Vegan Fake Tan And Organic Self Tan Products
Which brands are the most ethical and sustainable? For the answer, see our Self Tan comparison table to compare brands’ ethical scores.
What are the benefits of fake tan?
Self tan is a great product to get that glow without risking skin cancer. With a greater interest in skin products and the health of our skin, we are more aware of the dangers of spending hours in the sun. (Check out our article on Ethical Sun Protection to learn how to avoid wrinkles, sunburn and skin cancer sustainably!) The NHS advises that just one tanning session can increase the risk of skin cancer. Tanning beds are even worse, with one study on women with melanoma skin cancer finding that 97% of participants had used tanning beds. Using self tan will give you the same results without prematurely ageing your skin or risking skin cancer.
Due to the increasing popularity of self tan, it is important to learn a little more about the ethical impact of fake tan brands and products. Unfortunately, there are still ethical issues relating to the Environment, Animals, and People within the fake tan sector. Cancer Research UK warns that sunbeds can be as dangerous as tobacco when it comes to cancer risk — a further reason to choose self tan as your safer alternative. The GOOD Shopping Guide has been independently researching and rating brands on ethical criteria since 2001, making our comparison tables one of the most trusted resources for ethical beauty choices.
Head over to our Ethical Fake Tan comparison table to see the best fake tan brands (as well as the worst) and their performance on ethics and sustainability. This gives you all the knowledge you need to make an informed decision on the most ethical fake tan brands to choose from.
The self tan market has evolved significantly in recent years. Alongside traditional mousses and lotions, tanning drops have become one of the fastest-growing formats — a small number of drops added to your daily moisturiser allows you to build a gradual, natural-looking tan with minimal product use and packaging. For consumers seeking a low-waste, customisable tanning option, drops represent an excellent choice. As with all self tan formats, it is important to check that the product carries recognised vegan and cruelty-free certifications rather than relying on unverified brand claims.
Self tan packaging
One of the key environmental issues with self tan is packaging. Many fake tan brands sell their products in plastic bottles that create tonnes of waste and take hundreds of years to biodegrade. Moreover, the production of plastic is associated with high levels of carbon emissions, creating even more problems for our planet. Perhaps most pressingly, scientists have now found microplastics from carrier bags and bottles in human blood samples. The Guardian explains more about this study. The UK Government’s Environment Act 2021 introduced extended producer responsibility regulations requiring brands to take greater accountability for the packaging waste they generate — a development that should incentivise fake tan brands to move away from single-use plastics.
To address this, you can look out for plastic-free fake tan products sold in recycled or recyclable packaging. WRAP provides guidance on which plastics are genuinely recyclable in the UK and which are not — a useful resource when assessing fake tan packaging claims.
Vegan fake tan and animal welfare
Unfortunately, some fake tan brands still test their products on animals and use animal-derived ingredients in their formulas. Since many cruelty-free fake tan UK products are now widely available, there is no excuse for companies to continue to subject animals to this unnecessary cruelty. Cruelty Free International campaigns for a global ban on animal testing in cosmetics and maintains the Leaping Bunny programme, which provides independently verified assurance that no animal testing has been carried out at any stage of a product’s production.
Most self tan products use dihydroxyacetone (DHA) as their active tanning ingredient — a colourless sugar that reacts with the amino acids in the skin’s surface to produce a temporary brown colour. DHA is generally considered safe by dermatologists and is approved for cosmetic use in the UK. It can be derived from plant sources such as sugar beet or sugar cane, making it compatible with vegan formulations. However, consumers should check that the DHA in their chosen product is plant-derived rather than animal-derived, and that the finished product carries recognised vegan certification.
The UK banned animal testing in cosmetics in 1998 — one of the earliest such bans in the world. However, brands that sell in markets where animal testing is still legally required, such as certain product categories in China, may still receive a bottom rating in our research. This is because the parent company is ultimately permitting testing to take place, even if not directly carrying it out. Our Self Tan comparison table makes this distinction clear for every brand we assess.
Our research: Unverified vegan claims in the fake tan sector
Our latest research reveals several ethical issues that many fake tan brands are still engaging in. Firstly, many supposedly best vegan self tan UK brands are not certified by any third-party organisations. For instance, Fake Bake, Filter by Molly Mae, and Tanologist all claim to be “vegan friendly” but do not have any vegan-certified products.
