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Self-Tan OEM/ODM Solutions for Sunless Tanning Brands
Self-tan products must deliver believable colour, comfortable textures and minimal transfer, not just “DHA in a bottle”. Zerun Cosmetic helps brands design complete self-tan systems: formats, shades, undertones, sensorials, claims, testing and MOQs aligned with your markets and channels.
Who we support in sunless tanning OEM/ODM?
We support sunless tanning brands, salons, spray-tan studios, retailers and e-commerce players who want more than copycat SKUs. Our role is to turn your positioning, channels and customer expectations into structured self-tan ranges that feel coherent and scalable.
Partner profiles we serve
- Sunless tanning partner types
- Dedicated self-tan and glow brands
- Spray-tan studios and salon chains
- Beauty retailers and pharmacy private labels
- DTC and marketplace-led “glow” lifestyle brands
- Typical project starting points
- Refreshing an outdated self-tan line with modern textures
- Adding self-tan formats into an existing body-care range
- Creating a salon-professional + retail-take-home pairing
- Building a new brand around subtle, everyday glow products
- How we work with you
- Clarify target skin tones, climates and application habits
- Align formats and shades with channels and price tiers
- Provide structured sampling and feedback loops before scale
Example self-tan partner profiles
| Partner Type | Main Channels | Key Needs in Self-Tan | Typical Project Start Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-tan specialist brand | Retail, e-commerce | Full shade range, strong story, new textures | Upgrade existing line to modern formulas and scents |
| Spray-tan studio / salon | In-salon + retail take-home | Pro formats + retail maintenance SKUs | Pair pro spray solution with home-use mousse/lotion |
| Beauty retailer private label | Stores, pharmacy, online | Simple, safe, easy-to-understand assortment | Launch 2–4 self-tan SKUs under store brand |
| DTC “glow” lifestyle brand | Social, DTC, marketplaces | Everyday glow, content-friendly products | Introduce subtle gradual tans and face drops |
What Self-tan product formats we can develop for Brand?
We design self-tan formats around your end-user routines: quick foam for experienced tanners, gradual lotions for beginners, drops for mix-in customisation, mists for face and on-the-go, plus supporting prep and maintenance products.
Product families and use cases
- Core self-tan formats
- Foaming mousses for body application with mitt
- Cream or lotion self-tanners for body and limbs
- Concentrated drops to mix into moisturisers
- Face-focused and light-usage formats
- Face-specific self-tan lotions or serums
- Mists for fine, even application on face and neck
- Gradual tans for subtle, buildable colour
- Prep and maintenance
- Pre-tan exfoliating scrubs or mitt-friendly scrubs
- Colour-extending moisturisers and glow lotions
- Wash-off bronzers or instant colour gels
Example self-tan format mapping
| Product Type | Main Use Case | Example Formats | Typical User Scenario |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mousse self-tan | Full-body, faster development | Foaming pump bottle | Experienced users with mitt at home |
| Lotion self-tan | Full-body, more moisturising | Bottle or pump lotion | Normal to dry skin, slower application |
| Gradual tan lotion | Everyday, subtle buildable colour | Body lotion with low DHA | Beginners, maintenance between full tans |
| Face tan drops | Customised face colour | Concentrated drops for mixing | Users mixing with their own moisturiser |
| Face tan mist | Quick, fine application for face/neck | Fine mist sprayer | Busy users, touch-ups, layering over skincare |
| Wash-off bronzer | One-night colour, no commitment | Gel or lotion with instant pigments | Events, photoshoots, short-term use |
How to plan DHA levels, undertones and booster strategy for self-tan?
Colour is central to self-tan success. We help you decide DHA levels, booster use and undertone families by target skin tones, desired intensity, wear time and channel, so your shade map feels deliberate rather than random.
How we think about colour design
- DHA and intensity
- Low, medium and higher DHA ranges matched to formats
- Gradual vs express / deep-tan concepts
- Face vs body DHA strategies where appropriate
- Undertones and shade families
- Warm, neutral and cool undertone directions
- Avoiding unnatural “orange” or muddy results
- Regional preferences and channel-specific expectations
- Boosters and helpers
- Erythrulose and other colour-cooperation systems
- Cosmetic bronzers for guide-colour and initial glow
- Hydration and barrier-support actives to improve wear
How to design texture, dry-down and transfer control for modern self-tan formulas?
A good shade fails if the texture is sticky, slow-drying or transfers everywhere. We help you design bases that feel comfortable, absorb at the right speed and minimise transfer to clothes and bedding while respecting practical constraints.
Texture and performance priorities
- Application feel
- Light, spreadable mousses and lotions
- Slip level tuned for mitt application vs bare hands
- Options for richer, more moisturising profiles
- Dry-down and absorption
- Target dry-down times for different climates and routines
- Avoidance of heavy, tacky films on warm skin
- Inclusion of film-formers where beneficial
- Transfer and wear
- Strategies to reduce transfer to bedding and clothing
- Consideration of fabric types and colour claims
- Balancing user comfort with realistic expectations
How to approach scent design for modern self-tan products?
Many consumers still fear “self-tan smell”. We help you design fragrance strategies that respect underlying DHA odour while creating a pleasant, modern scent profile suited to your audience, channel and brand story.
