For a long time, self-tan has been sold around the idea of “getting bronzed”. As Steph puts it, “self-tanning has often felt like it wasn’t built with deeper skin in mind.”
On richer complexions, the magic of tanning is different:
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It’s about glow, not a huge shade jump.
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The focus is warmth, radiance and a smoother, more even-looking finish, especially on areas like the legs where texture and pigmentation might show up more.
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When the undertone is right, the result is radiant, hydrated skin.
That’s the kind of “after” that belongs on deeper skin, lit from within.
“Glowier, not more tan”: Steph’s story
Steph’s experience with self-tan is what inspires the way Three Warriors talks about deeper skin. For her, the problem was never depth, it was the finish:
“A lot of tans either go ashy, too green, or weirdly orange on deeper skin, and instead of looking radiant you end up looking… coated. Like the product is sitting on top of you instead of becoming part of you.”
That’s why she reached for our Gradual Tan:
“With the Gradual Tan from Three Warriors, it’s not that it makes me look ‘more tan’. I already am. It just makes me look glowier.”
She describes the effect as a soft warmth and smoothness that reads like she’s been taking perfect care of herself. And the feeling is just as important as the finish:
“I put something on and I’m less in my head about my body. I feel polished, a little more confident, and just brighter in myself.”
That’s the energy Three Warriors is designed to give: subtle, real, and rooted in your own skin.
Expert-approved benefits for deeper tones
Professional tanning expert James Harknett echoes this glow-first approach for darker skin tones. Instead of recommending the strongest, darkest tan on the shelf, he encourages choosing Three Warriors with formulas that:
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Enhance existing richness and depth rather than masking it.
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Respect undertone so the colour develops warm and believable, never grey, murky or orange.
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Leave skin looking even, hydrated and softly sheened rather than flat or overdeveloped.
When gradual, hydrating tans are used on deeper skin, they act like a hybrid between body care and radiance booster - a healthy-skin filter in a bottle. That’s where products like Three Warriors Gradual Tan come into their own: buildable, radiant, and focused on glow.
How to use gradual tan on deeper skin (the easy way)
This is where routine meets results. Think of your tan like skincare – the more you treat it that way, the better it looks.
Prep
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Gently exfoliate once or twice a week so the surface is smooth and ready for colour to glide on evenly.
Apply
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Apply Three Warriors Gradual Tan as you would a body lotion: a light, even layer over clean, dry skin.
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Use good lighting and take your time; then blend any excess down over wrists, hands and feet so everything melts together seamlessly.
Build
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Follow Steph’s advice: “Use it consistently rather than piling it on in one go. Gradual is the whole point.”
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Top up every couple of days until you hit your sweet spot of glow, then maintain with lighter applications as needed.
What you should see: skin that looks hydrated, softly warm and more uniform – not a new colour, just a smoother, more luxurious version of your own.
A more inclusive vision of tanning
Steph puts it plainly: “Brands underestimate how easily tanning goes sideways on deeper skin. Undertone and finish are everything.” For her, real inclusivity looks like:
“Testing across a real range of deeper tones, actually showing those bodies in campaigns, and being honest about the goal: warmth, radiance, and more even-looking skin. Not a one note obsession with ‘darker’.”
If you have a deeper skin tone and you’ve ever felt like tanning “isn’t for you”, consider this your sign to give it a go!