Top 12 Best After Tanning Lotions For the Best Tan!

Do you love having a sleek, tanned look that lasts for days and days after leaving the tanning salon? Then you definitely need to look into invest in the best after tanning lotion for your skin. Using an after tan moisturizer will restore the essential moistures to your skin cell, thus making your skin look tan and healthy. You’ll look like you’ve been kissed by the golden rays of the sun instead of suffering from post-tanning dry skin.

Indeed, after tanning lotion makes a tremendous difference in maintaining good skin health when you’re tanning. 

There are hundreds of options for choosing the best after tanning moisturizer. We’ve done the research and rounded up the Top 12 after tanning lotion selections. Read on to learn more.

12 Best After Tanning Lotions

1. FOREVER AFTER ALL DAY MOISTURIZER

Australian Gold is one of the world’s top after tanning care names, and the reputation comes with good reason. They are consistently rated by users as a customer favorite. Try the Australian Gold Forever After All Day Moisturizer and you’ll see the difference.

Key Features

• Triple action formula will help you hydrate, firm, and slim
• Delivers essential moisture for 24 hours after tanning
• Supplies the skin with nutrients like CoQ10 and active botanicals
• Delightful fragrance lingers for hours after application
• Contains healthy hemp seed extract
• No bronzers

This product is strictly an after tanning moisturizer and doesn’t contain bronzing agents or tint your skin. You’ll have your naturally gorgeous tanned glow without the added bronzers. See the difference that this luxurious-smelling after tan lotion will make in your skin recovery after you tan. You’ll be impressed with Australian Gold!

2. Ed Hardy Ooh La Luxe Moisturizing Tan Extender Lotion

Have you invested a small fortune in tattoos on your body? Ed Hardy Ooh La Luxe Moisturizing Tan Extender Lotion is a favorite with the beautifully tattooed people of the world. Here’s why. Not only does this product moisturize your skin after tanning, but it also aids in protecting your tattoos from fading when you spend time in the sun or tanning bed.

Key Features

• Hydrates skin plus locks in essential moisture
• Silky in feeling, not oily
• Pump cap for convenient dispensing
• Color Fade Protector to keep your tattoos from UVA-fade
• Botanical smell is appropriate for either men or women
• Free of bronzers

It’s easy to see why Ed Hardy Ooh La Luxe Moisturizing Tan Extender Lotion has such a huge following! The ability to hydrate your skin and replenish moisture while protecting your tattoos is an irresistible combination. This one is well worth the try.

3. Devoted Creations So Naughty Nude Tan Extending Moisturizers

Sexy, soft, supple. Those are the three s-words words you’ll use to describe the Devoted Creations So Naughty Nude Tan Extending Moisturizer. It contains no bronzers, just post-tanning care that leaves your skin touchable and restored. In addition, this product has a fresh fragrance that is very appealing.

Key Features

• Convenient pump lotion can twist closed for travel
• Light and refreshing aroma
• Absorbs into the skin quickly
• Light feeling moisture, never greasy in texture
• Bronzer-free moisturizer

If you want a lightweight, non-greasy after tan moisturizer, give Devoted Creations So Naughty Nude Tan Extended Moisturizer a try. It’s free of bronzers that can leave your skin streaky looking. You’ll get sexy, soft, supple skin. It’s easy to see why so many users love this lotion.

4. Maui Vera Organic Sunburn Relief & After Sun Moisturizer

Did you overdo it at the beach or in the tanning bed? Don’t tolerate the pain, fight it! Try Maui Vera Organic Sunburn Relief & After Sun Moisturizer.

Key Features

• Convenient squeeze tube
• Organic care is free of chemicals
• Features aloe vera and peppermint oil to repair your skin after UV exposure
• Skin will have a rehydrated look after tanning
• Pharmacist recommended
• Pleasant, natural scent with no artificial fragrance

It will instantly smother the burn, so you can get back to tanning again soon. When used as after sun moisturizer, it helps you get that perfectly browned skin tone of your dreams.

