Credo Q+A with the King of Tan, James Read

Splotchy hands. Streaks that look more tiger than bronzed babe. A shade that skews far too orange. If you've been personally victimized by a bad self-tan, you're not alone. We turned to the expert who's spent 20 years perfecting the craft: James Read.

James got his start spray tanning clients in London department stores two decades ago, eventually becoming the go-to tanning expert for A-listers like Lady Gaga, Rita Ora, and Mariah Carey. In 2024, he launched Self-Glow, a first-of-its-kind self-tanning brand that treats self-tanners like skincare, not just color.

We sat down with James to get into all of it.

What was the inspiration behind Self-Glow by James Read?

I'm inspired by everything around me. I spend hours researching the latest ingredients, technologies and beauty trends, always asking myself one question: How can I transform this into the future of sunless tanning?

For this brand, I really wanted to be sure that self-tanners weren't separated from skincare. They should deliver beautiful color while actively improving the health of your skin. That's what drives every product I create. I wanted to elevate both the skincare benefits and the tanning experience to ultimately create formulas that feel luxurious, effortless, and truly innovative.

People can be hesitant to self-tan because they worry about looking orange. How can you avoid this?

I've always believed the best tan is one that enhances your natural skin tone. It should look like the healthiest version of you. Throughout my career, working with celebrities taught me that a great tan should never overpower someone's look. It should complement their skin, hair, makeup and style, creating a natural, effortless glow. That same philosophy is at the heart of every Self Glow product.

We're the first sunless tanning brand to use natural cocoa-based color guides instead of traditional synthetic tints. This allows our formulas to adapt across all skin tones, delivering a more authentic-looking result from application to fade.

For those looking for a glow from the neck up, what are the top 3 products you'd recommend?

When it comes to your face, skincare always comes first: apply your usual skincare routine, then finish with your facial tan. Sunblush is designed to be that final step in your routine, delivering an effortless, healthy-looking glow.

Sunbright Tinted Tan Drops can be mixed directly into your favorite moisturizer or serum, making them perfect for those who want a customizable glow that fits easily into any daily regimen and busy lifestyle.

For all-over everyday radiance, Endless Summer is your go-to. It's designed to build gradually with each application, so the more consistently you use it, the more beautiful and natural-looking your glow becomes.

Self-Glow has been described as the next generation of sunless tanning. What drives you to keep pushing boundaries with your innovations?

My goal has never been to create products that simply look beautiful. Every formula is perfected through rounds of lab samples until it's exactly right. I won't settle until it delivers on everything.

My latest innovation, Golden Days Milky Tan Toner, was born from that mindset. As milky toners became one of the biggest skincare trends, I had a lightbulb moment: no one had created one that delivered a natural, daily glow while genuinely caring for the skin. I wanted a formula that could be used every day, layered seamlessly under skincare, SPF and makeup, and still leave behind the most beautiful, lit-from-within radiance.

To achieve that, I explored the latest skincare innovations, including vegan Cica PDRN, liquorice root extract and advanced forms of hyaluronic acid. Golden Days helps strengthen the skin barrier, reduce the appearance of redness, deeply hydrate and creates an invisible protective veil that allows everything applied afterwards to glide on smoothly without diminishing the glow.

It's one of my favorite products that I've ever created. Every time I use it, my skin looks healthier, fresher, as though I've just stepped out of a facial. That's exactly how I want everyone to feel when they use it.