15 Best Tan Extender Lotions to Remain Bronze Beautiful for Long

Tan extenders are the next big game changers in the beauty industry! The best tan extender lotions not only enhance your tan’s life span, keep your skin hydrated, and protect it from harmful UV rays and other external irritants but also prevent aggravated pigmentation.

Although tan extender lotions are a close cousin of bronzers, they are different in functions. While bronzers limit their color-inducing capabilities only up to the face, tan-extending lotions assure a uniform distribution of color throughout the body and leave no corner untouched.

Based on our research, we have discovered that celebrity make-up artists and beauty aficionados do not recommend using a bronzer for the body because the skin on our body is different with respect to the skin on our face — it needs more hydration and more robust photodamage combating properties.

We present to you the best tan-extending creams that are immensely hydrating, non-greasy, non-comedogenic, portable, and easy on the pocket. Read on.

Retain your tan as long as you wish with the Australian Gold tanning extender. The product is power-packed with natural ingredients like aloe vera juice to help treat chronic and photo radiation dermatitis. It also contains tea tree oil that helps soothe skin inflammation and has robust antimicrobial and antifungal activities (1). It also has extracts of olive oil which is a storehouse of vitamin E that inhibits the peroxidation of the skin cell tissues (2). Overall, its non-greasy and super hydrating formula not only preserves the bronze hue but also improves the water retention power of the skin, leaving it smooth and supple.

Slay the Hawaiian beach body look without booking a vacation with this marvelous product by Maui Babe. It is one of the best after-tanning lotions because it contains nature's best skincare ingredients like aloe vera which helps to soothe dry patches along with macadamia nut oil which is a treasure trove of vitamin A1, B1, B2, and niacin, all of which reduce the appearance of the fine lines, stretch marks, skin sagging and wrinkles (3). Moreover, it not only assures a bewitching brown hue but also has a lightweight, fast-absorbing, potently moisturizing formula that lends the skin a smooth, beautiful firm skin for a prolonged period.

An amazing after-browning lotion that not only holds onto tan for a considerable amount of time but also provides ample nourishment to the skin is the Ed Hardy moisturizer. It is one of the best after-tan lotions as it contains lotus extracts which are a storehouse of oleic acid and linoleic acid that helps to control inflammation and aid in improving the skin texture and complexion (4). Additionally, it contains shea butter which is known for its anti-aging properties (5). Lastly, it prevents uneven distribution of tan and provides the skin with a gorgeous color without making it prone to sunburns.

Achieve a Jessica Alba-like tan with the Golden Star Beauty tanning lotion. It has a robust fade-fighting formula. Composed of a nourishing blend of ingredients like argan oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, and avocado oil, it helps moisturize the skin while extending the lifespan of your tan. It also contains a considerable amount of hyaluronic acid that helps maintain moisture levels, while simultaneously resolving concerns like collagen degradation, dryness, loss of elasticity, and wrinkling of the skin (6). Furthermore, it incorporates Vitamins B2, B5, and B12 that help treat acne, atopic dermatitis, skin aging, melasma, and skin hyperpigmentation (7).

A seductive sun-kissed tan is just a few rubs away with the MILLENNIUM after tan extender lotion. The product contains argan oil that helps to restore skin elasticity and promotes collagen synthesis (8). To add on, it contains extracts of macadamia nuts and walnut oils that contain a considerable amount of polyphenols that have potent free radical scavenging and anti-oxidant abilities (3), (9). Overall, the product prevents skin sagging, increases skin laxity, sheaths against sun damage, combats uneven color distribution, and provides a halo-like golden glow.

Personify your holiday tan and nourish your parched skin with the TAN PHYSICS hydrating browning lotion. The product is one of the best before and after tanning lotions as it is a powerful tonic that contains vitamin B that helps to prevent fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, blotchiness, and skin yellowing (10). Besides, it also has invigorating photo radical combating properties of vitamin C which prevents collagen destruction, fights discoloration, and prevents sunburn and epidermal mutations (11). Moreover, it also contains natural ingredients like aloe vera which helps skin cell water retention, and cocoa butter which is known to prevent the skin from drying and flaking by strengthening its natural barrier.