Don’t suffer the consequences of a sunburn in silence! Natural aloe vera and peppermint oil relieve the pain right away while minimizing damage and rehydrating your skin. Maui Vera is a product you should keep on hand at all times…just in case!

5. Maui Organics Intense Moisture and After Sun Lotion

In a category dominated by heavy coconut and floral aromas, the Maui Organics Intense Moisture and After Sun Lotion in the Big Island Vanilla often takes new users by surprise!

Key Features

• 100% organic lotion delivers much-needed moisture to your skin
• Light to medium weight lotion feels hydrating without feeling sticky
• Cruelty-free product is neither tested on animals nor does it contain animal products
• Free of chemicals that can irritate sensitive skin
• Appropriate to use as a daily body moisturizer

It has a light, pleasant vanilla scent with just a drop of coconut scent. It scents your skin softly from the first use. Plus, healthy organic ingredients make this a super effective after sun care product.

If you are looking for a great after-sun lotion that can also pull double duty as a daily moisturizer, look no further. You’re sure to fall in love with Maui Organics Intense Moisture and After Sun Lotion for its intensely light feeling, superb hydration, and the delicate vanilla fragrance.

6. Sun Bum Cool Down Hydrating After Sun Lotion

Are you a sensitive skin type? Do you feel left out because popular products cause you to suffer from redness and inflammation? Sun Bum Cool Down Hydrating After Sun Lotion might just be the best after tanning bed lotion that you’ve been looking for!

Key Features

• Hypoallergenic formula is free of chemicals that can irritate sensitive skin
• Moisturizes your skin after UV exposure and helps prevent the dreaded peeling
• Fast-absorbing formula feels great to the skin
• Dermatologist-tested
• Free of bronzers or dyes
• Intense moisturizing via aloe vera, cocoa butter, jojoba oil, Vitamin E, and tea tree oil

Some post-tanning products contain ingredients that are safe for most people, but they can trigger allergic dermatitis in those with these types of sensitivities. Suffer no more, and give Sun Bum a try.

Your search for the best lotion to use after tanning is finally over! Experience Sun Bum Cool Down Hydrating After Sun Lotion for yourself. We are completely confident that you’ll have the extreme moisturizing that your parched skin craves without developing a sensitive-skin rash.

7. Olita After Sun Body Serum

Ok. You got us. The title of this article is about “lotions,” but we didn’t want to overlook this awesome after sun serum. Even those with the driest of skin want to achieve a dark, lush-looking tan. If you love tanning but it leaves your dry skin begging for a tall drink of water to replenish itself, look no further than Olita After Sun Body Serum.

Key Features

• Serum formula absorbs faster than moisturizers to jumpstart your skin’s recovery
• Available in three fragrances: Citrus, Coconut, or fragrance-free
• Delivers nutrients that are stripped out of your skin during tanning
• Cooling sensation
• Bronzer-free
• Non-sticky in feeling

It’s formulated for those who have dry skin to enjoy after a day of fun in the sun or a tanning bed session. Worry no more, you can have your tan without the embarrassment of dry, ashy-looking skin.

For those who are challenged in keeping their skin hydrated after tanning, the Olita After Sun Body Serum will do the job of replenishing moisture effectively and without leaving a heavy or sticky feeling.

In fact, you will love the way your post-tanning skin feels after you’ve used this serum and want to use it every day, whether you tan or not! A must-have for people with dry skin.

8. Pacifica Beauty Cactus & Kale Oil Free Recovery Lotion

You have oily skin and you love tanning. While you know that you should use a post-tanning lotion to extend the life of your tan and minimize damage, the thought of globbing on anything that feels oily repulses you to the core. You just know it’s going to lead to massive breakouts. Enter Pacifica Beauty Cactus & Kale Oil-Free Recovery Lotion. As the name implies, this is an oil-free lotion that helps your skin recover from UV exposure and other damages without oils that can cause you an embarrassing break out.