This creates an issue where consumers are expected to trust brands’ claims, with little evidence to prove that they are telling the truth. Hence, we only award points to companies under our Vegetarian and Vegan category when their products have been certified by either The Vegetarian Society or The Vegan Society, as well as Vegan Action in the U.S.
Fortunately, there are some fake tan brands that do have certified vegan products, including TanOrganic and VeganTan, which are certified by The Vegan Society. We recommend choosing from these companies if you want to ensure the product is truly a cruelty-free fake tan. Brands that have additionally received Ethical Accreditation from The GOOD Shopping Guide have been independently verified across a wider range of ethical criteria — find out more about the benefits of Ethical Accreditation.
Organic fake tan
Brands such as Green People offer organic fake tan lotion formulated for sensitive skin. Many ingredients in other self tan products can be irritating to the skin, as they strip the skin of its natural moisture. When our natural oils and barriers are stripped, our skin is left exposed to dryness and irritants. Buying organic fake tan reduces the demand and use of pesticides, insecticides and fungicides, and may be gentler on your skin.
Human rights and self tan
We were pleased to see how many fake tan brands have a clean record on environmental and human rights criticisms. The majority of brands assessed in our research received a top ethical rating under our Public Record Criticisms category, meaning they have not received any criticism from NGOs or journalists.
However, there are some exceptions to this. Sally Hansen, which is owned by Coty Inc. and JAB Holding Company, has been marked down for its parent company’s involvement in deforestation and human rights concerns. They also received a bottom ethical rating under Animal Welfare due to the fact Coty Inc. is still engaging in animal testing.
Our advice: Choose the best fake tan for your ethical values
Luckily, there are several things you can do to become more ethical when buying self tan. Purchase from ethical fake tan brands to boycott companies that do not respect the environment, animals, and human rights. Our Ethical Fake Tan Ratings Table can help you identify the best fake tan brands, just look for the top-rated companies on our list.
Another thing you can do is look for fake tan brands that sell their products in recycled or recyclable packaging. This will help you to reduce waste from plastic packaging and therefore your overall environmental impact.
We also recommend purchasing vegan fake tan only from vegan certified brands. As vegan certification rules out both animal ingredients and animal testing, this ensures your purchase will be free from any form of animal cruelty. By using our handy tips, you can become a more ethical consumer whilst still enjoying all your favourite products.
See our Ethical Self Tan Ratings Table to compare brands
The Good Shopping Guide not only ranks and rates brands on our Ethical Ratings Tables, but also writes detailed articles on each brand’s ethics and sustainability policies. Click on any brand name to read more about individual companies and ethical issues.
Green People, TanOrganic, VeganTan, COOLA, Skinny Tan, St Moriz, Bondi Sands, Coco & Eve, Isle of Paradise, James Read, Vita Liberata, BPerfect, Bali Body, Bare by Vogue, Bbold, Cocoa Brown, Fake Bake, Filter by Molly Mae, Loving Tan, St Tropez, Tan Luxe, Tanologist and Sally Hansen.
Is self tan a more ethical choice than sunbathing or using a tanning bed?
Self tan offers a safer alternative to sun exposure. The NHS notes that even a single tanning session increases the risk of skin cancer, whilst tanning beds carry greater dangers still. However, the self tan sector itself raises ethical concerns around plastic packaging waste, animal welfare, and synthetic ingredients. The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table can help consumers identify more responsible brands.
Which are the key environmental concerns with self tan products?
One of the primary environmental issues associated with self tan is plastic packaging. Many brands sell their products in plastic bottles that generate substantial waste and take hundreds of years to biodegrade. The production of plastic also contributes significantly to carbon emissions. The GOOD Shopping Guide recommends seeking out self tan products sold in recycled or recyclable packaging as a simple way to reduce your environmental footprint.
How can I ensure the self tan I buy is truly vegan?
Some self tan brands claim to be vegan-friendly without holding certification from a recognised third-party organisation. The GOOD Shopping Guide only awards positive ratings in its Vegetarian and Vegan category to brands certified by bodies such as The Vegetarian Society or The Vegan Society. Brands including TanOrganic and VeganTan hold such certification. Consulting the Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table is the best way to identify genuinely certified options.
Is Green People an ethical self tan brand?
Green People sits well above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table, earning top marks across every assessed criterion, including its organic credentials, environmental reporting, animal welfare, and vegan product verification. The brand holds Ethical Accreditation from The GOOD Shopping Guide, reflecting its dedication to ethical and sustainable business, and also carries Ethical Innovator Status, further underlining its progressive approach to responsible self tan.