Toss away all fears of sunburns, skin inflammation, allergies, itchiness, and reddening with the natural self-tanning lotion. It was invented in Florida in 1992 and contains extracts of rose hips oil that are potently rich in polyphenols, vitamins C, E, and B, and carotenoids that prevent chronic aging caused by overexposure to UV radiation and provide dramatic skin hydration (12). Besides, it also contains safflower that helps soothe dermatitis and accelerate epidermis exfoliation thus enabling newer skin cells to emerge onto the surface (13). Overall, is one of the best lotions for tanning as it helps maintain soothed and hydrated skin.

A celebrity makeup artist's favorite for nailing the Brazillian goddess look is the DESIGNER SKIN after tanning moisturizer. This ultra-hydrating lotion prevents the skin from sagging and wrinkling by ensuring the required moisture within the skin cells of the epidermal layers. What's more, it revitalizes dull skin and provides a long-lasting smooth brown finish without making the skin prone to environmental stressors.

Enhance the copper-brown radiance of your skin with the NORVELL tanning extender lotion. It is fade-resistant and creates a seamless illuminating transition without causing any uneven discoloration. Furthermore, it is an impeccable self-tanning lotion as it ensures robust sun protection and prevents further darkening by increasing the natural protective barrier of the skin cells. Besides it boosts the overall hydration of the overlying skin cells and prevents moisture loss due to overexposure to environmental aggressors. Overall it is one of the most trusted products by beauty aficionados as it provides a natural-looking tan without making the skin look too dark.

With invincible anti-fade technology, the Jergens natural tan extending lotion is here to deliver game-changing results. It assures color protection for up to seven days and does not make the skin susceptible to further sun damage. Moreover, the product contains glycerin that provides superb skin hydration, amplifies cutaneous elasticity, and accelerates epidermal barrier repair (14). Besides, it assures overall even distribution of color throughout the skin without making the skin tone patchy in places. Furthermore, the product conceals imperfections like freckles, sun spots, blemishes, and body acne scars, combats inflammation, and bestows the skin with an alluring forest goddess finish.

Ensuring that your tan has an extended lifeline is now easy with this mind-boggling product by Skinerals. It is one of the best lotions to use after tanning outside as it does not strip the skin of the natural brown sun-kissed hue. To add on, it contains avocado oil that has high levels of vitamin E which prevents loss of skin cell moisture and helps to regulate water balance in the skin cells (15). Furthermore, it also contains a scrumptious blend of coffee extracts that help to lower skin cell toxicity and boost cell proliferation along with soya bean oil that accelerates the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids from the skin cells (16), (17).

Just as the name suggests this after sun tan extender indeed does leave you awestruck with the results. It has an invisible barrier that combats skin dehydration and assures a gorgeous brown hue for a considerable amount of time. It is durably pigmented and has luxurious hydrating superpowers that prevent skin flaking and scaling as it contains safflower oil. Safflower oil is rich in omega 6, an essential fatty acid that promotes the synthesis and production of ceramides that strengthens the semi-permeable barrier of the skin cells (13). Moreover, the product is devoid of artificial fragrances, synthetic dyes, and alcohol and is one of the best choices for sensitive skin.

Replicate the enticing hue of dark chocolate onto your skin with the Bittersweet after tan extender lotion. The magical property of this product is that it assures a durable pigmented brown finish without making the skin look too dark or tanned. Furthermore, it assures even distribution of color, reduces signs of aging, and hydrates the epidermal barrier of the skin cells without causing any redness, inflammation, itchiness, or blotchiness. A few gentle rubs of this product once in the morning before any prolonged sun exposure is more than enough to provide a natural unmatched hydrated glow.

Formulated with a superb triple bronzing power is the Onyx Suncolada tan extender. It is one of the best lotions to keep tanning because it contains lush amounts of coconut oil which is known for its skin infection-combating ability with macadamia oils that helps to increase the skin’s water retention ability (18), (3). Moreover, the product also contains the choicest beneficial ingredients like apple, kiwi, raspberry, peach, papaya, and strawberry which are known for their skin-clearing and anti-UVB activities. In a nutshell, this tanning extender boosts overall skin health and holds onto color for a long time.

Our list of recommendations for the best tan extenders will always remain incomplete without the mention of the Maui Island After Sun tan extender lotion. As the name indicates, the product indeed seals the sun-kissed tan and prevents uneven color fading. What's more, the product contains shea butter which is an amazing ingredient with potent skin barrier-repairing properties, that accelerates wound healing and combats premature aging (19). It also contains a powerful amalgamation of rose extracts that have anti-inflammatory properties and green tea extracts that curb and regulate the uncontrolled growth of acne vulgaris-causing bacteria (20), (21).

