THE GCT EDIT · BODY CARE

Best tanning oil in Australia

12 formulas to compare. One skincare standout.

The best tanning oil for you depends on what you want from the bottle: moisturised skin, a glossy finish, sunless colour or an oil with an SPF label.

Burleigh Bronze leads our guide for its skincare focus. Explore its formula alongside familiar tanning oils, a self tanning alternative and five sunscreen oils.

Meet Burleigh Bronze Compare the shortlist

By GCT · Product guide · 5 October 2026

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Burleigh Bronze

Amino Complex Tanning Oil · 120 ml

OUR FEATURED SKINCARE CHOICE

Burleigh Bronze

Tanning meets skincare.

A body care angle on the tanning oil shortlist, with a formula that deserves a closer look.

The published formula includes squalane, sodium hyaluronate and panthenol, alongside jojoba oil, shea butter and three named peptides: Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 and Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5.

01 / MOISTURE

Squalane & sodium hyaluronate

02 / BODY CARE

Jojoba oil & shea butter

03 / FORMULA FOCUS

Three named peptides

If you shop for body products with the same attention you give facial skincare, this is the formula to look at first. Its 120 mL pump bottle also gives it a different presentation from the familiar squeeze bottle oils in this comparison.

Ingredients alone do not prove faster tanning or superior results. Its place at the top of this guide reflects the skincare approach.

A$59

120 mL · No SPF claim

Explore Burleigh Bronze

AT A GLANCE

Compare the main shortlist

Start with the job you want your oil to do. A self tanner, a body oil and a sunscreen oil are different products.

Product	Size	SPF status	Reason to compare
Burleigh Bronze	120 mL	No SPF claim	Skincare focused formula
Bali Body Cacao	100 mL	SPF 15	Cacao tint and scent
Brunae Body	120 mL	No SPF claim	Botanical oil blend
Reef Coconut Oil	125 mL	SPF 0	Classic coconut fragrance
Mykonian Sun Booster	150 mL	No SPF claim	Peptide containing formula
Bondi Sands Liquid Gold	150 mL	Not a sunscreen	Sunless colour
Melanoboost Oil	160 mL	No SPF claim	Amino acid and oil blend

How to choose a tanning oil

For colour that develops without UV exposure, look for a self tanner such as Liquid Gold. For shine and body care, compare the oil base, fragrance and ingredients. If you want sun protection in an oil texture, compare properly labelled sunscreens and follow the directions on your local pack.

No. Cancer Council Australia advises that a UV tan is a sign of skin damage. Oil without an SPF label is not sunscreen, and an SPF label does not make deliberate tanning safe.

Read Cancer Council guidance

For a cacao tinted finish

Bali Body Cacao Tanning Oil SPF 15

100 mL | SPF 15 | Listed at A$25.95

Bali Body Cacao combines grape seed, coconut and olive oils with cacao extract and sunscreen filters. The brand describes an immediate cosmetic tint, making it a useful comparison if the appearance of your skin straight after application matters to you.

This is the black bottle Cacao SPF 15 version. Its tint is different from colour developed by a self tanner, and the SPF 15 rating should not be confused with the higher SPF options later in this guide.

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For a broad botanical oil blend

Brunae Body Accelerating Tanning Oil

120 mL | No SPF claim | Check current price

Brunae combines a mineral oil base with oils including sweet almond, grape seed, olive and jojoba. Mango butter and vitamin E also appear in its published ingredients. It is worth comparing if you prefer a fragranced oil with several botanical ingredients.

The brand markets it as an accelerating tanning oil. We have not independently tested that claim, so its inclusion here is based on the formula and format. Check the full ingredient list if you avoid particular plant oils or fragrance.

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For a familiar coconut scented oil

Reef Moisturising Coconut Oil

125 mL | SPF 0 | Check current price

Reef is the straightforward coconut scented option in this comparison. Its published formula includes mineral oil, coconut oil and sweet almond oil, with fragrance. The small bottle will be familiar to shoppers browsing Australian pharmacy shelves.

The pack clearly states SPF 0. Treat it as a fragranced moisturising oil when comparing it with skincare formulas or sunscreen oils; coconut oil itself is not a substitute for sunscreen.

