Finding the best fake tan for pale skin is no mean feat. There’s a little more leeway when you’re bronzing a darker complexion as warm olive and honey tones are pretty forgiving, but not so much when you’re porcelain or fair.
The key to a great bottle tan is not looking like it came from a bottle. The best self tan should look natural – as if you’ve just stepped off a yacht in the Balearic islands. According to leading tanning expert James Harknett, the best way to tan pale skin is to start slowly. “I would always advise starting with the best gradual tan if you have very pale skin,” he explains. “Gradual tans contain less DHA, which is the ingredient in your product that provides a sunless glow.”
It’s also important to be realistic. “A fake tan that is a shade that your skin would never achieve in the sun looks really outdated, and is just not flattering to the rest of your appearance like your hair and eye coloring,” adds Harknett. From softly-softly gradual to the best instant tans for zero commitment, these convincing formulas will leave even the most reluctant-to-tan complexions with a healthy glow.
The best fake tan for pale skin, chosen by our beauty team
Best fake tan for pale skin overall
RRP: £27
Type: Mousse
Tan Luxe is built on the ethos that tanning doesn’t need to be a messy, sheet-staining, sticky experience as the formula is clear and has a slightly sweet scent. A little goes a long way, and it doesn’t dry too quickly, which means there's plenty of time to make sure you have covered every little patch of skin but without a guide colour, so you do need to over-compensate with extra buffing.
It’s an express mousse and we used it for between 30 minutes and one hour, finding that 45 minutes is the sweet spot for a noticeable, but not unnatural tan on pale skin that genuinely lasts for a full week. A great option if you're nervous about tanning.
Reasons to buy: It's easy to use, develops fast and won't stain your sheets.
Reasons to avoid: You rely heavily on a guide colour.
Best premium fake tan for pale skin
RRP: £19
Type: Body serum
From the age of 25, collagen starts to deplete but this formula is enriched with a collagen-enhancing complex that aims to restore some of this lost firmness, as well as hyaluronic acid to instantly plump and hydrate the skin. It means that not only will your skin look better, but your tan will stick around for longer too.
In true St Tropez style, the formula feels very luxe, with a serum-like texture that glides onto skin like silk. It doesn’t have a guide colour, but it does have a golden sheen to it, which not only makes you feel like an extra in a gorgeous perfume advert but also allows you to easily see where you might have missed any bits. This is a tan you do need to sleep in and it’s not super deep, but there is the option to re-apply after 24 hours if you want to deepen it for a special occasion or before a holiday.
Reasons to buy: Nourishes the skin and fades evenly.
Reasons to avoid: There isn't a guide colour.
Best instant fake tan for pale skin
RRP: £30
Type: Instant fake tan
This dense, mousse-like cream helps to filter out things you might not love, like thread veins, dry skin on legs, bruises, and mottled skin. There are five shades within the collection so fair skins have some choice, from Lighter-Light to Light.
We have used this for years and find the formula always applies smoothly and evenly with a mitt, delivering a subtle hint of colour that's more about the flawless, perfected finish, rather than an obvious tan. We loved the smooth and uniform finish, which helped to gloss over faint bruises and freckles across the shins. For an instant formula, this has almost shockingly good staying power. It never rubs off on our clothes which is a win, and it doesn't streak (not even after our Beauty Ed got drenched on the school run).
Reasons to buy: Washes off easily
Reasons to avoid: Expensive for a wash-off tan
Best fake tan for pale skin by skin undertone
RRP: £19.99
Type: Mousse
We talk a lot about skin tones when it comes to fake tan, but not very much about undertones – until now. Bondi Sands has developed a first-of-its-kind (yet still very affordable) tanning range centered around undertones as well as skin tone. There are four shades in the range, Sapphire for a natural cool tone, Emerald for a deep olive tone, Caramel for a warm golden tone, and Magenta for a rich deep tone.
The guide colour of this tan takes a little getting used to, as it has a blue, almost grey tinge to it which initially made our skin look quite pallid. There’s science in it though, and these tones are there to counteract the orange hues that those with fair, cool complexions really want to avoid. We applied with a mitt, which was a doddle, and showered off after one hour. There is the option to leave it on for up to three hours for a deeper tan, but we weren’t keen to risk it. It takes around 8 hours for the colour to fully develop into a healthy-looking glow and we are pleased to report there were no streaks or patches.