Choosing the best tan extender out of all the options available can be a really difficult task. However in order to facilitate your purchase, we present you a few factors that you can keep in mind before making a purchase.

Tan extenders apart from helping to retain color for long have several other benefits on the overall skin health of an individual. Let us understand them in detail:

For those who believe in being dusky to look lovely, tan-extending lotions indeed serve as a guiding light. But this entire process to flaunt the bewitching bronze hue should not be coupled with discoloration, increased risk of premature aging and susceptibility to photo-induced allergies and infections, hence given above are a few tried and tested recommendations of the best tanning extenders that not just increase the longevity of the brown hue onto your skin but also boost overall skin health. Please go through our buying guide before making a purchase.

Anoushka, our skincare expert, is a fan of tan extender lotions for the affordable glamour they bring — well-tanned, sun-kissed skin is to die for, she believes! To make tans last and fade gently without appearing blotchy and to soothe sunburns and transmute them to a golden glow, you need the best of the lot. That’s why she set out to shortlist and curate the top after-tan lotions with great reviews and ratings. To finalize her list, she deeply analyzed the ingredients and took a close look at the pros and cons of each so her readers could make an informed choice and get the best bang for their buck.

Our product experts study the specifications of every product we suggest and try them out to bring what’s proven to be worthy of your money, time, and energy. We also have subject matter experts from various fields like Fashion, Skincare, Haircare, Home Decor, and Health & Fitness onboard to make sure our suggestions are credible and trustworthy. You can trust select to be your faithful shopping guide for all the right reasons!

1. Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil: a Review of Antimicrobial and Other Medicinal Properties

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1360273/

2. Role of vitamin E as a lipid-soluble peroxyl radical scavenger: in vitro and in vivo evidence

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23557727/

3. EVALUATION OF BASIC PROPERTIES OF MACADAMIA NUT OIL

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237671502_EVALUATION_OF_BASIC_PROPERTIES_OF_MACADAMIA_NUT_OIL

4. A review on Lotus: use in herbal cosmetics

https://rjtcsonline.com/HTMLPaper.aspx?Journal=Research%20Journal%20of%20Topical%20and%20Cosmetic%20Sciences;PID=2013-4-2-10

5. Effects of Topical and Dietary Use of Shea Butter on Animals

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277021242_Effects_of_Topical_and_Dietary_Use_of_Shea_Butter_on_Animals

6. Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583886/

7. Content and stability of B complex vitamins in commercial cosmetic products

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10087468/

8. The effect of dietary and/or cosmetic argan oil on postmenopausal skin elasticity

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4321565/

9. Nut Oils and their Dietetic and Cosmetic Significance: a Review

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330431799_Nut_Oils_and_their_Dietetic_and_Cosmetic_Significance_a_Review

10. Niacinamide: A B vitamin that improves aging facial skin appearance

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16029679/

11. Vitamin C in dermatology

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3673383/

12. Therapeutic Applications of Rose Hips from Different Rosa Species

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5485961/

13. Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) – forgotten cosmetic plant

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233808201_Safflower_Carthamus_tinctorius_-_forgotten_cosmetic_plant

14. Glycerol and the skin: holistic approach to its origin and functions

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18510666/

15. Avocado Oil

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289919058_Avocado_Oil

16. Effect of Coffee Berry Extract on Anti-Aging for Skin and Hair—In Vitro Approach

https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/9/3/66

17. Quality Evaluation Indices for Soybean Oil in Relation to Cultivar, Application of N Fertiliser and Seed Inoculation with Bradyrhizobium japonicum

https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/5/762

18. In vitro anti-inflammatory and skin protective properties of Virgin coconut oil

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6335493/

19. Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5796020/

20. Anti-bacterial activity of rose extracts

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343548299_Antibacterial_activity_of_the_rose_extract

21. Efficacy and Safety of Oral Green Tea Preparations in Skin Ailments: A Systematic Review of Clinical Studies

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9370301/

Anoushka is certified in Professional Skincare and is a Mass Media (Journalism) graduate from Mumbai University. As a More

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