In Australia, sun safety is practically second nature – decades of “slip, slop, slap” messaging means the risks of sunburn are well understood. But a recent, and alarming, Tiktok trend suggests some have missed the memo.
Videos with the hashtag #sunburnttanlines have clocked more than 200 million views on the social media platform. In the clips, people show off deep halter-neck burns and even share tips on how to use UV trackers as tanning tools.
Tanning not only increases someone’s risk of skin cancer, it “accelerates ageing and causes pigmentation,” says dermal therapist Joanna Fleming. “There’s no point investing in expensive actives like retinol if you’re not wearing sunscreen every day.”
Her advice? Avoid the sun altogether and reach for self-tanner instead.
Thankfully, fake tan isn’t what it used to be. Formulations with biscuity scents, patchy fades and questionable ingredients are making way for certified organic formulas, streak-free finishes and skincare-infused blends.
We’ve rounded up nine of the best to shop (including Fleming’s own picks) from classic brands like Loving Tan and Tan-Luxe to buzzy, new-gen options like Spray Aus and Three Warriors. Plus, we’ve got tips to avoid patchy applications and an answer to the age-old question: should you apply fake tan to your face?
Nine fake tan brands to shop
Sontse Golden Hour self-tan
$45
With a lightweight, velvety texture, Sontse’s Golden Hour is designed to glide on easily and create a smooth, streak-free finish. The fast-drying formula combines vitamin E, B5 and Kakadu plum to provide hydration, and it’s vegan, cruelty-free and made in Australia. Type: Mousse | Size: 200 millilitres | Where: Body
Tan-Luxe Hydra-Mousse self-tanner
$57
Tax-Luxe’s water-based formula is a favourite for its skincare-packed ingredients list. The whipped texture spreads evenly and absorbs quickly, while vitamins B, C and E in the formula help maintain moisture and softness post-application. With no guide colour, there’s zero transfer – just a smooth, seamless glow. Type: Mousse | Size: 200 millilitres | Where: Body
Three Warriors Gradual tan
$34.95
Tassie-based Three Warriors makes certified organic self-tanners. In the Gradual daily-use cream, there’s Tasmanian olive oil, aloe vera and avocado oil, among other nutrient-rich ingredients for nourishment and a slow, even tan over time. It’s designed for easy layering and buildable colour. Type: Cream | Size: 150 grams | Where: Body
Coco & Eve Sunny Honey Bali bronzing foam
$45
A cult favourite for good reason, Coco & Eve’s mousse is made with a 100 per cent natural tanning agent, coconut and fig extracts, as well as an antioxidant complex to help smooth and hydrate as it develops. The green-grey base develops over six hours with a tropical scent. Type: Mousse | Size: 200 millilitres | Where: Body
Loving Tan Platinum Express tan
$69.95
Loving Tan’s express mousse is for getting the job done, stat. There are dual active tanning agents, plus antioxidant-rich coffee seed and pomegranate extracts, which deliver a quick-dry natural tone and a streak-free, transfer-resistant finish. This one’s Fleming’s fake tan of choice. Type: Mousse | Size: 200 millilitres | Where: Body
Spray Aus Violet Days self-tan mousse
$46
Melbourne label Spray Aus takes a skincare-led approach to tanning. It’s packed with hydrating ingredients like sea buckthorn and hyaluronic acid, while the lightweight texture absorbs fast and wears evenly. There’s no added fragrance and no parabens – just a smooth low-maintenance glow that develops in as little as an hour. And this is Fleming’s second pick for self-tanner. Type: Mousse | Size: 200 millilitres | Where: Body
Eleffect The Tan
$44.95
Bondi-based Eleffect is run by Sydney influencer Elle Ferguson. The Tan is a velvety-soft mousse formulated with coconut oil and aloe vera to hydrate and soothe as it develops. The buildable texture layers easily for custom depth – one coat for a glow, more for darker results. It has a subtle rose scent and dries without stickiness. Type: Mousse | Size: 200 millilitres | Where: Body
Eco Tan Organic Winter Skin tan
$29.95
Aptly named Winter Skin, Eco Tan’s self-tanner is a certified organic option that builds a glow over time, while nourishing winter-worn skin. The Gold Coast brand’s formula blends aloe vera, chamomile and cacao to calm as it subtly bronzes, without synthetic fragrance or harsh ingredients. Type: Cream | Size: 200 millilitres | Where: Body
Ella Baché Great Tan Without Sun
$45
Ella Baché is all about salon-grade results. Its Great Tan Without Sun cream uses cocoa butter and lanolin to hydrate as it develops a streak-free tan in two hours. It’s pH-balanced and is made with vitamin E and green tea extract to help support healthy skin and lock in moisture. Type: Cream | Size: 130 millilitres | Where: Body and face
Application tips to avoid patchy fake tan
The key to a smooth, streak-free tan is in the prep. Start by exfoliating your skin the day before, either with a gentle body scrub or an exfoliating glove. This creates an even base. On application day, skip body lotion and reach for a tanning mitt to apply your chosen formula in long, sweeping motions. Use a buffing brush for trickier areas like ankles, wrists and elbows, blending lightly for a seamless finish.
Once your tan has developed and you’ve rinsed off, always follow up with SPF before heading outside. Fleming recommends La Roche Posay’s Athelios Invisible Fluid and Cancer Council’s Invisible SPF as affordable, chemist-friendly options for face and body. But for more beauty-led formulas, she leans towards Airyday’s Pearl Glow Dreamscreen for face and Ultra Violette’s Extreme Screen for body.
Can you use self-tanner on your face?
Short answer: yes, just make sure it’s the right formula. While it’s tempting to use your go-to body tan on your face, Fleming says it’s better to use one developed specifically for facial skin, especially if you’re applying regularly. “Most face tans will include ingredients like niacinamide, glycerin, squalane or vitamin E,” she says. “A lot of them will have antioxidants too, which help balance out the oxidative stress caused by the DHA – the active ingredient that creates a tan.”
Face tanners are generally more hydrating, gentler and designed with reactive skin in mind, so if you’re reaching for tan weekly, it’s worth investing in one made for the job. Three Warriors’ Face Tan Water and Coco & Eve’s Antioxidant Micromist are two to try.
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