Fake Tanning’s Big Glow Up

Reported by Vogue.

When Kylie Jenner cracked on Jake Shane's Therapuss podcast that she sometimes mistakes paleness for depression — then gets a spray tan and feels instantly fixed — she accidentally wrote the campaign copy for an entire industry. The moment resonated because it's true, and because fake tanning has quietly become something different from what it used to be: not a vanity project, but a skin-safe, year-round ritual that's growing up fast.

According to Vogue, the global self-tanning category is projected to hit $1.65 billion by 2029, a 5% increase driven largely by North America (forecast to reach $1.06 billion) and Western Europe ($391 million). Lookfantastic senior buying manager Lauren Starkey reports consistent double-digit category growth over the past two years, with tanning mists and gradual formulas leading the surge. The cultural shift is equally measurable. Celebrity tan artist Jimmy Coco — whose client list includes Teyana Taylor, Ashley Graham, and Vittoria Ceretti — says the ask has completely changed: "Five to ten years ago, clients wanted to be so dark they looked almost orange. Now everyone wants a natural glow." Even Kim Kardashian, he notes, has dialed it back.

The Skinification of Self-Tan

The biggest story here isn't the growth — it's the formulation revolution behind it. Today's tanners are arriving loaded with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, ceramides, and squalane. Dove's gradual tanning cream, originally launched in 2005 as a basic color builder, now includes pro-ceramide to repair the skin barrier. St. Tropez, Bali Body, Vita Liberata, and newer players like Cyklar are all working within what This Works CEO Anna Persaud calls the "skinification" of bodycare — the consumer expectation that a product delivers both immediate color and long-term skin results. Cyklar's Self-Tanning Milky Essence, for instance, uses a dual DHA-DHB system alongside papaya oil and olive-derived emollient. Founder Claudia Sulewski built the brand specifically around a gap she identified: self-tan still felt like a chore, disconnected from the rest of a bodycare routine. It doesn't have to be anymore.

Format is evolving too. Mousses remain bestsellers, but milky toners, serums, and customizable drops are gaining ground — particularly with Gen Z, who, according to celebrity tan artist and Dolce Glow founder Isabel Vita, dominate the drops category and have zero patience for products that don't slot into a busy life. The trade-off for all this innovation is price. Premium tanning products now range from $20 to $52 for brands like Loving Tan and Luna Bronze, and up to $135 for luxury lines like Sisley and Dior Glow. James Read, founder of Self Glow by James Read, is direct about why: "Really good ingredients cost a lot of money, and pairing them with DHA is hard."

Looking ahead, Coco predicts the category will chase longevity and anti-aging — tanning products that function as makeup, skincare, and wellness tool simultaneously. Topical peptides, tanning patches, and gummies are in experimentation, though research on the latter remains inconclusive. What's certain is the direction: as SPF culture cements itself and UV tanning loses cultural permission, the bronze glow isn't going anywhere — it's just getting smarter.

Fake tanning has stopped apologizing for itself and started acting like skincare — and the industry is finally catching up.

Read the original at Vogue.