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Best Tanning Accelerator for Your Face: Can You Use a Body Cream?

Delux Lumière Facial Maximiser tube beside a black gift box, vanilla flower and pods
Buying guide

The best tanning accelerator
for your face

Plenty of people tan their face with whatever is left on their hands after their legs. It works, after a fashion. This guide answers the question properly: can a body accelerator go on your face, why a face formula is built differently, what to look for, and how to run a face cream and a body cream in the same session.

50mlLumière tube, in a Delux gift box
Peasized amount per area. That is all
0DHA, bronzer or self-tan
50,000+Delux orders shipped across the UK
The short answer. Yes, you can use a body tanning accelerator on your face, and any Delux cream can go there. A dedicated face formula simply does the job better, because facial skin is thinner, often shinier in places and usually wears makeup on top. Look for a light, fast-absorbing, non-greasy base, real tanning actives high on the ingredient list, and no bronzer or DHA. Our pick is Delux Lumière Facial Maximiser: a 50ml, vanilla-scented, bronzer-free facial tanning cream with acetyl tyrosine fifth and niacinamide sixth on the label, built to sit under makeup. Use it on your face, and your usual body cream from the neck down.
1Body cream on your face?2Why the face is different3What to look for4Lumière in detail5Face and body routine6How to apply7FAQ
A body cream on your face is fine. It is just not built for it.
Less, not more. The face takes a fraction of what your legs do. A pea, not a 10p.
Face and body, same session. A face formula is an and, not an or.

Part one

Can you use a body tanning accelerator on your face?

You can. Plenty of people do, and every Delux cream can go on your face. If you do, use far less than you would on your legs, keep it away from your eyes, and spread it thin until it disappears.

The catch is texture. Body creams are built for legs, arms and shoulders: richer bases with butters and oils that condition large areas. On a forehead, in a sunbed, that can feel heavy and look shiny, and it was never designed to sit under foundation the next morning. That is the gap a face formula fills.

Using your body cream on your face is not a mistake. It just was not built for the job.

Part two

Why is facial skin different?

It is thinner. The skin on your face is finer than the skin on your body, so a lighter, more considered formula makes more sense than a heavier one.
It is the part everyone sees. Unevenness that nobody notices on a leg is obvious on a cheekbone.
It is often more prone to breakouts and shine. For many people, a rich, buttery cream on the T-zone is not what they want.
It wears makeup. Whatever goes on first has to sit under foundation, concealer and SPF without pilling or sliding.
It is exposed all year. Your face gets daily light and weather while the rest of you stays covered.

None of this is medical advice. If you have a skin condition or use prescription skincare, ask your GP or pharmacist before tanning. How to tan your face on a sunbed covers prep, facial lamps and goggles.

Part three

What should you look for in a face tanning accelerator?

A light, fast-absorbing base. It should disappear in seconds and leave nothing greasy behind.
Actives high on the label. Ingredients are listed in order of amount. Acetyl tyrosine, the building block your skin converts into melanin, should be near the top, not below the fragrance.
No bronzer, no DHA. On a face, a stain shows every patch. If you want your own colour, skip both.
Face-minded skincare. Ingredients for moisture and comfort through repeated sessions, not just a tanning base in a smaller tube.
Plays well with makeup. A finish you can put foundation over.
Clear about SPF. If it has none, it should say so.

Part four

Delux Lumière Facial Maximiser, in detail

Lumière is our facial tanning cream: 50ml, presented in a Delux gift box, with a warm vanilla scent that is soft rather than sweet. It carries the melanin actives from our body range at levels chosen for thinner facial skin, on a lighter base that absorbs fast, sits under makeup and leaves a light-reflecting finish from the moment it goes on. No DHA, no bronzer, no self-tan.

A pea-sized dab of ivory Lumière face cream with a soft pearl sheen beside a vanilla pod

A pea-sized amount per area. The soft sheen is light reflection, not colour.

