Best Self Tanner for Pregnancy

Are you looking for the best self tanner for pregnancy to give your skin a natural looking tan?

Then let us help guide you with our list of the best self tanner while pregnant!

Who doesn’t want to have naturally glowing skin? Everyone wants to look like they just spent the week lounging at the beach, but it’s not always possible. If you want that gorgeous glow while pregnant, many women opt to try the best self-tanner for pregnancy.

However, not all products are pregnancy safe; who knows what companies put into their skincare products? Therefore, researching what you apply to your skin is essential during pregnancy.

Your skin is your biggest organ, after all! It absorbs whatever you apply to it, and you always want to be sure your unborn baby is safe. Questionable ingredients aren’t welcome here, so let’s look at some of the top brands on the market you can trust with your safety.

And if you love this guide on the best pregnancy safe self tanner, then make sure to also check out our guides on the best body lotion for pregnancy, best face washes for pregnancy, best pregnancy safe face masks and best pregnancy safe lash serum.

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Best Self Tanner While Pregnant

1. Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam

Bondi offers a pregnancy-safe sunless tanning lotion. You’ll get a natural, streak-free bronze after a few applications.

The Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam is available in a range of shades to suit different skin tones, from light to dark, however we think it works best with light to medium skin tones. It is formulated with a blend of ingredients that work together to create a smooth, even tan. This includes DHA (dihydroxyacetone), which is a colorless chemical that reacts with the amino acids on the surface of the skin to produce a brown color.

The foam is easy to apply using the Bondi Sands Self Tanning Mitt, which helps to ensure an even coverage and prevent streaks or patchiness.

This is a foam product, and it’s pretty lightweight and breathable on your skin. Compared to other products, Bondi Sands doesn’t feel like it’s sitting on top of your skin, suffocating it. Instead, it absorbs well and leaves a smooth, silky finish.

The tan develops over a few hours and can be washed off to reveal a natural-looking, streak-free tan.

We love that Bondi Sands uses excellent ingredients in their product, like coconut and aloe vera, to keep your skin moisturized and protected. Bondi Sands also put their product through clinical tests to ensure it won’t cause bad reactions on your body.

However, some say it does have a strong coconut fragrance that they dislike. Also, Bondi Sands recommends using their mitt – solid separately – for ideal application. Not everyone likes to have to purchase something else.

Pros

• Natural-looking summer tan
• Foaming
• Light to medium tan
• 6 hour exposure time
• Contains aloe vera and vitamin E
• Lightweight Formula
• Non-Streaking
• Vegan
• Cruelty-free
• High DHA content ensures that your golden tan lasts for a long time
• Smells of coconut

Cons

• Strong Fragrance
• Application mitt sold separately

2. St. Tropez Self Tan Express Bronzing Mousse

No one likes a greasy sunless mousse, and the St. Tropez is a three-in-one self-tanning formula that you’ll love. It gives your body a golden hue, and it’s super lightweight. The mousse is lightweight, applies easily to your body, dries quickly, and lasts for a week to start to fade. Reviews say that this mousse fades evenly instead of splotchy.

You never have to worry about potentially harmful ingredients when using St. Tropez Bronzing Mousse. It uses a safe, vegan-friendly formula free of parabens, phthalates, and sulfates.

St. Tropez uses a naturally derived DHA that gives you gorgeous skin coverage. It absorbs well into your skin, but the directions say you need to let it sit on your skin to get the tan you want. Then, reapply every three to four days for the best tan.

You can leave the mousse on your skin for up to three hours. However, for best results, St. Tropez recommends exfoliating well beforehand.

Pros

• Mousse – Easy to apply
• Hydrating
• As little as 1 hour exposure time
• Lightweight Formula
• Non-Streaking
• Vegan
• Quick-drying and non-sticky
• Transfer-resistant
• Fades down evenly
• No self tan smell

Cons

• Light Color
• Expensive
• Contains Color and Scent Additives

3. Sun Laboratories Ultra Dark Self-Tanning Lotion

Another popular pick for a self-tanner for pregnancy is Sun Laboratories. It’s an excellent, organic, sugar-based lotion that works fast and gives you the gorgeous, dark tan you want. Their self-tanner sets within three hours, working on your body and face. It gives you a golden tint, and the tan gradually gets darker without frustrating streaks.

