The whole formula
Six ingredients.
That's the formula.
Every conventional self-tan has twenty-plus ingredients on the label. Ours has six — and one of them is water. Here's what's in the bottle, what each one does, and what we left out on purpose.
Water.
The carrier. Triple-filtered, USP-grade — the difference between a tan that smells clean and one that doesn't.
Why it earns its place
Most self-tan formulas use water as filler. We use it as the base because USP-grade water carries our actives without breaking them down. No additives, no chlorine, no metallic notes.
Where it comes from
Triple-filtered, USP-grade pharmaceutical water, sourced from a single supplier in Florida.
Aloe Vera.
Organic, cold-pressed inner-leaf juice. Hydrates the skin so the tan develops evenly — and so it doesn't dry you out.
Why it earns its place
Aloe doesn't just moisturise; it preps the skin's surface so DHA reacts evenly. Without it, you get blotch. With cheap aloe, you get a sticky finish. Ours is cold-pressed and organic-certified.
Where it comes from
Organic-certified Aloe Barbadensis from a single grower in Texas. Cold-pressed inner-leaf juice only — no outer-leaf latex.
DHA.
Plant-derived dihydroxyacetone — sugar beets and cane. Reacts with your skin's amino acids to produce a real tan.
Why it earns its place
DHA is what makes self-tan possible. Ours is plant-derived (sugar beets and cane), pharmaceutical-grade, and pH-balanced to react cleanly. The orange tell you know from drugstore tans? That's DHA reacting badly. Ours doesn't.
Where it comes from
Plant-derived from sugar beets and sugarcane. Pharmaceutical-grade, supplied by a single facility in Germany.
Sodium Benzoate.
A naturally-occurring preservative used in food. Keeps the formula stable for a year — without phenoxyethanol or parabens.
Why it earns its place
Most self-tans use phenoxyethanol or parabens to stay shelf-stable. We use sodium benzoate — naturally occurring (cranberries, prunes, cinnamon) and food-grade. Pairs with potassium sorbate to do the job of three less-clean preservatives.
Where it comes from
Food-grade, naturally-occurring. Found in cranberries, prunes, and cinnamon — used in food preservation for a century.
Potassium Sorbate.
A second preservative from mountain ash berries. Pairs with sodium benzoate to keep the formula clean for twelve months.
Why it earns its place
Preservation by partnership: sodium benzoate handles bacteria, potassium sorbate handles yeasts and molds. Together they replace the broader-spectrum nasties — and the formula keeps for a year, not three.
Where it comes from
Derived from mountain ash berries. Used in cheese, baked goods, and wine — about as inoffensive as a preservative gets.
Caramel.
Real caramelised sugar. Gives the Mousse its visible application guide — washes off cleanly, leaves the real tan behind.
Why it earns its place
In the Mousse only — gives you a visible guide while you apply, so you don't miss spots. It's literal caramelised sugar, the same as you'd find in a sauce, and it rinses off in the first shower. The Tanning Water has no caramel; it's clear.
Where it comes from
Caramelised cane sugar — Class I caramel color, the simplest of the four caramel classes. Food-grade.
What's not in the bottle
Eleven things we left out on purpose.
PETA Approved · Vegan · Cruelty-Free · Dermatologist-Reviewed
Six ingredients · One bottle