A Just A Little Bit Orange Feature
By Clara Pettitt. Copyright © 04/23/2000. Revised June 4, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Sunless tanning on a budget? Well worth trying, the products below are the equal of department store brands up to three times the price. In alphabetical order, Sunless.com presents:

The Ten Best Drugstore Sunless Tanning Products

1. Bain de Soleil Mega Tan
   Mega Tan has been the top pick at drugstore.com for ten years thanks to its great color. Because it has a neutral suntan lotion scent, it's an excellent product for both men and women. Available from drugstore.com for $9.99. (Confidential to Bain de Soleil: stop marketing Mega Tan as a suntan lotion, start selling it as a sunless tanner, and sales will improve! Drugstores display it alongside the scary SPF2 tanning oils, making it hard for the pale to find.)
2. Banana Boat Sunless Summer Color Self Tanning Lotion, Deep Dark
   Banana Boat, how are you so awesome? Indisputably a terrific bargain, this product has the same ingredients as department store brands priced at $30. Available from drugstore.com for $6.99; up to $8 retail.
3. Banana Boat Sunless Summer Color Tinted Lotion, Light to Medium
   The instant tint in this product comes from henna, good news if your skin objects to FD&C colors. It has a fruity scent and is easy to apply. A great product for beginners, or anyone who wants subtle color. Available from drugstore.com for $6.99; up to $9 retail.
4. Hawaiian Tropic Island Radiance Self Tanner Creme Lotion, Medium Dark
   It looks like a spray, but it's a lotion with a pump dispenser. The pump dispenses a lot of product, so be careful while you get the hang of it. Like all Hawaiian Tropic sunless tanners (I still miss the foam!), it's one of the better smelling products. Available from drugstore.com for $9.49; up to $12 retail.
5. Jergens Natural Glow Foaming Daily Moisturizer, Medium to Tan
   If you find lotions greasy and sprays challenging, foaming (mousse) sunless tanners are a lifesaver. After Banana Boat, Hawaiian Tropic, and Neutrogena discontinued their foaming products, Jergens thankfully picked up the ball. I find most Jergens products too strongly scented, but this one goes easy on the fragrance. Tip: foaming products are a good choice if you have plentiful body hair. Available from drugstore.com for $8.49; up to $10 retail.
6. Jergens Natural Glow Healthy Complexion Daily Facial Moisturizer, Medium to Tan
   I have oily skin that is also sensitive, but this product worked wonderfully. My face did not shine like a beacon, I had no breakouts, and the color was extremely natural. This is the best sunless tanner for the face you can find in this price range. Available from drugstore.com for $8.49; up to $10 retail.
7. L'Oreal Sunless Sublime Glow Daily Moisturizer, Medium Skin Tones
   This rapidly became my favorite drugstore sunless tanner, and is the best "legs only" product. If you are very fair-skinned, one application a week may be all the color you need. Potential drawback: it contains mica, a natural mineral that provides a slight shimmer. The shine looks great on legs, not so great on the face. It is pricey compared to other products, but the container is 8 ounces; most sunless tanners are 4-6 ounces. Available from drugstore.com for $11.07; up to $13.00 retail. If you see it for less than $10, call me!
8. L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Gelee, Medium Natural Tan
   L'Oreal owns Lancome, and this product is almost identical to a Lancome sunless tanner selling for $33. It's transparent, easy to apply, and moisturizing without clogging pores, but you may find it too heavy for the face. Both the medium and deep versions are effective. Color is unusually long-lasting for a drugstore product. Available from drugstore.com for $9.49; up to $12.00 retail.
9. L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Towelettes
   These are almost big enough to do the job. If a towelette runs dry before you finish, spritz a sunless tanning spray on it and keep going. Towelettes work well as a blending step after applying a sunless spray all over, too. Tip: towelettes have a shorter shelf life than other sunless tanning products, so don't buy a bunch on sale to save for next summer. Available from drugstore.com for $9.99; up to $12.99 retail.
10. Neutrogena Sunless Tanning Spray Micro Mist Medium
    Neutrogena used to rule this list. They are hanging on (barely!) with this product, the only drugstore aerosol sunless tanner worth buying. It's close to alcohol free, and the spray mechanism works from any angle, even upside down. Tip: If the product does not spray easily and evenly, you have a dud and should exchange it. For best results from aerosols, read Vicki's tips first! Available from drugstore.com for $9.99; up to $13 retail.