  • 5
    Acetyl tyrosineFifth on the label. The building block your skin converts into melanin under UV.
  • 6
    NiacinamideSixth. Evens the look of tone and supports the barrier through repeated sessions.
  • +
    MelanoBronze (Vitex agnus-castus extract)A Swiss active, used under licence from its maker, that primes skin to respond to UV. Dosed for the face.
  • +
    Acetyl hexapeptide-1A melanin peptide working alongside the actives above.
  • +
    Acetyl hexapeptide-8A cosmetic peptide chosen to soften the look of expression lines.
  • +
    Sodium hyaluronate, ceramide NP, hydrolyzed collagenWater held in the skin, barrier support and a supple feel, so the face stays comfortable rather than tight.
  • +
    Squalane, panthenol, jojoba and meadowfoam oilsLight conditioning without weight.
Where does the glow come from?
Mica, titanium dioxide and tin oxide form a light-reflecting complex, so skin looks luminous rather than flat straight away. It is a finish, not a colour. The titanium dioxide is a pigment here, not a sunscreen.
Will it sit under makeup?
Yes. Apply to clean, dry skin and let it absorb fully first. The finish is light and non-greasy, so makeup goes on over it normally.
Where is the full ingredient list?
On the product page, and every ingredient is explained in Lumière: the full guide to every ingredient.

Part five

How do you use a face accelerator with a body cream?

Same session, two products. Lumière goes on your face, jawline and neck; your usual Delux accelerator goes on everywhere else.

Delux Lumière 50ml facial tanning cream next to a 200ml Island Coconut body tanning cream
Area Product Amount Pair it if
Face, jaw, neck Lumière A pea per area Always the face option
Body Island Coconut A 10p-sized amount per area You want the Next-Gen cream with five melanin actives and a coconut scent
Body Electric Melon A 10p-sized amount per area You want the same Next-Gen formula in watermelon ice
Body Sun Sauce A 5p-sized amount per area You prefer a light jelly with no cream feel
Body Go Dark A 10p-sized amount per area You are starting out or want a rich conditioning cream

Not sure which body formula is yours? The Accelerator Collection has them side by side.

Part six

How do you apply a face tanning accelerator?

Start clean. Clean, dry skin. Makeup and SPF off first, so nothing sits between the formula and your skin.
Forehead: a pea-sized amount, swept out towards the temples and hairline.
Cheeks: a pea-sized amount per side, worked outwards from the nose.
Nose and centre: a light layer. This area tends to develop fastest.
Jaw and neck: a pea-sized amount, carried down so there is no line at the chin.
Eyes: keep clear of the eyelids and the skin around the eyes. If any gets in, rinse with water.
Then: wash your hands, body cream from the neck down, and your session. Outdoors, a broad spectrum sunscreen over the top.

What Lumière won't do

It is not a sunscreen. There is no SPF in it, whatever the titanium dioxide might suggest, so wear a separate facial SPF over it outdoors. It will not give you colour on its own: there is no DHA and no self-tan, so without UV nothing develops. The immediate glow is light reflection, not colour. And it is not for the eye area.

If you want an instant tint for a night out, this is the wrong tube. For general guidance on UV, follow your salon's session times and the sunbed advice published on GOV.UK.

Quick answers

Frequently asked

Can you use a body tanning accelerator on your face?
Yes, and any Delux cream can go on your face. Use far less than on your body and avoid the eyes. A face formula like Lumière is lighter, absorbs faster and sits under makeup, which is why it does the job better.
What is the best tanning accelerator for your face in the UK?
Look for a light, non-greasy base, acetyl tyrosine high on the label, and no bronzer or DHA. Delux Lumière Facial Maximiser fits that brief: acetyl tyrosine fifth, niacinamide sixth, MelanoBronze, vanilla scent, 50ml.
Will Lumière change my skin colour straight away?
No. There is no DHA and no self-tan in it. The light-reflecting finish is immediate; colour builds through your sessions under UV.
Does Lumière have SPF?
No. The titanium dioxide in it is a pigment for the finish, not a UV filter. Outdoors, wear a separate broad spectrum sunscreen over it.
Can I wear makeup over a face tanning accelerator?
With Lumière, yes. Apply to clean, dry skin, let it absorb fully, then apply makeup as normal.
How much face tanning cream should I use?
A pea-sized amount for the forehead, one per cheek, one for jaw and neck, and a light layer on the nose. Spread thin until it disappears.

Your face deserves its own formula.

A pea per area, a light-reflecting finish, no DHA and no bronzer. Then your usual cream from the neck down.

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Lumière · Facial tanning cream, 50mlShop Lumière
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