The best fake tan for mature skin needs to give you a natural glow that won't cling to dry patches. As a Beauty Editor of 20 years, I’ve tried hundreds of self-tans, and as I've gotten older I've noticed that what makes the best fake tan for mature skin is often different from the products I swore by in the past.
Perimenopause, menopause and beyond can truly mess with your fake tan performance and this is because your skin’s ability to react with the DHA in fake tan and turn brown diminishes as you get older. I’ve found that my skin physically can’t handle the best self-tans like it used to; similar to my liver’s response to 'going out late on a school night' and 'bottomless brunch'. Super-dark formulas for example, which I was partial to once, are now too drying for my liking and grab onto any age-worn dry bits like knees and feet. So I've been on the lookout for a fake tan for my skin that has enough power to deliver a great color result - whether it's a gradual tan product or a good instant tan for quick results.
Here are my top 9 editor-vetted fake tan products for mature skin that I'd use again and again. Take it from a fake tan-lover in her 40s - they give you all the glow and none of the regret.
The best fake tan for mature skin - thoroughly tested by a beauty editor
Best for mature skin overall
RRP: £34
Type: Tinted tan with a luxe texture
We've never met a fake tan with a formula so silky that it feels like an indulgence to use. Even if you don’t feel confident about applying fake tan, then this is a great choice. There’s no snagging on any dry areas and has a lovely cocoa scent to match.
The final shade continues to develop over 72 hours, a technology we fully appreciate now we're at an age when fake tan fades so much faster on our skin. The hydrating formula suits both my face and body, making this our favourite top-to-toe fake tan.
Reasons to buy: Long lasting formula that glides on the skin and is comfortable to wear.
Reasons to avoid: One of the most expensive options we tried.
Best for a healthy glowing face
RRP: £30.45
Type: Facial tanning drops
After just one application of Magic Drops, we realised we’d stumbled upon 'The One'. Not only did the colour develop astonishingly fast, but we looked healthy and our skin felt soft and smooth.
Unlike most tanning drops, these drops are designed to be applied neat which sounds slightly terrifying but in reality it works beautifully, even on pale skin. This is a great product to use to self tan your face - even if it’s the only part of you that’s being tanned - because it’s easy to blend the liquid down to your neck evenly. If you want to be ultra-cautious, you can mix it with moisturiser but we loved the look from the neat drops alone.
Reasons to buy: Quick results that are non-drying for your complexion.
Reasons to avoid: Costs as much as skincare products.
Best for a subtle glow
RRP: £35
Type: Tanning drops
We love St Tropez and another day, we might have gone with the original 1Hr Express Bronzing Mousse, but we love this more recent product. It contains hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, as well as vitamin B5 and a collagen complex to deliver skincare goodness with your glow. We found it was light yet moisturising.
The formula is clear but we found there’s enough of a gleam to keep tabs on where it’s been applied so we didn't miss any areas. The colour result is a light golden glow that’s ideal if you’re looking for a boost rather than a huge shade shift. This fake tan for mature skin is also great for anyone afraid of making those rookie self tan mistakes.
Reasons to buy: Moisturises the skin while giving a natural finish.
Reasons to avoid: Some skin tones will need more than one application.
Best for a custom body glow
RRP: £26.95
Type: Tanning drops
The original Isle of Paradise facial tanning drops are great, and this follow-up also doesn’t disappoint. It comes in three versions which are colour-corrected for unwanted undertones. We love how easy this is to build into your existing regime and by adding it to your fragranced body cream, the DHA aroma was minimal too.
We tested the medium shade with around eight drops per generous dollop of our body cream. Not every handful had the same proportion between cream and drops but we still got a natural-looking result. Our favourite thing though was how easy this is to top up at the first sign of fading. If you want a product to make your tan last longer, this is it.
Reasons to buy: Great for mixing in with your moisturiser.
Reasons to avoid: You might have to experiment with it to get the right colour for your skin.
Best for a deep glow
RRP: £26
Type: Tinted mousse
Usually, we're not massively enamored of anything that has “anti-cellulite” written on it, but we're prepared to turn a blind eye on this occasion because this fake tan is otherwise excellent.
The glow from this tan is deep but it’s also cool - in the colour wheel sense and in general too. We were extra careful to wipe over trouble spots like knees and feet, but we’ve not had issues with excess build-up or skin dryness afterwards. We also like the fluffiness of the formula, which makes it very quick to apply. The guide colour isn’t particularly daylight-friendly friendly but being able to get a tan this deep that’s still age-appropriate easily makes up for it. We think this a great option before a beach holiday.
Reasons to buy: Quick to apply and gives a dark glow.
Reasons to avoid: The bottle claims to banish cellulite which isn't the case.
Best for moisturising
RRP: £24
Type: Luxe tanning butter
Sure it’s not the cheapest gradual tan, but we like to justify it by saying it’s a multi-tasker that moisturises, bronzes and adds radiance too. As soon as you apply it you’ll notice a couple of things: the lovely rich feel from all the oils, and also the glowy, micro-particles while waiting for the actual glow. It's fairly quick in grad-tan terms - we got a subtle yet visible lift from one application, and after three we're ready to ease off everyday application.