Sun Laboratories uses a formula enriched with vitamins C and E along with aloe vera to protect your skin from early aging signs. It also protects your body from sunburns. In addition, the ingredients help to restore your skin’s texture and elasticity without any parabens.

This self-tanning lotion is suitable for all skin types, and it dries quickly on your skin. So you won’t have to wait for it to dry for ages. However, this lotion contains coloring, including red dye 40, a controversial ingredient. So, if you avoid artificial colors, this won’t be a good choice for you.

Pros

• Suitable for all skin types
• Fast Absorbing
• Natural blend of ingredients
• Paraben-free
• Streak Free
• Nourishes, revitalizes, and hydrates
• Made in USA
• No animal testing
• Family owned and operated

Cons

• Thin Consistency
• Contains Red Dye 40

4. Beauty by Earth Self Tanning Lotion

Beauty by Earth is an excellent option if you want a moisturizing self-tanning lotion. Seriously, it has over 10,000 positive reviews on Amazon alone! It’s a buildable lotion, going from light to medium, giving you a natural bronzed look. In addition, the formula never streaks, blotches, or causes dark spots.

Beauty by Earth enriched its formula with DHA, shea butter, and organic aloe vera. All these ingredients work together to protect and moisturize your skin, so it will hydrate your skin if you suffer from dry skin. This happens without any harmful ingredients using a cruelty-free, vegan formula.

Another benefit of this formula is that it protects you from sunburns simultaneously and reduces signs of aging caused by sunlight. Beauty by Earth also contains omega-3 fatty acids to improve the health of your skin. It’s even made with 81% water!

For best results, apply every four to seven days; this will help your skin retain a natural-looking glow. Then, let it dry for up to 30 minutes before putting on clothes.

Pros

• Streak Free
• Non-Toxic
• Cruelty-Free
• Hydrating

Cons

• Strong Scent to Many
• Expensive
• Plant-Based DHA

5. Jergens Natural Glow Instant Sun Mousse

Jergens is one of the best-known sunless tanning brands on the market today, and their Instant Sun Mousse is a great, lightweight option. It offers a natural glow to your body with a light bronze color for a gradual, natural look.

Women love this lightweight, airy formula; it won’t feel too heavy on your skin. Jergens infused the mousse with their Advanced Color Complex that helps intensify your original skin tone. It makes your sunless tan look more natural and less like you used a lotion.

Pros

• Lightweight
• Streak-Free
• Easy to Apply and Blend
• Absorbs Well

Cons

• Fades Quickly

6. Skinerals Self Tanner Bronzer

If you want that natural sun-kissed natural glow, you’ll love the Skinerals Self Tanner Bronzer. It’s made with a blend of natural organic ingredients that protect your skin from sun damage while hydrating and moisturizing your tired skin.

It’s hard not to love the ingredients since this natural blend doesn’t include any sulfates, parabens, or aerosol. It contains primarily vegan ingredients.

Skinerals use ingredients that contain antioxidants, such as fig extracts and acai berries, to reduce skin blemishes and provide an even skin texture. Women rave about the pleasant scent, and it will leave your skin with a streak-free, natural-looking glow.

Overall, Skinerals say their results last up to seven days without fading. That’s excellent results for a sunless tanning product. In addition, you can apply this bronzer before going to bed and wash it in the morning since it dries fast.

Also, women love that this product doesn’t have a strong scent. This is an excellent option to try if you feel sensitive to smells.

Pros

• Free of Harmful Ingredients
• Non-Greasy
• Lasts Up to One Week
• Contains Antioxidants

Cons

• Some Reviews Say It Causes Blotches

7. Botanic Tree Self Tanner

We love this herbal formula created by Botanic Tree for an all-natural sunless tanner. Your skin will get the perfect bronzed tone without any harmful sun exposure. Botanic Tree uses some organic ingredients, and it’s a plant-based, vegan, cruelty-free product. They use naturally derived DHA from sugar cane as well!

Botanic Tree makes its lotion without harmful ingredients, enriching its product with shea butter and ten different organic fruit extracts. As a result, your skin feels soft, hydrated, and refreshed after each use – you’ll look forward to this product!

This self-tanner is safe to use during pregnancy. Botanic Tree avoids chemicals like sulfates, phthalates, parabens, synthetic dyes, fragrances, and BHA.