Is TanOrganic an ethical self tan brand?
TanOrganic exceeds the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table, achieving top marks across all assessed criteria, including organic credentials, environmental reporting, animal welfare, and vegan product certification. The brand holds Ethical Accreditation from The GOOD Shopping Guide, reflecting its strong commitment to ethical and sustainable business. TanOrganic also holds Ethical Innovator Status, underscoring its position as a leader in responsible self tan.
Is VeganTan an ethical self tan brand?
VeganTan sits well above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table, earning top marks in every assessed area, including organic credentials, environmental reporting, animal welfare, and vegan product verification. The brand holds Ethical Accreditation from The GOOD Shopping Guide, reflecting a clear commitment to ethical and sustainable business. VeganTan also carries Ethical Innovator Status, recognising its forward-thinking approach to cruelty-free self tan.
Is He-Shi an ethical self tan brand?
He-Shi sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in environmental reporting, fossil fuel policy, and marketing practices, though its animal welfare and vegan product verification receive middling ratings and it falls short in organic credentials. If He-Shi were to apply for Ethical Accreditation, this could help further demonstrate its commitment to ethical and sustainable practices.
Is Isle of Paradise an ethical self tan brand?
Isle of Paradise sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table, performing positively in environmental reporting, fossil fuel policy, and marketing practices, though it receives middling ratings for animal welfare and vegan product verification, and falls short in its organic credentials. Should Isle of Paradise apply for Ethical Accreditation, this could provide a further demonstration of its commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.
Is Filter by Molly Mae an ethical self tan brand?
Filter by Molly Mae sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table, performing well in fossil fuel policy and marketing practices, though it receives middling scores for environmental reporting, animal welfare, and vegan product verification, and falls short in organic credentials. Applying for Ethical Accreditation could offer Filter by Molly Mae a meaningful opportunity to further validate its approach to ethical and sustainable business.
Is Skin & Tan an ethical self tan brand?
Skin & Tan sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table, showing positive performance in fossil fuel policy and marketing practices, though it receives middling ratings for environmental reporting, animal welfare, and vegan product verification, and falls short in organic credentials. If Skin & Tan were to apply for Ethical Accreditation, this could further demonstrate its commitment to ethical and sustainable self tan practices.
Is Vita Liberata an ethical self tan brand?
Vita Liberata sits above the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table, demonstrating particularly strong performance in vegan product verification, fossil fuel policy, and marketing practices, though its animal welfare is rated as middling. The brand falls short in environmental reporting and organic credentials. Applying for Ethical Accreditation could offer Vita Liberata a valuable route to further communicate its commitment to ethical business to consumers.
Is Bali Body an ethical self tan brand?
Bali Body falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table. While the brand demonstrates positive performance in fossil fuel policy and marketing practices, it receives middling scores for animal welfare and vegan product verification, and falls short in environmental reporting and organic credentials. Shoppers seeking self tan brands that meet the ethical benchmark can explore better-rated options on the Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table.
Is Bare by Vogue an ethical self tan brand?
Bare by Vogue falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table. The brand performs well in fossil fuel policy and marketing practices, but receives middling scores for animal welfare and vegan product verification, and falls short in environmental reporting and organic credentials. Those seeking self tan brands that reach the ethical benchmark will find higher-rated alternatives on the Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table.
Is Bbold an ethical self tan brand?
Bbold falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table. The brand shows positive performance in fossil fuel policy and marketing practices, but receives middling scores for animal welfare and vegan product verification, and falls short in environmental reporting and organic credentials. More highly rated alternatives can be found on the Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table.
Is Coco & Eve an ethical self tan brand?
Coco & Eve falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table. The brand demonstrates positive performance in fossil fuel policy and marketing practices, though it receives middling scores for animal welfare and vegan product verification, and falls short in environmental reporting and organic credentials. Shoppers can find self tan brands that meet the ethical benchmark on the Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table.
Is Tan Luxe an ethical self tan brand?
Tan Luxe falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table. The brand performs positively in fossil fuel policy and marketing practices, but receives middling scores for animal welfare and vegan product verification, and falls short in environmental reporting and organic credentials. Consumers seeking more ethical self tan options can consult the Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table to find brands that reach the benchmark.
Is Tanologist an ethical self tan brand?
