5 Best Self-Tanners For Mature Skin – 2025
Mature skin can often be more challenging to self-tan, as there will be more UV damage, lines, wrinkles, wear and tear, dark spots, and dry patches from age.
While this is all incredibly normal for mature skin, it can pose some problems when self-tanning.
Self-tanners work by reacting with the top layer of the skin, with DHA darkening the color of the skin to result in a tan.
The results are always better if the skin is even, smooth, and hydrated. The softer and more even the skin, the more natural-looking and flawless the tan will be.
So what is the best self-tanner for mature skin?
St. Tropez Classic Self-Tanning Mousse is an amazing choice for mature skin. When applied with a tanning mitt, it will cover the skin evenly and won’t bring more attention to spots or age spots. Exfoliate and moisturize before applying, and be sure to blend outwards from any areas of discoloration.
Many women over the age of 50 are worried that a self-tan might highlight wrinkles and fine lines and even make dark spots seem worse.
While it is true that self-tanners can highlight these conditions, there are ways around it.
The right preparation, care, and self-tanning product can help make mature skin seem nearly flawless with a self-tanner.
Prepping Mature Skin For A Self-Tan
Below is the step-by-step guide to preparing your mature skin for a self-tanner.
Gently Exfoliate
Exfoliating before a spray tan is recommended. With mature skin, staying away from a heavy exfoliator is a good idea.
It is important to smooth out the skin, focusing on the drier areas such as knees, elbows, ankles, and feet, but gently so as not to cause any more damage to the skin.
Exfoliators with salicylic acid are best for mature skin. It’s important to apply exfoliating products before you apply self-tanner as the acid will affect the tan if it is applied on top of a self-tanner.
Dermalogica has an amazing micro exfoliator that is gentle on mature skin and can be used before self-tanner.
Moisturize
You should also moisturize before a self-tan, but not too close to the self-tan that the moisturizer acts as a barrier for the self-tanner reacting with the skin.
Focus on moisturizing mainly in the drier areas, such as elbows and knees, so they do not look patchy when the tan develops.
Moisturizing the skin will give it the extra hydration it needs, which is always a good thing, but it is especially vital for mature skin that might be prone to drying out.
Dry skin will not hold a self-tan well, and it will fade quickly if not kept nourished and hydrated.
It’s important that the moisturizer you apply before self-tanner is oil-free. This moisturizer from Dermalogica is the perfect lotion for mature skin and won’t interfere with the self-tanner.
Does Self-Tanner Cover Fine Lines and Age Spots?
No self-tanner will ever be able to completely hide dark spots and fine lines, but a warm tone all over the body and face can make them seem less visible on the skin.
The tan will take attention away from the blemishes and make the skin appear evener.
It is important to keep using a moisturizer over dark spots, even after applying the self-tanning product.
This will help stop the self-tanner from darkening the blemishes too much and will help keep the skin healthy and supple to make the tan appear smoother and more natural-looking.
Use A Gradual Tanner To Minimize Age Spots
If you are nervous about the self-tanner accentuating fine lines and dark spots, you might want to choose to use a gradual self-tanner.
These self-tanners do not give an instant dark glow, but instead, build an even and natural-looking tan after several days.
This gives you the control to decide how dark you want your tan to be, and the option to stop using the self-tanner if it is bringing out flaws in your skin.
Most of the gradual self-tanners can be used as a daily moisturizer as well, so they have the added benefit of nourishment and hydration for the skin.
The only gradual self-tanner on this list is SAMPAR’s tined moisturizer, which actually doesn’t contain any DHA, so it gives mature skin a soft glow that isn’t overpowering.
The 5 Best Self-Tanners For Mature Skin
Choosing the right self-tanner for your mature skin will be your best bet in achieving an even tan that helps smooth lines and spots, giving you a flawless look.
1. St. Tropez Classic Self-Tanning Mousse
St. Tropez Classic Self-Tanning Mousse is the best for mature skin as well as dry skin. If you have noticed your skin drying out as you age, you can check out this article.
This formula works without a tanning glove, but for my mature friends, I highly recommend that you invest in a tanning mitt to blend this tanning mousse flawlessly into your skin.
This formula dries quickly, usually within 60 seconds after application, which means you don’t have to stand naked in your bathroom forever waiting for it to dry.
If you have sun spots or age spots, be sure to blend the product outward from each spot. If properly applied, it does not enhance the appearance of the spots and will cover your skin evenly.
