Saltyface Tanning Foam: Tested and Reviewed (2025)

I'll be sunless tanning with this product all summer long.

• Isabelle Buneo

We may earn commission from links on this page. Each product featured has been vetted and chosen by our editors.

Growing up as the daughter of a very fair-skinned Irish man, I’d like to think I’ve had the importance of sun protection ingrained in me from a very young age. That doesn’t mean, however, that I didn’t fall victim to frying under the sun to achieve that golden-bronze “base tan” in my teen years. Now, as a beauty editor, I know that the best tans are the ones that come from the bottle, but I’ve still struggled to get over my fear of applying anything stronger than a gradual tanning lotion. It just felt too high stakes to me—What if I go too dark? What if it comes out streaky? What if I miss a spot? All of these questions kept me confined, for years, to a world of wanting that healthy glow but reluctantly accepting that maybe the world of at-home tanning was just too complicated for me.

Enter Saltyface—designed to create natural-looking tans you can rock with confidence year-round. SaltyFace’s self-tanners promise high-quality, skin-care infused formulas to simplify your tanning routine, not make it more complicated. I turned to Saltyface’s Tanning Foam ($62) in an attempt to get over my fear of self-tanning mousses, and after just one use, I was sold. Now, the foam is a regular part of my body-care routine, and I’ve never felt more confident.

The Benefits of the Saltyface Tanning Foam

Cruelty-free, vegan and guaranteed to not clog pores, Saltyface’s Tanning Foam is the scaredy-cat tan lovers’ dream, thanks not only to its clean formula but to its customizable shade depth. Saltyface’s Tanning Foam doesn’t require a post-application rinse, which was a major factor for me in choosing to use the product for the first time. As much as I’d like to, I don’t often have as much time for my self-care routine, so a self-tanner that requires rinsing after application just wasn’t conducive to my pre-bed shower routine. If you want a more subtle glow, you can rinse after an hour or so, but I opt to apply the Light-Medium foam post-shower (exfoliate first, of course!) and sleep with it on. The resulting depth is perfect for my skin tone—it just looks like my skin at its most sun-kissed.

Another hindrance for me (and many others) when it comes to at-home tanning is the often messy application. But the application is clean and transfer-free with Saltyface’s Tanning Foam, making it perfect for first-timers. The foam is clear, so you don’t have to worry about immediate transfer onto clothes or sheets. Plus, the brand’s tanning brushes make streak-free application effortless.

How to Use the Saltyface Tanning Foam

The best thing, in my opinion, about Saltyface’s Tanning Foam is that you can fully cater your tanning routine to your specific color desires and lifestyle preferences. If you’re a daytime tanner, simply moisturize your body, apply the foam with either a brush or your hands and you’re set for your tan to develop as you go about your day—no rinse necessary and no sticky feel (another huge factor for sensory sensitive girlies like me). If you prefer to apply before bed, hop in the shower and exfoliate and cleanse as you normally would. Then, apply the foam and hit the hay. When you wake up, rinse off the excess if you please, but again, there’s no rinse necessary. The foam consistency acts as a guide to help you apply evenly, whether you choose to use a brush or your hands. For seamless application across the back, apply the foam to a hand towel and move it back and forth across the back and shoulders for full coverage without the strain.

See Also

A Long-lasting, Luminous Tan Any Time of the Year — Sisley