Key Features:

• Convenient tube dispenser
• Safe for all skin types; the oil-free formula is safe for even the oiliest skin
• Delivers essential hydration after exposure to UV rays
• 100% vegan, cruelty-free formula
• No harmful chemicals
• Safe for use on the face
• No bronzers
• Light and neutral fragrance
• Delivers nutrition to restore your skin via cactus water, aloe vera, kale extract, and calendula

Those in the oily-skin club will delight in Pacifica Beauty Cactus & Kale Oil-Free Recovery Lotion. Use it after the tanning bed or playing outside in the sunshine. It’s gentle enough to use on the face but effective enough for the entire body! We are certain you’ll fall in love with this product as you’ll receive hydration without the oil slick!

9. Burt’s Bees Aloe & Coconut Oil After Sun Soother

For people who want a great lotion and never want to be without it, check out the Burt’s Bees Aloe & Coconut Oil After Sun Soother 2-pack.

Key Features

• 2 convenient tubes of after sun lotion
• Made from organic products
• Lightweight lotion light enough to use for facial application yet rich for the body
• Non-greasy formula
• Light, natural fragrance
• No bronzing dyes

With this pack of two squeeze-tube lotions, you can tuck one away into the medicine cabinet and slip one into the tote bag that you’ll carry to the gym or the beach. Plus, you’ll be purchasing a product by Burt’s Bees, a leader in organic beauty products. This product is safe for both the face and the body, so it will meet all your after sun moisturizer needs.

When you hear the name Burt’s Bees, you know it is almost synonymous with high-quality organic skincare. This after-sun lotion is no exception to the quality that you expect from the brand. Try this out, you’ll love the light scent and non-greasy feeling of this product as well as how sexy it makes your tanned skin look.

10. Tan Extender Daily Moisturizer

Whether you tan in a tanning bed, by natural sunlight, or even with a sunless tanning lotion, Golden Star Beauty Tan Extender Daily Moisturizer will help you lock in the golden tan of your dreams. It’s secret? Hyaluronic acid. It’s a moisture-magnet that’s proven to lock in hydration. This aids in keeping your freshly tanned body look breath-taking for even longer.

Key Features

• Comes with access to an e-book with full usage instructions
• Delivers organic nutrients to keep your skin tan for about 3 days longer than other post-sun lotions
• Safe for all skin types and even sensitive skin
• Chemical-free, vegan, gluten-free product
• 100% money-back guarantee if you don’t love this product

In an industry where so many brands clamor for your dollar, Golden Star Beauty offers a money-back guarantee. That speaks volumes about the product and the company. You can feel confident trying it and receive a refund if you don’t fall in love with the product.

11. Pro Tan Perfectly Pink Moisturizer

Do you hate it when your perfect tan starts to fade? Give Pro Tan Perfectly Pink Moisturizer After Tanning Lotion a try. You’ll see a difference as it nourishes your skin with a powerful blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and aloe vera.  Healthy skin holds a tan for longer, and this moisture will deliver those essential components needed for skin health.

Key Features

• Packed with antioxidants and vitamins like acai berry, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and aloe vera
• Contains hemp oil to give your skin clarity and a lustrous finish
• Convenient pump dispenser bottle
• Contains no bronzers or orange-looking dyes, just nutrients
• Pleasant vanilla and amber fragrance blend that is suitable for men or women
• Thinner-texture for those who love a light feeling moisturizer

Pro Tan Perfectly Pink Moisturizer After Tanning Lotion is the perfect all-in-one lotion safe for either face or body. It will deliver the nutrition that your skin needs for good health and to hold a warm tan for days and days.

12. Maui Babe After Browning Tanning Lotion

A tanning session can leave you with a luscious and sexy glow but also wreak havoc on your skin. Fortunately, Maui Babe After Browning Tanning Lotion can rescue your skin after this exposure.

Key Features

• Prevents your tan from prematurely fading
• Extremely moisturizing without a heavy feeling
• Repairs UV damage to help prevent peeling skin
• Moisturizes with and effective blend of macadamia nut oil and aloe vera
• Thicker formula with intense hydration
• Pleasant nutty fragrance
• Bronzer free formula

It’s a triple-action formula that extends your tan by preventing fading, locks in moisture so your skin remains smooth, and heals any damage caused by ultra-violet rays.

