We all know by now the dangers of sun-tanning. Not only can the sun leave us with "shoe leather" skin, but we run the risk of skin cancer.

But getting a golden glow is possible to achieve without baking in the sun. These days there are a number of excellent sunless tanners or skin bronzers that can give you a sun-kissed look without the hazards of exposure to UV rays, or without that fake orange color of self-tanner products of old.

There are many varieties of self- tanners, from creams and lotions to sprays, gels and foams, and even handy towelettes (best used for touch-ups). What they all have in common is their active ingredient, DHA, dihydroxyacetone, which is a nontoxic sugar that temporarily darkens skin. Remember, though, that most of these products don't contain sunscreen, so be sure to apply sunscreen as well if you will be in the sun. Learn more about the best sunscreen ingredients to ensure broad-spectrum protection from the sun.

How Long Does a Sunless Tanner Last?

A sunless tan will last anywhere from one or two days on up to four or five days. The most long lasting self-tanners are Glow Fusion, Fake Bake Sunless Tanner,St. Tropez Tanning Essentials Self Tan Bronzing, and SEPHORA COLLECTION Body Self-Tanning Tinted Bronzing Mist All of these will last up to about 4 days or more.

Which Self-Tanners Offer the Best, Most Natural Looking Tans?

The sunless tanners in our chart below rate highly by users for giving a natural, streak-free tan.

 GlowFusion: Our New Favorite Sunless Tanner

GlowFusion™ - This is the best product we've found to give you a natural looking tan that dries very fast and is odor and stain-free! We were tired of having to wait while our sunless tanner dried and even after waiting and waiting, some tanners still stained our clothes. We were really impressed with GlowFusion—a great new self-tanning product that goes on easily, doesn't streak, stain or have a strong chemical odor. Best of all it, it gave us a beautiful, natural looking tan that maked us look like we just returned from Hawaii.

GlowFusion is formulated with a blend of vitamins and antioxidants which helps give your skin a glow and protect it from sun damage, and the natural sugarcane-derived formula works with your skin's natural keratin proteins to create your own customized shade of tan. You can find GlowFusion™ at Sephora.com

BEST RATED SUNLESS TANNERS

Here are our picks for the best rated sunless tanners, based on how long the tan lasts, ease of application, and most natural color. There are many variables and they are subjective. Some people prefer a gradual tan gained by several applications of self-tanner so they can better control the color achieved. Others want an instant bronze tan.

SUNLESS TANNER	GlowFusion	Fake Bake Self Tanning Lotion	St. Tropez Tanning Essentials Self Tan Bronzing Mousse 8 oz	Clarins Self Tanning Instant Gel 4.4 oz	SEPHORA COLLECTION Body Self-Tanning Tinted Bronzing Mist 5 oz	ModelCo Tan Airbrush In A Can 5.3 oz
Tan Duration	up to 2 weeks	from 4 to 7 days	about 3-4 days	2-3 days	4-5 days	about 4-5 days
Ease of Application	Clear mist sprays on and dries quickly, doesn't stain clothes.	Dark temporary tint makes application go on smoothly and streak- free.	Lightweight mousse, easy to apply, dries in 60 seconds. Tinted for easy application. Gentle, non-drying. Results in 4 hrs.	Lightweight, non-greasy, gel absorbs fast. Color in 2 hrs. For face and body.	Buildable color, easy to apply. Tinted spray is handy for hard-to-reach spots like the back and shoulders. Goes on evenly, fast drying.	A fine mist sprays evenly 360 degrees at any angle.
Depth of Tan, Naturalness of Color	Produces beautiful, natural looking tan. No streaking	Results in a beautiful, glowing, natural looking tan.	Provides rich bronze color, naturally looking tan, streak-free. Looks natural even on light, freckly skin.	Very natural looking streak-free tan. May need several applications to achieve desired color.	Color is natural, may take several applications to achieve desired color. Works best for fair skinned people..	Offers a very natural looking streakless tan and doesn't stain clothes. Get instant "healthy glow" color then self-tanner develops in several hours.
Comments	Dries fast, doesn't stain clothes. No chemical smell. Contains vitamins and antioxidants to help protect skin from further damage.	Fake Bake features self-tanners for the face with peptides to fight wrinkles plus sunscreen, body polishes and more. Read our detailed review of Fake Bake here.	People love it because it doesn't smell nasty like most sunless tanners. No parabens, sulfates, phthalates or triclosan.	Works well on face. Doesn't clog pores. Clarins also offers a cream formula, a mousse with SPF 15	Much less expensive than most other self-tanners - $8-12.	Recommended to wait 30 minutes after showering for best application and spray at distance of approx 15 inches.

Resources for Buying Self-Tanners

Sephora.com is a great resource for self-tanners. They carry all the top brands in addition to their own very popular SEPHORA COLLECTION Body Self-Tanning Tinted Bronzing Mist 5 oz.

You can find Fake Bake at Amazon.com

Applying a Sunless Tanner

To achieve an even streak-free "fake" tan, experts recommend the following when applying a sunless tanner: