How to Remove Self-Tanner: 8 Ways to Help Your Fake Tan Disappear

Tanning is great to help you achieve that sun-kissed glow, and you can apply tanning lotions yourself without having to hop on a plane to a sunny country, sit outside and sunbathe all day (not a good idea) or using sunbeds (also not a good idea).

When it comes to applying tanner, doing it the right way is key. In order to achieve the best results with a self-tanner, it’s best to apply the lotion, keep it on your skin for around ten hours to get the full effect, then have a shower. It’s best to apply tanner and let it dry before you go to bed, then have a shower in the morning.

After some time, the tan fades, but you might want to remove it sooner. Perhaps you only needed the tan for a special occasion? Maybe you want to apply a fresh layer on but want to remove your current tan first? Or, you might want to try a different tanning product and do want to overdo your look? Or maybe you’ve overdone it and put too much on some areas of your body (i.e., your face)?

How to Remove Self-Tanner

Want to know how to remove self-tanner? Here are some of the ways and different techniques to bear in mind.

Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate

Exfoliating your skin is a great way to buff away the dead skin cells from your body and keep your skin looking radiant, but it’s also a fantastic (and the most common) method for removing self-tanner. When you exfoliate your body, you end up removing and washing away the tanner.

Use a creamy or sugar body scrub to remove dead skin cells and the tanner, and to keep your skin fresh and nourished. For extra exfoliation, use a pair of exfoliating mitts.

Lemon Slices

If you’ve been left with the odd streak after applying the self-tanner, then simply cut a slice of lemon and massage it into the affected area. Some people like to mix lemon juice with baking soda to buff away unwanted color.

Soak Your Body

Soaking your skin helps to remove tanner quickly because the skin cells absorb the water and increase in size, and this causes the tan to become lighter. So, fill up your bathtub with water (and bath bombs), soak yourself, relax, unwind and wait for the tanner to fade away gradually.

Another option is to go for a swim or take a dip in the pool.

Apply Baby Oil

Applying baby oil to your skin helps the top layer of your tanning shade to loosen up and lift and helps to speed up the fading process, meaning that your skin looks less tanned than before.

Keep on applying baby oil over the course of each day (according to how long the self-tanner is supposed to last), and you’ll see your skin getting lighter. Also, dry skin makes it harder for the tanning pigment to fade away so baby oil – which softens the skin – makes it easy to take off the first layer.

Related Products

Use Tanning Removal Products

There are plenty of products should in drugstores that aim to remove self-tanner without you having to put all the time, effort and energy into doing it yourself. There are masks, creams, and lotions that do the job for you – all you’d have to do is apply the product, let it sit on the skin then wash off. Easy peasy!

Hair Lighteners

Thanks to Made In Chelsea Star and makeup artist Olivia Newman-Young, you can remove self-tanner that stubbornly stay in specific areas with this smart solution.

Hair lighteners are normally used for those who want to achieve blonde hair but they can also be used to take off tanners in certain parts of the body, such as the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet.

Apply, leave on for ten minutes maximum then wash off. Alternatively, you can use a bleach kit. If you get tanning lotion on your fingernails and toenails, then remove with nail polish remover.

Hair Removal Cream

If you’ve got some splotchy tan on your legs, then simply erase using hair removal cream. This will dissolve the color and take out the hairs at the same time.

Play the Waiting Game

Rather than bothering with all the tips on how to remove self-tanner, you might prefer to wait it out. Self-tanner naturally fade with time anyway. This is because the skin ordinarily sheds cells, tan or no tan. When your skin goes through this process, you lose dead skin cells and tan, which means that you get lighter and your tanning shade gradually fades.

There you have it! Our simple and easy techniques on how to remove self-tanner. Take notes and keep in mind for the next time you have tanning mishaps, want to banish streaks or just need to remove your tan. With these tips, you can have a tan free complexion and combat tanning mistakes – and look your best!