Reasons to buy: Natural finish that's great for cool toned skin.
Reasons to avoid: Slightly sticky.
Best nourishing fake tan for pale skin
RRP: £38
Type: Lotion
This formula is silky and nourishing – and feels much more like a moisturiser than a tan. It’s so moisturising (there’s the shea butter and jojoba oil to thank for that) that it left our skin with a nice sheen and helped reduce itchiness too. Our only gripe is that the pump only releases a teeny amount of product at a time, so it took quite a while to get enough to coat our entire bodies. It has a lovely fresh apricot scent and dries quickly so you don’t have to worry about feeling tacky post-application as you get into bed or go about your day.
This is the kind of product we like to call a take-the-edge-off-tan. Pale skin is lovely, but sometimes it feels like our legs can take on an almost luminous quality (especially post-winter) that doesn’t fill us with confidence as we slide into shorts season. What this tan manages to do is give skin a super subtle glow that replicates the effects of spending an afternoon in the garden – taking the edge off the starkness.
Reasons to buy: Feels lovely on the skin and sustainable ingredients.
Reasons to avoid: The pump isn't great.
Best gradual fake tan for pale skin
RRP: £5.99
Type: Lotion
If you find traditional fake tans to be too high maintenance, a tanning moisturiser is for you. This tanner hydrates your skin whilst providing a golden glow, and it only takes a matter of seconds to rub in.
Whilst other types of self-tanners tend to cling to dry spots and accentuate them, this light lotion-like tanner helps to nourish and hydrate whilst also providing a wash of bronze. The apricot oil-infused formula sinks quickly into the skin so is ideal to apply any time of day, although we typically apply this after showering or before going to bed, so by the time we wake up we are perfectly bronzed. As it's a white cream with no guide colour it won't stain your bed sheets once absorbed.
Reasons to buy: Lovely scent and non-streaky.
Reasons to avoid: Not ideal for sensitive skin.
Best fake tan for pale skin for a long-lasting glow
RRP: £26
Type: Foam
On testing, this had a lovely soft vanilla scent that is quite sweet. The mousse comes out a little dirty-looking with a green tinge, but it blends to a subtle bronze as you slather it across your limbs. It’s this green-grey pigment that zaps any orange tones so your tan looks more natural, which we can certainly attest to.
Medium is their lightest shade but it is suitable for pale complexions, and we found it easy to customise simply by rinsing off the guide colour a little earlier - two hours for the faintest hint of colour, or overnight for a deeper glow. The effect was smooth, streak-free, and even (it helped to gloss over some dodgy tan lines of summers past!) Want to know more? Our full Coco & Eve tan review has all the details.
Reasons to buy: Fades easily and has firming ingredients.
Reasons to avoid: The sweet scent isn't for everyone.
Best budget fake tan for pale skin
RRP: £9.99
Type: Mousse
Like some of the other pricier formulas on our list, this budget tan uses special pigments to neutralise orange, red, and sallow tones for a realistic pale-girl tan. The mousse has peach undertones to inject natural-looking warmth into alabaster skin.
We usually prefer a tan with a guide colour, which this has, so we can spot tell-tale gaps, stripes, and patches. The initial smell reminded us of talc, which was fresh and pleasant. It did sour slightly as the tan developed into that classic biscuity aroma but faded after rinsing. The colour was refreshingly natural and not at all orange. It lasted well too, probably owing to the moisturising additions, chiefly Hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5.
Reasons to buy: Affordable and gives a natural finish.
Reasons to avoid: Fairly strong tan scent.
Best fake tan for pale faces
RRP: £39
Type: Cream
Wondering how to self tan your face naturally? This is the world’s first barrier-repairing gradual tanning facial moisturiser, packed with amino acids and lipids. The cream itself smells a bit like sun cream, and the texture is rich, so probably best applied before bed. Our skin felt instantly plump and smooth to the touch and we saw a healthy glow creep in after about three hours.
As with all gradual tans, the depth of colour is in your hands. They say that the level of DHA in the cream (4.5% to be exact) is just the right amount to be used daily. We made the mistake of using our regular glycolic acid exfoliant in between applications, which did remove the tan and made it look a little patchy, but another evening top-up of crème evened things out again. We appreciated the healthy, radiant glow this delivered.
Reasons to buy: Customisable and barrier repairing.
Reasons to avoid: Can streak with certain actives.