Tanologist falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table. Whilst the brand shows positive performance in fossil fuel policy and marketing practices, it receives middling scores for animal welfare and vegan product verification, and falls short in environmental reporting and organic credentials. Those looking for self tan brands that meet the ethical benchmark can explore alternative options on the Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table.
Is Cocoa Brown an ethical self tan brand?
Cocoa Brown falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table. The brand performs adequately in fossil fuel policy and marketing practices, though it falls short in environmental reporting, organic credentials, and vegan product verification, with a middling rating for animal welfare. More ethical self tan alternatives can be found on the Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table.
Is EFFN an ethical self tan brand?
EFFN falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table. The brand shows some positive performance in fossil fuel policy and marketing practices, but falls short in environmental reporting, organic credentials, and vegan product verification, and receives a middling rating for animal welfare. Shoppers looking for self tan brands that reach the ethical benchmark can explore higher-rated alternatives on the Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table.
Is Loving Tan an ethical self tan brand?
Loving Tan falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table. The brand performs adequately in fossil fuel policy and marketing practices, but falls short in environmental reporting, organic credentials, and vegan product verification, and receives a middling score for animal welfare. Consumers seeking self tan brands that meet the ethical benchmark will find more highly rated alternatives on the Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table.
Is BPerfect an ethical self tan brand?
BPerfect falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table. The brand shows some positive performance in marketing practices and political transparency, but falls short in environmental reporting, organic credentials, and vegan product verification, with middling scores for fossil fuel policy and animal welfare. Those seeking self tan brands that meet the ethical benchmark can explore better-rated choices on the Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table.
Is Lusso Tan an ethical self tan brand?
Lusso Tan falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table. The brand shows positive performance in marketing practices and political transparency, but falls short in environmental reporting, organic credentials, and vegan product verification, and receives middling scores for fossil fuel policy and animal welfare. Shoppers can find more ethical self tan alternatives on the Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table.
Is St Tropez an ethical self tan brand?
St Tropez falls below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table. The brand performs well in environmental reporting, fossil fuel policy, and marketing practices, though its animal welfare and vegan product verification receive middling scores, and it falls short in organic credentials and has attracted public record criticisms. More ethical alternatives can be found on the Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table.
Is Bondi Sands an ethical self tan brand?
Bondi Sands falls well below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table. The brand shows positive performance in environmental reporting and marketing practices, but falls short in organic credentials and animal welfare, and has attracted public record criticisms. Shoppers seeking self tan brands that meet the ethical benchmark can find better-rated options on the Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table.
Is COOLA an ethical self tan brand?
COOLA falls significantly below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table. Whilst the brand offers organic products, it falls short across multiple criteria, including animal welfare, vegan product verification, marketing practices, and political donations, and has attracted public record criticisms. Those seeking more ethical self tan brands can find higher-rated alternatives on the Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table.
Is Sally Hansen an ethical self tan brand?
Sally Hansen falls well below the benchmark on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table, performing poorly across multiple criteria, including organic credentials, animal welfare, vegan product verification, and political donations. The brand has also attracted significant public record criticisms connected to the practices of its parent company, Coty Inc. More ethical self tan alternatives can be found on the Self Tan Ethical Ratings Table.
How does The GOOD Shopping Guide's Ethical Accreditation complement other accreditations?
The GOOD Shopping Guide doesn’t replace existing certifications, it ensures your ethical credentials are clearly recognised so they are trusted by consumers. By appearing in our comparison tables, your brand reaches an audience that is actively seeking genuinely ethical options, while also being referenced by Google and AI search tools to enhance credibility and discoverability.
How is The GOOD Shopping Guide's Ethical Accreditation different from other accreditations?
Unlike many accreditations that focus mainly on compliance or internal audits, The GOOD Shopping Guide provides scored, research-led assessments across environment, people and animals. Our tables are consumer-facing and freely accessible, making it easy for shoppers and AI tools to compare brands based on verified performance, not just promises.
How does The GOOD Shopping Guide choose who is eligible for accreditation?
The GOOD Shopping Guide audits brands for their ethical impact across a variety of criteria in the human, animal and environment categories. We research the records of brands and their parent companies, and rate them across those criteria. If they are found to be above our benchmark, they are eligible to apply for Ethical Accreditation.
How can I apply for Ethical Accreditation?
You can apply for Ethical Accreditation if your brand is assessed as above our benchmark. Click on this link to fill out our online form, and our researchers will assess your brand’s viability for Ethical Accreditation.