However, some note that the formula contains rosemary, a controversial product during pregnancy. While most experts say rosemary is safe, you need to make that decision for yourself.

Women love that this product won’t leave their skin feeling greasy or sticky. Putting clothes on after using this self-tanner is no big deal. Plan to reapply every four to five days for the optimal tan you want the most. It is a thick formula, and you will need to gradually build on the color to make sure you avoid the dreaded orange look.

Pros

• Vegan
• Natural Ingredients
• Fast Absorbing
• Won’t Stain Clothes

Cons

• Some Say Causes Dryness
• Hard to Apply

8. Miami Gorgeous Self Tanning Mousse

If you like tanning products enriched with natural, organic ingredients, you’ll love the Miami Gorgeous tanning mousse. This streak-free product gives your skin the perfect bronze tint without any streaking. In addition, you’ll love how this mousse makes your skin feel velvety soft.

Miami Gorgeous uses organic ingredients, such as coconut oil, argan oil, elderflower extract, jojoba oil, olive oil, and other healthy vitamins. All components work together to nourish and moisturize your skin while gradually increasing your tan.

Miami Gorgeous infused their tanning mousse with vitamins A, C, and D as well to help give you the perfect glow. So you can feel great about applying this product to your skin.

Something else you will love is that this tanner gives you a glow within 10 minutes of use. In addition, it dries fast – much faster than other brands on this list – so you don’t have to let it dry or wait to wipe it off. However, many reviews mention this product’s strong scent, which many find unpleasant.

Pros

• Free of Harmful Ingredients
• Safe for All Skin Types
• Nourishing and Hydrating

Cons

• Weird Smell

9. Coola Organic Self Tanner Body Lotion

Do you want to smell like you’re sipping an adult beverage on the beach? The Coola Organic Self Tanner smells like a delicious, beachy pina colada, and it’s even blended with caffeine! The caffeine helps create a soft, supple texture to your skin.

Coola Organic contains baobab oil that helps nourish your skin. Their serum contains a natural anti-aging formula that protects your skin from damage. It provides you with a natural glow but increases the health of your skin and adds vitamins you need.

Coola uses 99% organic ingredients, unlike other brands, so you can feel confident using this on your body. The ingredient list includes shea butter and brown algae, which helps improve your skin’s elasticity and adds hydration.

Overall, if you want an almost organic lotion, Coola is a great choice. It won’t leave a greasy feeling on your body, and it works for most skin types, feeling lightweight and breathable.

Pros

• Streak-Free
• Vegan
• Reef-Friendly
• Chemical-Free

Cons

• Some Say Doesn’t Apply Easily

How to Pick Tanning Lotion for Pregnancy

Here are some considerations when picking the right self-tanner for pregnancy.

Safe Ingredients

It’s always best to pick products that use natural or organic ingredients. Natural ingredients help you avoid any toxic, harmful components in these skin care products. It’s not uncommon for companies to use parabens, SLS, sulfates, and other toxins in their products.

The biggest concern is tanners that contain fragrances because many companies hide phthalates behind “fragrances” in their ingredient list. We know phthalate exposure during pregnancy increases the risk of impaired motor skills, asthma, eczema, and rhinitis.

Here are a few other chemicals to avoid in your self-tanner.

Phenoxyethanol

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative used in cosmetics, and while it is safer than parabens, it is still toxic and penetrates the skin.

It’s typically encouraged for pregnant women to avoid this chemical during pregnancy. This is because it’s highly toxic when ingested, and some research suggests a link between phenoxyethanol to neurotoxicity in babies. 

PEGs

PEGs are generally considered safe on their own, but some manufacturing processes may contaminate PEGs with harmful chemicals. Therefore, it’s best to avoid it since many contaminants are human carcinogens.

Synthetic Dyes

Some tanning lotions contain synthetic dyes, such as Yellow 5, Red 4, and Blue 1. These are derived from petroleum and linked to cancer and neurotoxicity. So, you generally don’t want to put these on your skin.

Formula

It’s recommended to pick a DHA formula because it absorbs into your skin’s outer layer, reducing the chance of any internal damage.