Best fake tan for dry, pale skin
RRP: £19.95
Type: Oil mist
This is a shake-to-mix tanning body oil. Hyaluronic acid, glycerin, squalane, and a combination of seven nourishing oils lock moisture into the skin. In general, our skin (legs in particular) can feel dry and itchy, but there was no sense of tightness with this mist. Our skin felt smooth and sated, and the tan lasted a good few days.
There are three shade levels in the range and as it's a clear liquid mist with no guide colour, the application process can be a little messy so it's best done in the shower or bath. After saturating the skin, you'll need to blend thoroughly with a mitt to ensure a streak-free finish. However, after showering, the result was pleasingly natural and made our skin tone look a lot more even.
Reasons to buy: Hydrating and long lasting.
Reasons to avoid: A little messy.
Best budget tan mousse for pale skin
RRP: £6.99
Type: Mousse
This bronze whip has a beautiful coconut scent that does go a little way to disguise the slight fake tan-y background aroma. The mousse is tinted so you can see exactly where to buff and it melts into the skin so you get impressive coverage across your limbs.
Another major plus is the fact it dries quickly so you don't have to wait around for half an hour feeling sticky and tacky. If it's a subtle hint of colour you're after, hop in the shower after an hour. Otherwise, leave on for six hours and rinse for sunkissed skin. The only downside is after a few days we found that it started to fade in patches, but if you're familiar with how to remove fake tan then you'll know that it's nothing a good scrub or tan eraser won't fix, ready to start all over again.
Reasons to buy: Long lasting and smells like coconut.
Reasons to avoid: Fades slightly unevenly.
Best supermarket fake tan for pale skin
RRP: £4.19
Type: Moisturiser
This facial tanner by Dove is by far the most affordable product we tried for this guide, and it is perfect for pale skin due to its subtle results. Apply at the end of your usual skincare routine instead of your moisturiser to add a natural-looking glow to the face. This product does take slightly longer to sink in than a traditional face moisturiser, but as the last step in your routine, this doesn't cause many problems.
If you like a deep or dark tan, this moisturiser probably won't be suitable for you. It gives more of a your-skin-but-better glow, rather than a two-weeks-in-Mexico look. For pale skin, though, we find this does just what we need it to for every day. Streak-free and also hydrating, you won't feel the need for foundation after seeing the results.
Reasons to buy: Easy to use and good for acne-prone skin.
Reasons to avoid: Results are quite subtle.
How we tested the best fake tan for pale skin
To make finding the best fake tan for pale skin an easy process for you we tried over twenty different formulas, as well as looking out old favourites we have relied on for years. We applied each one over our bodies (including the face) and left them on for a week to see how they faded over time. When deciding which tans were the best for fair complexions, we judged them based on:
- How easy they were to apply: Whether you’re a tanning expert or a novice, you want your formula to be intuitive and simple to apply.
- Whether the finish was even: There’s little more frustrating than waking up to a patchy, streaky tan. All the best fake tan for pale skin on this list delivered an even, convincing finish.
- How evenly they faded: We want our tan to deliver past day one, so we monitored how well the finish lasted over the course of a week.
- How long they lasted: Here today, gone tomorrow? The results of some tans are more short-lived than others.
- Whether they had a tell-tale fake tan smell: Good news – applying fake tan no longer comes with an Eau de Biscuit fragrance. The latest formulas are using innovative ways to cancel out and mask this traditional scent.
When we were happy we’d learned everything there was to know about one tan, we ran a bath, slathered on one of the best body exfoliators, and moved on to the next one with a nice clear canvas.
How to choose the best fake tan for pale skin
If you want to learn how to fake tan like a pro, particularly when you’re working with porcelain skin, follow these expert tips and master the art of believable bronzing.
- Choose the right formula: "For paler skin tones I recommend using a light, hydrating formula which you can build up over time," advises Jules Von Hep. "Tanning waters and oil mists are the most hydrating tan possible. You are quite literally giving your skin a drink and they are so easy to apply - the trick is to apply liberally. Your skin should be drenched after application and then blended with a mitt, swept gently over the skin." This will also prevent the dehydration and patchiness that has us asking is fake tan bad for your skin?
- Go gradual: "If you are pale and looking for a natural, sun-kissed glow, avoid darker shades of tan with higher levels of DHA as this will add too much red pigment to the skin," says St.Tropez Tanning + Skincare Expert Michaella Bolder. "I love using gradual tan for building a really subtle glow on paler skin. If you apply tan every 3-4 days, by the time you get to the richest tone, you’ve already begun to wash the tan off during showering. I like to then reapply around day three or four to help maintain a hydrated and consistent, gorgeous-looking tan."