You will have a golden glow within 4-8 hours of application, after which you can hop into the shower if you wish.
One application is all you need to have a tan that lasts for up to 10 days. Of course, you will notice some fading during that time, but the fade is even and gradual so that you won’t look patchy.
The addition of ingredients such as Jojoba Oil means that your skin will stay hydrated for up to 24 hours after applying the self-tanner to your skin.
2. SAMPAR Golden Glow Singlow Tinted Moisturizer
The Cosmakeup Golden Glow from Sampar is a moisturizing cream that gives the skin a sun-glow effect daily and helps prolong its radiant shine.
It is a 24-hour hydration cream that is tinted with a bronzer to stimulate a natural glow daily.
While this isn’t a standard self-tanner with DHA, the ingredients in this tinted moisturizer increase melanin synthesis by up to 32% to promote a bronzed look, without the need for tanning in the sun.
I love it for mature skin because it can be used on all skin types and tones, and it is a great option to replace your daily moisturizing cream.
Apply the cream daily to build the tan you want. It is cruelty-free and non-comedogenic.
Another bonus for mature skin is that it contains an anti-pollution shield that protects your skin from additional damage caused by the environment.
Even though it is in smaller packaging, a little goes a long way to give you a hydrated summer glow that is fully under your control.
3. Beauty By Earth Self-Tanning Lotion
Beauty By Earth offers one of the gentlest self-tanning lotions on the market. Its organic and natural ingredients work together to give you nourished and smooth-looking skin.
The vegan sunless tanning lotion is all-natural and transforms skin to a gorgeous summer glow, smoothing out blotches and dark spots.
For my mature friends, this lotion does a great job of smoothing out any discoloration on the body, but be careful when applying it to your face.
It has the potential to darken age spots and sunspots on your face, so you may want to opt for the tinted moisturizer from SAMPAR for your face and use this self-tanner for your body.
The tanning lotion can be used on all skin types, and added ingredients such as Shea Butter, Green Tea Extract, and Coconut Oil care for your skin, while the active ingredients help it tan gradually to your desired tone.
Free from parabens, phthalates, and chemical active ingredients, the sunless tanning lotion from Beauty By Earth is caring for your skin and offers it all the hydration it needs to hold its new tan beautifully.
Mature skin often needs a little more care and love, and it will get all of that from these wonderful organic and natural ingredients.
4. Bahama Tan Organic Self-Tanner
The Organic Self-Tanner from Bahama Tan has been created to be used on both the face and the body, allowing you to use one product without any hassle.
The lotion is tinted brown to help you see where you applied the self-tanner and any spots you missed.
The tan develops into a medium shade and does well to blend in dark spots and hide fine lines.
The tinted guide is water-soluble, so it will rinse away during a shower, leaving the active ingredients to develop your skin into a darker, bronze tan.
Made from caramelized organic sugar, the guide does not contain any stains or harmful dyes.
Ingredients such as Argan Oil, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, and Monoi de Tahiti deeply moisturize and hydrate skin, giving it a smooth and even-looking finish. The Level 2 medium shade can be used on both light and medium skin tones.
This is a reliable product with great added ingredients that only help to make your self-tan look more incredible.
5. Fake Bake Flawless Self-Tan Liquid
Self-tanning is made so much easier with this Fake Bake liquid, which is applied with a spray bottle.
Using ingredients such as DHA, DMI, and erythrulose, the tanning liquid works to develop a tan aligned with your natural skin tone, producing a tan that looks similar to your shade.
When applied, the liquid lotion has been formulated to be streak-free and non-patchy, so you can be assured of an even, golden tan each time.
While the product does not contain a moisturizer, you can use your favorite daily moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated.
The benefit is that the self-tanner dries a lot quicker than others, as there is no need to wait for the moisturizer to sink in.
This leads to a minimal risk of staining clothes and other linens around the house from a product that has not dried.
Fake Bake helps to give you a flawless tan, which is truly the perfect highlight of your natural skin tone.
This results in a natural-looking tan that hides lines and wrinkles under a gorgeous glow.
Final Thoughts
Having mature skin should never stop you from treating yourself to a gorgeous summer tan, free from damage done by UV rays.
While there might be a few obstacles to overcome, such as wrinkles, fine lines, and dark spots, there are ways around this, and there are some great products out there that will blend in the tan to your natural skin tone, creating a flawless-looking tan that brings out your youthful looks!
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