Want that sun-kissed glow without worrying about toxic ingredients or excessive sun exposure? Clean, low tox bronzing drops are here to save the day! These little wonders let you add a beautiful, natural tan while keeping your beauty routine free from nasties. Packed with skin-loving ingredients and free from harsh chemicals, they’re perfect for getting a radiant look that’s as healthy as it is glowing.
In this blog post, we’ll dive into the best clean bronzing drops out there, how they work their magic, and why they’re a game-changer for anyone who loves a fresh, sunlit shine without any of the bad stuff!
This post contains affiliate links.
Table of contents:
- How to Use Bronzing Drops
- Best Natural & Non-Toxic Bronzing Drop Brands
- Low Tox Liquid Highlighting Serums
- Bronzing Drop Brands to Avoid
How to Use Bronzing Drops 🟤
What are they? Bronzing drops (or liquid bronzers) are tinted serums that give your skin a warm glow without the need for sun exposure, tanning beds, or dihydroxyacetone (DHA). This makeup-skincare hybrid product is gaining popularity because they are super versatile and often packed with skincare benefits too!
Seven ways to use them:
- Alone (after skincare) all over your face for a bronzy, no-makeup look
- Mixed with moisturizer for a subtly warmed complexion
- After mineral sunscreen to offset any white cast from zinc oxide
- As a primer before makeup for a silky base and long-lasting application
- Blended with foundation or concealer to add shimmer and warmth (this is also helpful in the summer, for example, if your current foundation shade is too light for you!)
- Targeted application on areas where the sun would naturally hit, such as cheekbones and temples
- On your body (such as chest and shoulders) to emulate that back-from-vacation tan
The more you use, the more you glow, so you can customize how dark you want to look. Typically, you’ll have to play around with much product you need for your specific skin tone. Many brands also come in lighter shades which are ideal if you have paler skin, or you can use them to highlight or illuminate!
(BTW, these are not to be confused with TANNING drops. If you’re looking for a sunless tanner for your face instead, try these Beauty by Earth Tanning Drops! Just mix them with a moisturizer and a tan will develop within a few hours. Use code BECCA15 for a discount!)
7 Natural & Non-Toxic Bronzing Drop Brands 🌟
Searching for a safer swap for those viral Drunk Elephant Sunshine Drops? (keep reading to learn why I don’t recommend those)
I got you! These brands use low tox, natural ingredients that meet my strict standards.
Some of these also have lighter shades which you could use to highlight or illuminate instead of bronze. I also have a separate section later in this post if you’re exclusively looking for highlighter serums!
Pai The Impossible Glow
$29-39 • Becca’s Top Pick! • Vegan & Cruelty-Free • COSMOS Organic Certified
These quintessential drops are STUNNING and my personal favorite! Pai is a London-based B Corp and all of their products are Soil Association certified organic with amazing ingredients. The drops are formulated with hydrating hyaluronic acid and brightening lemon fruit water (rich in Vitamin C!). Make sure you give the bottle a shake first because separation can happen, since Pai doesn’t use synthetic emulsifiers.
These are infused with mica, a pearlescent mineral pigment that has light-reflecting properties, and are pretty metallic! The unscented formula is water-based and dries quickly, so you need to work kind of fast when you apply it, but it does glide around easily before it dries. Because these are more metallic, I prefer to mix them with a moisturizer or foundation (or dab some over makeup) vs. wearing them alone on my entire face. But you do you! (it looks super metallic in a concentrated drop, but it does sheer out as you spread it around skin though!)
If you want a traditional coppery color, go with the Original. Otherwise, they have Champagne and Rose Gold shades which are lighter. As someone with cool-toned skin, I loooove the Rose Gold drops because they complement my skin tone well; I even use it as a liquid eyeshadow!
Bonus: These are available in mini 10 mL sizes!
Also available here at Credo and Amazon.
Saie Glowy Super Gel
$16-28 • Most Popular! • Vegan & Cruelty-Free
You’ve likely seen this on social media, it’s quite trendy! Saie’s is more of a gel vs. liquidy drops, but it still offers the luminous effect you’re looking for (I like that it’s not sparkly, either). It has an incredibly silky smooth texture and blends in well without gripping to skin. It’s made with squalane, papaya seed oil, and rosehip oil; but it’s actually 75% water and very lightweight and does not feel heavy or greasy at all. I suggest this one if you primarily want to apply it all over your face, and it mixes well with foundation too.
What’s really cool: Glowy Super Gel comes in a glass bottle and is encased in a recyclable inner pouch that pulls out when empty!
It’s available in four shades: Sunglow (universal bronze gold), Warmglow (soft warm gold), Roseglow (rose gold), and Starglow (champagne). I like that Sunglow doesn’t look too dark on lighter skin like mine. And I appreciate that Saie sells mini sizes, sooooo precious!
Saie also sells these Dew Bronze liquid bronzers, which you can dab on if you prefer a more targeted application!
Note: This does contain polysorbate 60, an emulsifying ingredient I don’t love, but I am fine with it here and there in moderation.
Also available here at Sephora and Amazon.
