Use a skin lightening ingredient on the tanned parts, it will basically reduce the melanin in your skin. These include tyrosinase inhibitors like kojic acid, azelaic acid, hydroquinone, tranexamic acid, alpha arbutin, etc. Make sure you also use sunscreen to prevent further hyperpigmentation.
To lighten extremely tanned skin, use exfoliating products to remove dead skin cells and topical treatments with ingredients like vitamin C, glycolic acid, or niacinamide. Incorporating whitening masks and avoiding further sun exposure can also help.
``If you do get too dark, slather on coconut oil or baby oil and sit for 10 minutes then jump in the shower and exfoliate,'' Hilliard tells me. ``Oil lifts the top layer of color and makes skin easier to exfoliate so it will lighten your tan. You can also soak in a baking soda bath.
Do tans go away naturally? Yes, a tan will naturally fade away due to the exfoliation of our skin.
Gentle exfoliation and certain approved dark spot-lightening products can help reduce the appearance of a tan.
Cover your body in coconut oil or olive oil and let it soak in for around 15 minutes. Then take a hot shower. If you have a bath, even better! During your soak, use a gentle but effective exfoliating mitt or product to scrub away those unwanted layers of tan.
Aloe vera
Aloe vera gel is well-known for its therapeutic qualities and ability to lighten tans. Before bed, apply the plant's fresh aloe vera gel to your skin. Apply it overnight, then remove it with a morning wash. Regular use can reduce tan significantly.
A tan can last anywhere from 7–30 days, though a natural tan will usually fade after a couple of weeks. Your fade time will depend on how long you were exposed to UV radiation, the UV index, your skin type, and other factors we'll explore below.
Why won't my tan go away? When the cells become damaged with pigment, discoloration that doesn't fade occurs, leading to a tan that doesn't fade. In fact, it tends to stay dark unless you choose to have this hyperpigmentation treated professionally.
Deeper tan color is produced by darkening of existing pigment and by a limited increase in pigment formation. The skin cells that produce this pigment are called melanocytes. The pigment that is produced is called melanin.
Make a mixture of lemon juice and baking powder and apply a light layer of it over your skin (or over any areas that are particularly dark). The natural qualities of the lemon juice will remove some of your tan and leave it looking lighter and softer.
Tip 1: Cool down
Lukewarm water is best. Hot or cold water shocks the skin and can delay recovery. To avoid irritation, be careful not to rub the skin dry, but rather gently pat it dry with a towel.
Hop in the shower and use an exfoliating mitt to help lighten those too-dark patches. While regular exfoliating (like with a scrub) can also help fade your tan, Evans recommends using a mitt in small, circular motions for added precision.
Take a long hot bath and allow the warmth of the water to lighten your fake tan. In fact, you can speed up this process by applying olive oil to your skin 15 minutes beforehand and then soaking in the tub.
During that regeneration process, the cells that were doused with melanin — which again, are lingering in the top layer of your epidermis — naturally begin to exfoliate themselves within seven to ten days. Once that process begins, and if you stay out of the sun, your tan will gradually fade away.
Toothpaste is not a recommended method for removing fake tan from the hands. Toothpaste is designed to clean teeth, and while it may contain mild abrasives that can help remove surface stains, it is not formulated for use on the skin and can irk the epidermis.