The ingredient in almost every self-tanner was found by accident. In the mid-1950s, Eva Wittgenstein was doing research at the Children's Hospital at the University of Cincinnati, giving children a sugar called dihydroxyacetone, or DHA, and noticed that where they spat it up, their skin turned brown. Chemical and Engineering News tells the story, and explains that DHA reacts with amino acids in the outer layer of skin to make a brown color that fades as skin sheds. By 1960 there were a dozen self-tanners on the market, and many left people with orange palms and streaks.

Tanning drops are the modern fix for that. Drops you mix into your own moisturizer became a category around 2015, and Isle of Paradise founder Jules Von Hep popularized color-correcting drops with the advice that the more you add, the more you glow. The FDA allows DHA for external use only, and not near the eyes or on the lips, so keep drops off your lids.

There are two kinds of drops here. Self-tan drops use DHA and develop over hours, then fade over days. Bronzing drops are makeup, and they wash off at night.

The first grid is eight self-tanners for the face, with drops first. The second grid is eight bronzing drops for instant color. My tip: mix drops with your night cream in your palm, spread evenly, and wipe your eyebrows and hairline with a damp pad.

Isle of Paradise Self-Tan Face Drops are the classic here, mixed with your moisturizer for a buildable tan. The brand says to use one to twelve drops, and the color develops in four to six hours. Lux Unfiltered Sunstruck Self Tanning Face Drops are hydrating and made for sensitive skin, and Caudalie Self-Tan Hydrating Face Drops mix into any cream or serum and are also gentle enough for sensitive skin. Dolce Glow Goccia di Sole Serum Drops have only a few reviews so far.

If you do not want to mix, St. Tropez Sunlit Skin Bronzing Tint and Self Tan Face Serum is a tinted serum with a glow in about an hour, and it has one of the top ratings in this grid. St. Tropez Purity Bronzing Water Face Mist is the most reviewed, a light spray for all skin types, though its rating is the lowest here. Dolce Glow Acqua is a hydrating mist that builds gently.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Glow Pad Self-Tanner is a towelette, the least messy option, and it has the highest rating in this grid.

What I would skip: drops and a mist on the same night. Pick one method and build over three nights, so you can stop the moment the color looks right.

Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Bronzing Drops are the most reviewed product in this edit, an antioxidant serum with peptides and a bronzy wash of color. Mix a drop or two into your moisturizer, or tap it on the high points. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Hue Drops have two sheer tints and niacinamide for tone, and they are the softest here.

Westman Atelier Sun Tone Hydrating Matte Bronzing Drops are the matte one, a good pick for oily skin. Iconic London Instant Sunshine is super concentrated, so one drop goes a long way. Isle of Paradise Sunny Serum is the instant cousin of its self-tan drops, a liquid bronzer for right now.

caliray Sundrip is a sheer peptide serum bronzer for the face and body, Summer Fridays Bronzing Drops are light and soothing, with the highest rating in this grid, and Dr. Barbara Sturm Everything Bronzing Drops blend skin care and makeup.

If you want a tan that lasts, use the first grid. If you want color that comes off tonight, use this one. I like doing both, a light self-tan base and a drop of bronzer on top.

What I would skip: bronzing drops on dry patches without moisturizer. Mix them in so they spread evenly, and blend down onto your neck so your face and neck match.

I think tanning drops are the easiest way to try a tan on your face, because you control the depth one drop at a time. Start with two or three drops in your night cream and build over a few nights. If you only want color for the day, choose a bronzing drop instead and wash it off at night. Either way, wear sunscreen, since a self-tan is not sun protection, and exfoliate gently once a week so it fades evenly.