I have fair skin, so I've relied on self-tanner to look bronzed and glowing for the last decade (going back to high school). As it turns out, habitually reaching for self-tanner instead of tanning oil was a great choice, as exposure to UV rays can seriously damage the skin. According to celebrity aesthetician and dermatological nurse Natalie Aguilar, using self-tanner in lieu of laying out in the sun or a tanning bed can decrease your chances of premature aging, sunburn, and skin cancer. To color the skin, self-tanners lean on dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which is an FDA-approved ingredient that temporarily tans the outermost layers of the skin. To determine which formulas are the best, I tested a handful of popular self-tanners, keeping ease of use, color development time, look, and longevity of each top of mind. Then, I combined my findings with expert advice from Aguilar, as well as professional airbrush-tanning artist Kristyn Pradas and certified aesthetician Rhea Souhleris Grous.Our To...