Before grabbing any self-tanners, you need to understand the most common active ingredient in these products – DHA. DHA stands for dihydroxyacetone, a sugar that interacts with the first layer of your skin. This reaction causes the glow you want to have without any sun exposure.

Most scientists agree that DHA is safe for pregnancy because it only interacts with the top layer of your skin. Little absorbs into your body, which is why your tan won’t last too long. However, no actual data shows that DHA is 100% safe for your unborn baby.

Hydrating

Pick a self-tanner product that keeps your skin hydrated and moisturized. This is particularly important because, during pregnancy, your skin stretches. Therefore, any drying formula will cause stretch marks or blemishes on your skin.

Scent

Some women love strongly scented products, and if that is you, rock on, but many pregnant women experience a heightened sense of smell. It may make strong scents overwhelming to you or downright disgusting.

If you feel nauseous when exposed to strong scents, pick one that is unscented or has a light scent. Our reviews note which ones are said to have a strong smell to help you decide.

Longevity of the Tan

How often do you want to reapply your sunless tanning product? Having to reapply a lotion every two days and leave it to set for two hours or even 30 minutes feels impractical. Ideally, you want a product that lasts as close to a week as possible.

Also, if you want optimal results, read the directions on the bottle. For example, some brands suggest exfoliating beforehand or showering before. It’s best to do whatever the directions say for optimal results.

Non-Comedogenic

Increased hormones cause pregnant women to experience a higher rate of acne. So, the last thing you want to do is make your acne worse as you try to get a better tan. Instead, look for a non-comedogenic tanning lotion that won’t clog your pores, preventing breakouts and skin irritation.

FAQs about Using a Self Tanner While Pregnant

Are Self-Tanners Safe During Pregnancy?

Yes, pregnant women can safely use self-tanners during pregnancy, as long as the product they select contains no harmful, toxic ingredients. Unfortunately, some companies use questionable ingredients that may not be the safest choice for your unborn baby.

As long as the ingredients are safe, it’s safe to use.

Experts agree that most sunless tanning lotions don’t absorb further than the outer layer of the skin. So, anything absorbed typically isn’t going to harm your baby. However, the American Pregnancy Association notes that some doctors recommend pregnant mothers wait until after the first trimester to use self-tanners.

Why is that?

This way, you know you are truly safe. Also, you may have an allergic reaction to the ingredients, and the first trimester tends to be the most volatile time in a pregnancy. Finally, pregnancy causes an increased hormone level, so it’s recommended that you try a small patch on your skin.

In general, self-tanners are safer than picking to tan in your backyard. This is because most sunless tanning products use DHA – dihydroxyacetone – as their active ingredient. This is a DHA-approved color additive, and we know it has been used in cosmetic products since the 1960s! In addition, we have no evidence of danger to date, so you can feel safe using these products.

Pregnant women must avoid spray tans; the risks of inhaling the spray are not studied in pregnant women. Also, using a tanning bed is a no-no as well. Experts know that UV radiation may have adverse side effects, such as an increased risk of skin cancer. In addition, some experts believe that your baby may be susceptible to the harmful effects as well.

Are Self-Tanners Safe While Breastfeeding?

Sooner or later, that baby comes into the world, and you may decide to breastfeed. The good news is that no evidence or research indicates using these products while breastfeeding is a problem.

The only issue you may encounter is that babies tend to have sensitive skin and experience allergic reactions more often. So, pick a gentle and natural tanning product because your baby may react to the product when touching your skin if it’s not absorbed well.

When Is the Best Time to Use a Self Tanner?

Typically, the best time to apply a self-tanner is in the evening. Read the directions on your product since some recommend that you shower or exfoliate beforehand. The product needs enough time to dry before you go to bed or wash it off in the shower.

Each product has different application directions. For example, some want you to leave it on for 30 minutes and shower it off, while others can be left on your skin overnight before rinsing off.

Final Thoughts on The Best Self Tanner During Pregnancy

We all love that gorgeous natural glow, and if you want to keep your glow without spray tanning or hanging out in the sun, using the best self-tanner for pregnancy is the best choice. These products are generally safe and help your skin look healthy, tanned, and hydrated!

And if you love this guide on the best face mask while pregnant, then make sure you also check out these guides on the things new moms need for themselves, pregnancy safe toners, pregnancy safe shampoo, and best collagen to take while pregnant.