Background/aims: Although there is an increasing awareness of the detrimental effects of solar irradiation on skin, a tanned look is still in fashion. To achieve the tanned look without sun exposure various sunless tanning formulations have become available. Most of these contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA) which binds to the proteins of the stratum cornium and imparts a brown color to skin. This color is similar to a suntan but can be somewhat more yellow, making it appear unnatural. The aim of this study was to determine a quantitative method to define a “natural” tan and to study methods to improve the tonality of sunless tanning on skin. Methods: Tonality of suntan was determined as the marker for a “natural” tan. In order to achieve this, human volunteers were exposed to the sun and the change in skin color was observed after 3 days. Color measurements obtained with the Minolta Chromameter were plotted in two standard graphs labeled as the “natural universe of tan”, which depicted a balance between Chroma and change in reflectance, while the “natural universe of color” determined the balance between changes in yellow and red components of the suntan. Change in skin color after treatment with DHA was then inserted in these graphs to observe how “natural” the tonality of sunless tan appeared relative to suntan. Results: Results show a good balance between Chroma and change in reflectance for suntanned skin in the “natural universe of tan”. Conversely, the “natural universe of color” exhibited a good balance between increase in yellow and red components of suntan. Sunless tan data inserted in these graphs showed that for several subjects with skin types I‐II the tonality is not within the realm of “natural” but is unnaturally yellow. Addition of antioxidants, especially caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) in DHA formulation significantly shifted the tonality towards the center of the “natural universe of color”. Conclusions: The “natural universes of tan and color” exhibit a simple and quantitative assessment of tonality of suntan and sunless tan. Although skin tonality from DHA‐induced sunless tan can often lie outside the realm of the “natural” tan, it is possible to improve this tonality to a more “natural” look by addition of strong antioxidants in the DHA formulations.