16 best gradual tans for a healthy golden glow
Whether you like to fake a year-round tan, apply a layer before heading on holiday or are just a summertime addict, gradual tan deserves a place in every fake tanner's arsenal.
While mousses and mitts have always hogged the limelight, building your base with a gradual formula is – in this long-serving fake tanner's opinion – the best way to achieve a subtle and natural-looking wash of bronze.
From fast-drying lotions and creams to butters and serums, these products give you a natural-looking glow and are also far less drying than other methods (goodbye, tiger bread skin).
Thanks to the hybrid moisturising formula, stubborn dry areas, such as elbows, ankles and knees, are much easier to tackle. Better still, you're left feeling supple for days after a tanning session, thanks to skin-loving ingredients.
Designed to be applied just as you would a normal body lotion, it's much easier to execute a streak-free tan with your bare hands – just remember to wash them after, to avoid the tell-all Wotsit fingers. Plus, you can customise your glow by reapplying as many times as you'd like.
How we tested
Our criteria for the best gradual tanners spanned ease of application, long-lasting results, evenness, value for money and skin benefits. Some of these products we've loved and used religiously for years, while others are newer launches that have risen to cult status in our bathroom cabinet.
We tested the formulas after exfoliating and reapplied each product to see how well it built a realistic glow. Here are the gradual face and body tanners to stock up on in time for summer.
Why trust our coverage
Daisy has been covering beauty here at The Independent for the past five years and, in addition to garnering a breadth of knowledge on all things skincare and bodycare, she's become somewhat of an expert on fake tans, from graduals to mousses. Besides using fake tan herself weekly, Daisy is guardian of IndyBest's guide to applying fake ta n and has written several individual reviews for tanners, including St Tropez and Bare by Vogue. Now, after copious testing, she's pulled together a definitive guide to the best gradual formulas. Scroll on for her verdict.
The best gradual tans for 2025 are:
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