The hydrating ingredients both smooth the skin and keep the colour intact once it’s there. A little goes quite a long way too. If dryness has put you off using fake tan in midlife, this is the product to win you over again.
Reasons to buy: A hydrating formula that is easy to build up.
Reasons to avoid: A pricier gradual formula.
Best for smart colour technology
RRP: £19
Type: Tinted mousse
At first glance, we thought this might be a gimmick. Having tried it, we take it all back. It comes in four shades, but rather than light, medium and dark, you’re presented with unappealing-sounding options like ‘emerald’ and ‘magenta’. Thankfully, this refers to clever colour-balancing technology and is designed to give the perfect result on specific skin tones. The shade Sapphire (for fair skin) did not turn us the colour of a Smurf. In fact, it was great, and very fade-resistant too.
Bondi Sands has called this a '1 Hour Tan' but the pack says three hours gives optimal results. Three hours did seem to be the sweet spot with this one, and while there was a fake tan aroma, we didn’t need to sleep in it - or get it on my sheets.
Reasons to buy: Develops quickly so you won't need to sleep in it.
Reasons to avoid: Packaging claims it develops in one hour but three is optimal.
Best gradual fake tan for mature skin
RRP: £5.30
Type: Gradual tan body moisturiser
Pretty much anything featuring Nivea’s famous Q10 skin firming ingredient gets the nod of approval from us, including this excellent gradual tan. It’s as simple as smothering on any body cream, although is better if you use a mitt. Nobody wants to be frantically googling 'how to get fake tan off your hands' on the morning of a big event.
It promises 'tighter, firmer skin' which we're dubious about as a claim, but we will certainly agree that using it in a fortnightly tanning cycle ticked the 'radiance' bit of the product name. Our skin felt a lot softer and more supple too. The medium shade would make a pleasant all-year-round glow, as it's easy to build up or ease off as you please. There's a summer-inspired scent of jasmine, plum and peach but there’s still a very faint fake tan aroma by lunchtime.
Reasons to buy: Affordable and easy to use.
Reasons to avoid: Has a faint fake tan smell.
Best in a face serum format
RRP: £26
Type: Lightweight serum
This serum is one of those brilliant hybrid products which doesn’t just straddle skincare and self tan, it excels at both. It has the feel of a regular hyaluronic acid serum, and we can’t detect any drying trade-off from having a shot of DHA in there.
We tested out the medium shade and once we'd built up an initial golden base built from three applications, we then settled into a ‘one day on, two days off’ routine which kept us both hydrated and glowy. It was also a great time saver because we found we needed less makeup to look presentable, and many days we were happy to ditch the foundation and just slick some concealer on our under-eye circles. We even bruised our palms thwacking the base to get every last drop out.
Reasons to buy: A buildable colour that's hydrating for the skin.
Reasons to avoid: It's only really suitable for your face.
How to choose fake tan for mature skin
If you're on the lookout for a fake tan that enhances your mature skin then it's well worth considering a few factors first.
Undertone: First up, it can be really helpful to understand your skin's undertone (not just for choosing a fake tan, but for everything down to choosing a new hair colour and clothing too). If you have warmer undertones, your veins are more likely to be green. Whereas if you have a cooler tone, your veins will be blue. If you're on the cool side, you'll want to choose a fake tan that has light or medium shades to avoid them turning out orange.
Ease of application: Thankfully, long gone are the days where fake tan is purely sticky formulas that are hard to get streak-free. However, it's still worth taking note of how easy each product is to apply. If you're someone that doesn't want to spend a dedicated amount of time tanning, then opt for fake tan drops that can be added to your everyday moisturiser instead.
Skincare benefits: Mature skin products are packed filled with promises but we've tested some excellent options that have genuine skin-loving ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5. Take note of moisturising formulas too so you find an option that is soothing rather than drying for your skin.
Scents and fragrance: Fake tan might look natural but that familiar scent of DHA is not great. If you are particularly sensitive to the scent of DHA, we'd recommend taking at look at our tested products as many now have floral scents that are much more pleasant.
How we tested the best fake tan for mature skin
Midlife is complicated enough; fake tan doesn’t need to add to that. When compiling my edit of the best fake tan for mature skin, I tested a range of different self tan products, from the best fake tan for pale skin to fake tans specifically for your face - like bronzing drops. I was looking for products that are easy to apply, develop evenly and give a convincing colour that really could have come from a beach holiday.
I was also looking for tans with added skin care ingredients to compensate for the drying effect of DHA and help lock in colour for longer. It would be lovely to say ‘doesn’t smell’ was on my must-have list too, but experience has taught me that 100% odor-free fake tan is about as real as unicorns. Let’s agree on ‘not too gross’ as a bonus marks category.
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