Have you ever noticed how Hawaiian people have gorgeous, radiant skin even though they spend so much time in the sun? Their secret is macadamia nut oil. Now you, too, can experience the intense hydration and luminous skin by trying Maui Babe After Browning Tanning Lotion.

Key Information About Tanning

How the Tanning Process Works

Tanning is the body’s way of protecting your skin from damage by the harmful rays of the sun. The sun emits two different kinds of rays. They are called UVA and UVB rays. Each of these can cause you to suffer a sunburn.

However, when those rays have turned the outside layers of skin pink, they eventually reach the lowest layers of your skin. They then cause the production of melanin. What’s melanin? The brown pigmentation that we translate as tanning. This pigmentation develops as your skin’s way to fight off damage caused by the sun.

Whether you tan naturally at the beach or completing chores around your yard or in a tanning bed, the tanning process is the same. It’s simply your body’s natural defense kicking in to protect your skin. Nevertheless, the result is the glowing skin that we crave.

Ingredients to Avoid in Tanning Lotions

While many tanning lotions are wonderful for helping you maintain a bronze glow, some contain ingredients that you should avoid when possible. These ingredients are typically found in the lower-end brands as a means of cost-cutting in the production of the product.

These harmful ingredients are as follows:

1. Mineral Oil: This petroleum-based oil is used because it’s a cheap way to deliver that moist feeling. However, can also clog up your pores and may even cause cancer. Pass this up!
2. Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate: This preservative is added to extend the shelf life of your tanning moisturizer. However, it also contains formaldehyde and can irritate your eyes and make your skin break out.
3. Isopropyl Myristate: This additive is well-documented to clog pores and trigger acne breakouts. In addition, it causes cancer-causing free radicals to bind to your body.
4. Artificial Fragrances: Check the product label and look for natural fragrances derived from plants. Chemically-produced artificial fragrances could contain ingredients that are harmful to your skin or trigger an allergy flare-up.
5. Octyl Stearate: This chemical additive can cause a case of contact dermatitis, sending your dreams of a gorgeous glowing complexion right out the window. Instead, many people end up with a red, itchy rash!

After Tanning Lotion vs. Self-Tanners

You might be wondering the difference between after tanning lotion vs self-tanner. Both are usually a lotion, cream, or oil formula with an occasional body mousse or serum. In that, after tanning lotions and self-tanners are similar.

After tanning lotion is meant to help you seal in your golden tan, restore your skin to radiance, and repair damage from UV rays of the tanning bed or sun. The product may or may not include a product to bronze your skin. Read the product carefully if you don’t want bronzer. Some people prefer to tan in a tanning bed or in the sunshine because it’s a more natural-looking tan than one achieved with a bronzing product, then lock in the tan by hydrating the skin with after tanning moisturizer.

On the other hand, self-tanners are meant to deepen your skin tone to a desirable tan shade. Then, after you achieve your desired tan shade, you can lock that rich color in with an after tanning lotion. Some people prefer self-tanners as it allows them to avoid the damage that can be caused by harmful UV-rays. It’s particularly safer for those with fair skin, blue eyes, and red or blonde hair color.

Healthy Skin Benefits of After Tanning Moisturizer

• Cools the skin. Do you sometimes have a difficult time cooling down after tanning? After tanning bed lotion can immediately stop the sensation of heat and deliver instant comfort to your skin.
• Pumps up the volume. Add plumping volume to your skin cells by using after tanning moisturizer. Plumped up skin shows fewer lines and wrinkles. You’ll look gorgeous!
• Replenishes nutrients. Your skin is your body’s largest organ and, like all organs, consumes nutrients. The importance of adding back essential nutrients, like vitamin E, is doubly important after you’ve hopped out of a tanning bed.
• Locks in the tan color. You worked hard on that tan. Don’t let it fade away! Delivering essential hydration will help you seal in the look of the sunshine.

Bottom Line – Get Your Glow On!

Now that you have all the information that you need on selecting the best after tanning lotion for your skin type, go get your glow on! Get out and soak up some rays and lock in that stunning tan color. There are many different after tanning lotions to choose from but those selected and reviewed in this review are considered the best!