10 Best Gradual Tanning Lotions 2024 | UK Dermatologist Reviewed

This super-moisturising, gradual tanning lotion comes out of the bottle transparent, and after only 4 to 8 hours, begins to develop into a remarkable caramel-golden tan. 

With a high percentage of its ingredients certified as organic, you can hydrate and tan safely in the knowledge that you're not slathering on any chemical nasties. OdourRemove technology sounds far-fetched, but this product really is streak and fragrance-free.

This product builds a healthy-looking, sunkissed glow in a matter of days. Fragranced luxuriously with ylang-ylang and jasmine oil, it also softens the skin with its added shea butter.

Plant melanin and DHA are also included on the ingredients list to help produce a deep, luminous colour that gives you the appearance of having just hopped off a plane – when really you've been wrapped in 7 cardigans with the heating on.

A quick and dirt cheap way to create a gorgeous golden glow at any time of year, Garnier's Summer Body Tanning lotion is easy to apply for a double-take inducing tan, best suited to naturally darker skin tones. 

Whether you have normal, dry or sensitive skin, this product is absorbed quickly and keeps skin feeling well-hydrated for up to 24 hours, thanks to the inclusion of apricot oil on its ingredients list. 

Squeeze a drop of this lightly-whipped formula onto the palm of your hand and massage it heartily into your skin, and you'll soon notice that colour begins to develop after only a few hours.

Skin is left feeling touchably soft and smooth after just one use, and the light fragrance of this lotion means skin smells delectable, too. Not to mention glowing golden with a healthy radiance that can be left as it is or built on over 2 to 3 days.

This 400 ml bottle of light, liquid tanning milk creates a glorious glow on any skin type. You'll notice the first shades of tan developing in around 4 to 8 hours, and after that, you need only apply the smallest squeeze from the bottle to build a striking sunless tan.

The subtle fragrance is noted by several reviewers online and is described as 'light', 'pleasant' and 'gorgeous.' As a bonus, this hydrating lotion also makes skin feel revived and quenched after just one use, so would be beneficial for drier skin.

Choose this glorious product if you want a luxuriously smooth lotion that glides easily onto the skin, and builds up a head-turning, yet natural-looking sun tan on your face with no streaks in sight.

Use two to three times a week in order to maintain the level of tan you like. The jelly-like gel texture keeps skin plump and moist as it smooths over imperfections, and gently intensifies to a noticeably deep yet subtle brown.

After a product for building a dark brown tan that's convincing enough to have others asking if you've recently returned from the Caribbean? This is the bottle for you! 

Smooth this pleasingly creamy lotion over well-exfoliated skin to correct blemishes and build a deep tan in a matter of days. Notice the first layer of colour after around 5 hours, and, if you so desire, keep building for a luminescent, healthy-looking complexion.

Suitable for both face and body, these gorgeous dry oil drops allow you to build yourself holiday-like colour from head to toe by adding 2 or 3 drops to your favourite moisturiser. Completely fragrance-free, the drops will enable you to bronze up without the troubling biscuit smell we all know so well.

If your skin is looking dull and lacking radiance during the winter months, check out this lovely, customisable product to create a stunning golden colour in just a few days. 

As you'd expect, Dove's offering is a cheap, cheerful product that builds up a delightful bronzed glow. It is one of the most effective and popular products on our list for a good reason. 

It can be built up over a few days to be as dark a shade as you please and is also suitable for the face. There is a certain risk of streaking with high-street gradual bronzers, so make sure you rub it in with plenty of gusto and properly prep the skin beforehand.

Palmer's have created a smooth, creamy lotion that builds tan exceptionally well. As well as slowly developing into a dreamy bronze glow, it also helps even out blemishes and imperfections and has added vitamin E to improve skin tone. 

Many reviewers absolutely love this product's noticeable trademark smell, but it may be best to test it out in a store before you buy to confirm whether or not you love it too as it can be overpowering to those with sensitive noses.