Fragrance and odour management
- Fragrance strategy
- Scent maps by audience: fresh, fruity, soft floral, clean
- Fragrance intensity tuning for bathrooms and bedrooms
- Options for more neutral or low-fragrance lines
- Managing DHA-related odour
- Base design to help modulate odour perception
- Fragrance choices that sit well with later-stage notes
- Guidance on realistic expectations and communication
- Regional and channel preferences
- Pharmacy-ready, subtle fragrance directions
- Bolder scents for lifestyle and DTC concepts
- Cross-selling with existing body-care fragrance lines
What Claims, testing and regulatory support for OEM self-tan products?
Self-tan products must sit clearly as cosmetics while making believable claims around colour, evenness, streaks, wear time and transfer. We support you in aligning claims, testing plans and labelling with your risk comfort and markets.
Claim and compliance framework
- Typical claims we can support
- Natural-looking, streak-free colour (with appropriate controls)
- Buildable or gradual tan narratives
- Quick-dry or fast-absorbing textures
- Hydration or skin-conditioning benefits
- Testing and evaluation options
- Stability and packaging compatibility testing
- Application and streak-evaluation panels
- Consumer perception studies on colour, texture and odour
- Wear-time observation studies where realistic
- Regulatory context
- Cosmetic status for self-tan vs sunscreen regulations
- Labelling, warnings and usage instructions by region
- Platform and retailer-specific requirements (where known)
Make A Sample First？
If you have your own formula, packaging idea, logo artwork, or even just a concept, please share the details of your project requirements, including preferred product type, ingredients, scent, and customization needs. We’re excited to help you bring your personal care product ideas to life through our sample development process.
Shade ranges, MOQs and phased launch strategies
Launching every shade at once is rarely the best path. We help you structure shade ranges, MOQs and phases so you can start with core options, then expand undertones, depths and formats based on real market feedback.
Shade and launch planning
- Shade range structure
- Light, medium and deep depth structure per format
- Core universal shades vs region-specific additions
- Strategy for face vs body shade offerings
- MOQ and volume planning
- MOQ bands by format and shade count
- Shared bases with tinted variants to optimise volume
- Advice on prioritising shades for first production runs
- Phased launch strategies
- Phase 1: core shades in key formats
- Phase 2: undertone extensions and new formats
- Phase 3: limited editions, seasonal and collaboration shades
Indicative shade & MOQ planning
Illustrative ranges only. Actual MOQs and timings depend on formula, packaging and market needs.
| Format Type | Initial Shade Plan Example | Indicative MOQ Band per Shade* | Typical Launch Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body mousse | 3 shades (light/medium/deep) | ~3,000–5,000 units per shade | Start with 3, add undertones later |
| Body lotion | 2–3 shades | ~3,000–5,000 units per shade | Pair with mousse or use for gradual concepts |
| Gradual tan lotion | 1–2 universal shades | ~3,000–5,000 units per shade | Launch single shade first, extend if needed |
| Face drops / serum | 1–2 depth levels | ~3,000–5,000 units per shade | Focus on flexibility via drop count |
Exact figures to be confirmed case by case.
Frequently Asked Questions about Self-Tan OEM/ODM Solutions
Most questions revolve around how small the sizes can be, how many SKUs to include, and how to keep kits profitable while still feeling generous. We usually respond with size, format and cost examples that match your brand’s strategy and capacity.
Q1: Do we need to launch many shades at once for a self-tan line?
Not always. You can start with a small, well-chosen shade set and expand once you see which depths and undertones perform best.
- Common start: light/medium + medium/dark versions
- Later add deeper or more specific undertones as needed
- Shade naming and expectations must be managed clearly
Q2: Can one self-tan formula work for both face and body?
Sometimes, but face often benefits from lighter textures and lower intensity or extra skin-care benefits.
- Body formulas can be richer and more robust
- Face formulas may focus on hydration and gentler feel
- We can design a face-specific line or a “face-safe” variant
Q3: How can we reduce the “self-tan smell” without over-fragrancing?
By optimising base systems, DHA level and boosters, then using carefully selected fragrance at cosmetic, not masking, levels.
- Balance odour control with sensitivity and allergy considerations
- Modern perfume directions can feel more like skincare than “fake tan”
- We test sensorial and odour profiles in realistic use conditions
Q4: Are self-tanners regulated like sunscreens?
No. Self-tanners are usually treated as cosmetic products with different claim and testing needs from SPF products.
- Self-tan = colour and appearance, often without UV protection
- Do not imply sun protection unless SPF is actually included and tested
- We can help separate your self-tan and sunscreen lines clearly
Q5: Can we test self-tan formulas with small MOQs before a full launch?
Yes, you can start with focused SKUs and realistic volumes while checking colour, wear time and customer feedback.
- Use pilot or first-wave production to gather real reviews
- Adjust texture, fragrance or shades in later batches
- Plan phased rollouts across channels and regions
How Zerun supports your self-tan line from brief to launch？
- Our team will answer your inquiries within 12 hours.
- Your information will be kept strictly confidential.
We act as an OEM/ODM partner who understands the specifics of self-tan: colour, texture, scent, transfer and claims. From your first idea to production, we help build a line that feels believable, desirable and commercially realistic.
Collaboration journey with Zerun
- Starting collaboration
- Share your target markets, channels and price bands
- Describe your ideal user profiles and self-tan habits
- Provide reference products you like and what you want to change
- Our support along the way
- Propose formats, shade maps and texture directions
- Refine formulas, scents and shades based on trials
- Coordinate agreed testing and documentation with trusted partners
- From plan to launch
- Finalise product specs, packaging and artwork
- Plan production and logistics for each SKU and shade
- Review performance and design next phases of your self-tan roadmap
