The Truth About Non-Toxic Self Tanning Mousses: What Nobody’s Telling You
If you’re reading this, you’re probably concerned about what you’re putting on your skin – and you should be. The self-tanning industry has a dirty secret: many self tanners contain toxic ingredients. Common ingredients include chemicals linked to hormone disruption, skin irritation and even cancer.
I’ve tested over a dozen self-tanners and thoroughly researched their ingredients and these are the 5 BEST!
1. Solaya Self Tanning Mousse (Our Top Pick)
Solaya is my new holy grail self tanner! Solaya gives you a rich healthy-looking bronze tan with NO toxic ingredients (NO artificial fragrances, NO synthetic dyes, NO unnecessary fillers, NO parabens, NO phthalates, NO sulfates, NO drying alcohols, NO formaldehyde releasers). That means no hormone disruptors, skin irritants, or ingredients linked to cancer. It’s also made in the USA, which I love.
Solaya skips the unnecessary ingredients and gives you a luxurious tan with only 7 clean ingredients, including natural DHA derived from sugar beets and nourishing aloe vera.
It gave me the healthiest looking glow and it masked skin imperfections like spider veins and hyperpigmentation.
Solaya offers fast FREE shipping, an amazing satisfaction guarantee policy (if you’re not happy with it, they will give you a full refund), and they even included a FREE tanning mitt.
I highly recommend Solaya’s Self Tanning Mousse if you’re ready to tan without consequences and benefit from a clean formula.
✅ Clean ingredients with no hidden nasties
✅ Free from parabens, phthalates, alcohols, unnecessary fillers, artificial dyes & fragrances
✅ Made in USA
✅ Luxurious buildable color + foolproof application
✅ Came with a free mitt
✅ Free Shipping + Money Back Guarantee
Price: $45 for 6.8 oz (+ free application mitt)
2. Coco And Eve Sunny Honey Bali Bronze Foam
This formula is cruelty-free, vegan, and PETA approved. We weren’t a fan of the fragrance, but the mousse applied smoothly and developed into a believable medium tan. Their long ingredient lists is said to contain “zero nasties”, but several ingredients carry a low risk to health.
✅ Contains skincare ingredients
✅ Vegan, cruelty free & PETA approved
🚫 Contains artificial fragrances & dyes
🚫 Contains unnecessary fillers and preservatives
Price: $45 for 6.8 oz
3. Beauty By Earth Self Tanner Body Mousse
Beauty By Earth earned the #3 spot. They boast a commitment to clean ingredients. Contains some artificial fragrance which gives it a pleasant scent (though I could do without). The clear formula makes it a little more difficult to apply evenly.
✅ Mostly natural ingredients
🚫 Contains artificial fragrance
🚫 Clear formula is difficult to apply evenly leading to a streaky tan
Price: $34.99 for 7.5 oz
Note: Recent reviews appear to show that the amount of product you get has decreased from 7.5oz to 3.3oz, but the price has stayed the same.
4. Loving Tan Mousse
A popular choice among clean beauty enthusiasts, but still includes some ingredients we’d rather not see.
✅ Good color guide and development
✅ Cruelty Free
🚫 Artificial dyes and synthetic fragrances
🚫 Premium pricing (small bottle)
Price: $34.95 for 4 oz
5. Isle of Paradise
Glow Clear, Color Correcting Self-Tanning Mousse
Isle of Paradise offers a decent option for those just starting their clean tanning journey. It’s the only mousse available on Sephora.com that carries a “Clean at Sephora” stamp.
✅ “Clean at Sephora” stamp
🚫 Clear formula is difficult to apply evenly leading to a streaky tan
🚫 Contains artificial fragrance
🚫 Contains phenoxyethanol (potential irritant and endocrine disruptor)
Price: $43.50 for 6.7 oz
Update: Unfortunately, several reviews complain of the pump breaking after a single use. Some even report solid debris forming in the liquid. This one might be worth skipping until Isle of Paradise can improve their packaging.
Final Verdict
Solaya Self Tanning Mousse definitely stands out as the only product that truly delivers on both clean ingredients and professional results. The peace of mind knowing you’re using a genuinely clean product – combined with its superior performance – makes it worth every penny.