Related post: “My Top Fave Saie Makeup Products [Clean Beauty Brand Review]”
Suntegrity Staycation Bronzing Shimmer Serum
$42 • Vegan & Cruelty-Free • Waterless • Best for Body Use
Suntegrity’s serum is more expensive than most, but the ingredient deck is impressive and it’s waterless! It’s made with tons of organic oils (like jojoba, sunflower seed, and babassu), pure plant extracts, aloe vera, and hyaluronic acid. It’s essentially a luxe facial oil with bronzing benefits! It has a really pleasant smell that’s a bit fruity and tropical (and not too strong).
Suntegrity recently revamped this, and now it’s vegan, comes in a glass bottle, and is less glittery than before (but it still has more shimmer than the others!). I especially like this one for use on my body since it’s made of oils and glides around nicely. However, if you do use it on your body, let it fully dry before putting on clothes, otherwise the color can transfer!
Also available here on Amazon.
Dr. Hauschka Translucent Bronzing Tint
$29 • Vegan & Cruelty-Free • NATRUE Certified
Dr. Hauschka is a German brand founded in 1967 by chemist Rudolf Hauschka. The products are made of 100% natural raw ingredients, most of which are grown organically or biodynamically! Although this tint is water-based, the second ingredient is olive fruit oil, which is nourishing and has essential fatty acids like linoleic, oleic, and palmitic.
Folks enjoy that this feels light, non-greasy, and blends effortlessly. It’s a lotion-like texture; you can easily build up the color to get just the right amount of bronzing you want!
Indie Lee Bronzing Drops
$28 • Vegan & Cruelty-Free
Indie Lee’s brand was started in 2009, following the founder’s recovery from a life-threatening brain tumor. The company bans over 1,300 ingredients in their products!
These bronzing drops are are thin, silky serum texture. They’re water-based and very spreadable—you only need a tiny drop, so I suggest starting with less and building your way up to more coverage. I like that they don’t look too sparkly, and you get a natural faux glow. They also have skin-loving ingredients like niacinamide, avocado, squalane, and Vitamin E.
Also available here on Amazon.
Typology T34 Bronzing Drops
$35 • Vegan & Cruelty-Free
Typology is a French brand! These drops are loaded with Vitamin E, which provides antioxidant protection and neutralizes the effects of free radicals, external aggressors, and UV radiation. Yes, please!
These water-based drops are praised for their buildable non-orange color, easy blendability, not being too glittery, and consistent golden tone which helps counteract redness.
Well People Bio Bronzing Priming Serum
$25 • Best Value • Vegan & Cruelty-Free
Well People makes lots of affordable, budget-friendly products. This water-based priming serum is the best value for how much you get! It’s intended for use as a makeup primer or mixing with skincare/beauty products.
It’s enriched with lots of plant-based goodness such as aloe juice, quinoa-derived peptides, and oat kernel flour. It has a botanical silicone alternative that makes a smooth canvas for makeup.
It appears kind of dark and thick at first, but applies pretty sheer and really does not have much shimmer or sparkle at all; it’s a subtle and natural wash of color and is more cool-toned than the others. That being said, a little goes a long way, particularly if you have paler skin! Overall, I recommend this one if you want to look darker, yet don’t want to appear too reflective or radiant.
Also available here on Amazon.
Low Tox Liquid Highlighting Serums ✨
Now, if you prefer something for highlighting instead, check these out!
Bronzing Drops That Don’t Make The Cut ❌
Now, let’s examine some popular brands that I do NOT recommend due to their ingredients:
- Caliray (contains phenoxyethanol, polysorbate 20, carbomer)
- Drunk Elephant (phenoxyethanol, polysorbate 60)
- Elf (phenoxyethanol, carbomer, disodium EDTA, polysorbate 60)
- Glow Recipe (glycereth-26, carbomer, polyquaternium-51, fragrance, benzyl benzoate)
- Iconic London (phenoxyethanol, polysorbate 80, fragrance)
- Morphe (PEGs, disodium EDTA, polyquaternium-51, tons of silicones)
- Pacifica (phenoxyethanol, parfum)
- Physician’s Formula (quaternium-90, phenoxyethanol, fragrance)
- Tarte (phenoxyethanol, polysorbate 60)
You might be confused about why some of these brands are on this list, or perhaps you thought they were clean. Unfortunately, many of these brands greenwash and market themselves as clean, non-toxic, etc., when in reality, they contain ingredients that have been linked to hormone/endocrine disruption or have carcinogenic properties.
Wanna learn more about harmful ingredients in your personal care products and the WHY behind it all? Download the Ingredients to Avoid Index! It has over 60+ common ingredients to watch out for and a printable pocket guide.
So if you’re all about achieving a radiant, sun-kissed glow while keeping things toxin-free, bronzing drops are your new BFF. These little gems let you customize your perfect tan with nourishing, real ingredients that enhance your complexion without any harmful additives. From blending seamlessly into your daily routine to providing a healthy, luminous finish, they’re a fantastic addition to your beauty arsenal. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. Thanks for reading 💛
Thank you! This is wonderful information! I will definitely pass it on to my DILs, as they try to be careful about toxicity in products too. My problem with tanning conditioners is the large sun damaged brown areas that I am always trying to lighten. They darken too when I want to have the sun kissed look. Any suggestions?
Yeah that’s tough! I’d suggest using a Vitamin C serum to help lighten any dark spots or pigmentation.
What are the differences between tanning drops and bronzing drops? Thanks, I love your info!
Hey Denise, tanning drops usually have DHA in them which actually darken and tan skin. Bronzing drops are just makeup, it washes away, and doesn’t tan skin.