use it by itself, simply cleanse your face and apply it directly to your face and neck in upward strokes.
The bottom line is this is one of the absolute best self-tanners on the market for faces with acne, or that are prone to acne, so go ahead and give it a try and see how well it works for your skin.
2. St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Face Lotion
Alright, we’re finally moving away from serums and getting into a lotion.
But don’t be worried, my friend. This is specifically formulated not to block pores, so you won’t have to worry about acne breakouts with this one.
It’s also from St. Tropez, who currently makes my absolute favorite self-tanner for your body.
The beauty of this product is that it is made to complement that one, so you can use the one for your body and this product for your face.
It’s also made not to bother your skin or cause acne breakouts. If you’re worried about your facial tan not matching the rest of your body, these two products, used together, could really solve that for you.
Also, if using the serums intimidates you (although it really shouldn’t), then this product could be perfect.
It’s an extremely easy-to-apply lotion that you can just lather on your face and neck for a fantastic summer glow.
3. Tan-Luxe The Face Illuminating Self-Tan Drops
This is not an inexpensive product, but stay with me for a moment. There is a reason it tops my list.
One problem we face when finding a good self-tanner for our face that won’t cause acne is that many of the lotions available on the market clog our pores.
This only accelerates the problem.
So, not only is this one of the absolute best facial tanners on the market, period, but it’s also unique in the way it works.
Instead of the pre-blended lotion you often find, this is a serum that can be added to your favorite lotion, moisturizer, face serum, or oil.
So, if you’ve already found products that work really well for you and don’t clog your pores, just add a few drops of this for a fantastic and beautiful facial tan that won’t cause acne.
It may take an application or two to get used to this, but I promise it’s incredibly easy to use.
Another great thing? Since it only takes a few drops for each application, this small bottle will last you far longer than your normal bottle of self-tanner.
Also, since you’re only applying it to your face, it can last you an extremely long time.
Many people that have purchased this have also mentioned how beautiful and natural their tan looked.
In fact, some people have had trouble getting their faces to match their bodies with normal full-body tanners.
One reason for this is that many of these products are not specifically designed to tan the face, where the skin acts and reacts much differently than other parts of our body.
If you have acne-prone skin, I strongly believe that this is the best facial self-tanner for you, and I’d really encourage you to give it a try.
Luckily, you can pick it up on Amazon and have it at your door in just a few days.
4. Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster
This stuff is absolutely fantastic.
Clarins has been in the self-tanning game for a long time, and they’ve mastered formulas that give you a subtle, natural glow without messing with your skin.
You’re probably seeing a trend that most of these products are serums. Well, this is for good reason.
Serums like these don’t tend to cause breakouts or flare-ups with acne.
On top of that, these self-tanners can be added to your favorite products that you’ve already found to work with your skin.
So, if you have acne-prone skin, these are the sunless tanning products you want to try.
A 100% safe formula, Clarins Radiance-Plus Booster contains DHA (we’ll discuss this more below) and Erythrulose to give you a fantastic, natural-looking tan that won’t bother your skin.
This product is a bit more affordable than the other two options on the list, so if you’re interested in trying one of these self-tanners to see how it reacts with your skin, this could be a good one to start with.
5. Tanwise Self-Tanning Face Gel
Now we get to probably the best budget facial self-tanner for acne-prone skin on the market.
Made by Tanwise, this gel is perfect for someone just getting into self-tanning who wants something inexpensive and easy to apply.
Don’t be fooled, just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s not a great product.
The gel consistency applies extremely easily and dries fast, leaving your face feeling fantastic as the tan begins to develop.
Be aware, it does have a subtle tint. The tint is a beautiful bronze color with no hint of orange, and it seems to go on extremely well with no noticeable streaks at all.
Now that we’ve discussed the 5 best self-tanning options for acne-prone faces, let’s discuss some tips and tricks for applying them, as well as all the information you could ever want or need.
How To Apply Self Tanner To An Acne-Prone Face
When we’re using self-tanner on our body, even if we’re following a great self-tanning routine, there is a little room for error.
When we apply self-tanner to our faces, we want it to look perfect.
If our skin is prone to acne, we need our game to be even more honed.
First of all, it’s really important that you thoroughly clean your face with a sulfate-free cleanser before (and after) you use any sunless tanning product.
This will ensure that our skin has a proper pH balance.
Also, sulfates on our skin can tend to mess with the DHA (the chemical that causes the tan) and cause blotchiness and uneven coloring.
If you need to wash your face within a few hours of applying the self-tanner, try to just use warm water.
I suggest you apply the self-tanner right before you go to bed so it has plenty of time to fully develop the glow it is intended to give you.
Don’t just skip cleansing your face because we really don’t want breakouts to happen!
Related Articles
Does Fake Tan Cause Acne and Breakouts?