- Think about undertone: "The simplest way of finding your undertone is by your skin’s reaction to the sun," explains Amanda Harrington. "If you have a paler skin tone with a slight red/yellow undertone, possible freckles, a high mole count, blue-ish veins and burn easily in natural sunlight, you have a cool undertone. If you are pale, with a yellow/green undertone to the skin, greenish veins, sallow in the winter but catches tan almost immediately with little effort, then you are a natural olive." This goes for picking the best bronzer for fair skin, too - always think about undertone.
- Put in the prep: "Paler skins can really catch the tan in dry areas," says Harrington, "so scrub and moisturise pre-tanning application. I always apply a balm or moisturiser on hands, elbows, knees, and feet to avoid the tan catching, even if I am using a gradual tan." And if the worst happens and you forget your barrier cream, read our beauty editor's guide to how to get fake tan off hands.
Does fake tan work on very pale skin?
Fake tan absolutely does work on very pale skin. The problem is that it can work a little too well, and you’ll need to be careful not to go overboard with the shade. “It’s important to not choose a shade that is too dark for your skin tone,” says Bolder. “If you have pale skin and opt for a dark tan then it’s likely that your result will look unnatural. Gradual tanning solutions are a good option as they enable you to tailor your tan result by applying one layer over a few consecutive days until you achieve your desired glow.”
The other issue, which we alluded to earlier, is that there’s less margin for error when you’re tanning very pale skin, as streaks and patches will be more noticeable on a lighter skin tone. “If you have very pale skin then tanning mistakes can be far more obvious than if you have olive skin,” says Harknett. “It’s really important to make sure you exfoliate thoroughly beforehand and sweep some oil-free moisturiser over drier areas like elbows, knees, and ankles.”
“If you have never self-tanned before, don’t choose the day before an occasion to try a new tan for the first time. Once you have found a product that you really like, and that suits both your skin type and your skin tone, then you can tan with more confidence. Finally, if your pale skin means you have light hair on your head and brows then keep your hair away from your face with a decent-sized toweling headband and protect your eyebrows too with a hint of Vaseline or barrier cream.” Follow these golden rules, and tanning very pale skin will be a breeze.
What fake tan is best for pale skin with pink undertones?
Skin that’s pale with pink undertones probably wouldn’t naturally tan a deep, golden colour in the sun, so you need to keep that in mind when you’re choosing a false formula. Your skin undertone is the overall hue of your skin and will fall into one of three categories – warm (golden or yellow) cool (pink, red, or blue), or neutral (a blend of both). “The undertone of your skin is something that remains unchanged, even if your skin type and type change over time,” explains Harknett. “When choosing cosmetic products such as foundation, my clients with pink undertones are opting for the best foundations and best tinted moisturisers which have a green aspect to them to neutralize those undertones. The market has a wide variety of choices in terms of tanners too, and I think for this skin tone then St Tropez is a great option.” Bolder agrees. “If you have a pink undertone look for a green-based fake tan as this will correct any pink or redness in the skin.”
On this kind of complexion, it’s a good idea to start with a gradual, or controllable express tan, first to avoid going overboard. “Tanning is about logic,” says Von Hepp “The more tan you add to the skin, the deeper the end result will be. If you’re a first-time tanner, apply just one light layer to the skin and get used to the colour change you see after the tan has developed. If you want to go deeper next time, just add more during application.”
How do you use your undertone to find your ideal tan?
We know how important the role of undertones is when it comes to nailing the perfect foundation match for your complexion, and the same applies to self-tan too.
"Traditionally, the undertone of your skin is what you would see as your natural skin tone when you haven’t been in the sun for around six months," explains Bolder. "Paler skin types can often have a cool blue and sometimes a hint of red undertone. Those with olive skin tones may see more of a yellow or grey undertone that will take lightly to the sun. Darker skin tones can be a mix of blue, red, and yellow undertones."
Most tans will imbue the skin with a red pigment, which is why some can look unnaturally warm on pale complexions but the tanning industry is taking note. "I created a tanning range for paler skin tones called Natural Rose, which has cool violet and blue in the formula, which neutralises and evens out paler skin,’ explains Harrington.
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