Tan-Luxe The Face, Self Tan Drops, Custom Face Tanner, 0.33 Fl Oz

Why it's worth it

Tan-Luxe The Face mixes into whatever moisturizer, serum or oil you already use, so you decide the intensity. Byrdie editors found it among the few tanners that didn't trigger comedones on acne-prone facial skin over a four-week trial.

Body tanners are the wrong tool for your face. They often carry comedogenic oils and higher DHA levels than facial skin wants, which is how people end up with a lovely tan and a fresh crop of breakouts. The Face was built for this specific problem, and the four-week Byrdie result is the strongest evidence in the category that a tanner can develop color without clogging pores.

The dosing is what makes it work day to day. Add one drop for barely-there warmth, four or five for something obvious. Owners with light-to-medium skin generally land on two drops a couple of times a week — enough to keep pace with a tanned body without the face going too far. That's a much finer level of control than a mousse gives you.

From our review of 8 self tanners and tanning drops, by Sarah Wright, Editorial Associate

What we like

• +Body tanners are the wrong tool for your face
• +The dosing is what makes it work day to day
• +The supporting ingredients earn their place
• +It also lasts a long time

What to know

• –Overdo it and it can skew orange
• –Because it develops on the face, it can transfer onto nails if you scratch, and some people find the color patchy or short-lived