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For a peptide containing oil formula

Mykonian Sun Booster Oil

150 mL | No SPF claim | Check current price

Mykonian Sun Booster Oil combines a mineral oil base with coconut, castor and almond oils. Its published ingredient list also includes Acetyl Hexapeptide 1 and Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol. That makes it relevant to shoppers comparing the ingredient stories behind tanning oils.

The brand uses the name DNA Defense on its packaging. That wording does not establish sunscreen protection. This entry covers the Sun Booster Oil; the accompanying Sun Tan Elixir Lotion is a separate product.

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For bronze colour without UV exposure

Bondi Sands Liquid Gold Self Tanning Dry Oil

150 mL | Self tanner | Check current price

Liquid Gold belongs in this guide because “tanning oil” can mean a product that creates colour without sun exposure. Bondi Sands describes it as a dry oil with argan oil and a coconut scent, with colour developing over about six hours and no rinse required.

Choose this category if your priority is the appearance of a tan without deliberately tanning outdoors. Follow the application instructions carefully; the developed colour does not provide sun protection.

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For an amino acid and botanical oil blend

Melanoboost Peptide Sun Tanning Oil

160 mL | No SPF claim | Listed at A$59.95

The yellow Melanoboost bottle contains the oil version of its sun tanning range. The brand markets the oil around peptide technology, while its published ingredient list includes amino acids and oils such as grape seed, apricot kernel, Kakadu plum seed and sea buckthorn.

It offers a larger bottle than several options here, which is useful when comparing cost per millilitre. Claims about accelerating a tan are brand claims, not results established by this comparison.

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FIVE MORE TO EXPLORE

Glow and sunscreen oils

For a glossy finish with a stated SPF. These details refer to the pictured versions and official overseas information. Australian availability, local labels and prices may differ.

For a body oil mist format

COOLA Firming Body Oil Mist SPF 30

100 mL | Broad spectrum SPF 30

COOLA pairs an oil mist format with bakuchiol and a blend of botanical oils, including sea buckthorn and moringa. The brand describes the formula as a firming body oil and uses “plant powered retinol” language for its bakuchiol based approach.

It is a format to compare if you prefer a mist to a pour bottle. Apply according to its sunscreen directions; a light cosmetic spritz is not a substitute for the labelled amount.

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For a luminous gel finish

Kopari Sun Shield Body Glow SPF 50

150 mL | Broad spectrum SPF 50

Kopari describes Sun Shield Body Glow as a lightweight gel with a luminous finish. The formula includes plant oils, vitamin E and mica, so its immediate glow comes from the finish of the product.

The gel texture makes it a useful alternative to conventional body oils. Compare it if you want visible radiance with an SPF label and enjoy a coconut and vanilla style fragrance.

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For a glossy oil with a nostalgic scent

Vacation Baby Oil SPF 30

100 mL | Broad spectrum SPF 30

Vacation Baby Oil is a sunscreen oil inspired by the look and scent of classic baby oil. The brand lists jojoba oil, botanical extracts and vitamin E in a formula designed to leave a glossy finish.

The product name refers to that nostalgic concept. It is a formulated sunscreen, rather than ordinary household baby oil. This is the option to compare if fragrance and a high shine finish are central to your choice.

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For an unscented sunscreen oil option

Supergoop Glow Oil SPF 50

148 mL pictured | Broad spectrum SPF 50

Supergoop Glow Oil includes argan, grape seed and meadowfoam seed oils. The brand offers an original unscented version alongside scented variants, so check the selected option if you want to avoid added fragrance.

Its official listing states 80 minutes of water and sweat resistance. That is a label instruction to follow, not permission to skip reapplication. The pour bottle is also worth considering if you prefer dispensing an oil directly into your hand.

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For fragrance and golden shimmer

Sol de Janeiro Rio Radiance SPF 50 Body Oil

90 mL | Broad spectrum SPF 50 | Availability unconfirmed

Sol de Janeiro introduced Rio Radiance Body Oil with patauá oil, pongamia extract and golden mica. It features the Cheirosa 87 fragrance, which the brand describes through solar tuberose and coconut milk notes.

It belongs in the shimmer and fragrance end of this comparison. The original product URL now redirects to the brand’s body care collection, so current availability could not be confirmed. The linked launch information documents the product rather than confirming stock.

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About this guide: Product information comes from the brand pages linked above. Sizes follow the pictured packs. Prices and stock can change. Overseas SPF labels do not confirm Australian availability.