How do you fix a patchy tan without taking it off?

Author: Jerod Beier  |  Last update: Wednesday, September 10, 2025

How To Fix a Patchy Tan Without Taking It Off. Streakiness can turn a beautiful bronze into a bad fake tan quickly, but luckily, fixing a patchy tan isn't too tricky. Evans suggests using a self-tanner to help even out lighter areas and exfoliating to help lighten darker patches.

How to fix a patchy sun tan quickly?

Put a small amount of milk in a bowl and add a pinch of turmeric and some lemon juice. Apply this solution on the affected areas and allow it to dry completely. Then wash it off with water. This will give you an instant relief from a sun tan. Mix equal amounts of sandalwood powder and pure turmeric powder.

How to get rid of a blotchy tan?

How to fix patchy tan
  1. Gently buff away excess tan. Excess tan often settles onto dry areas, like the elbows, knees, ankles, hands and feet, causing patchiness. ...
  2. Exfoliate the skin. ...
  3. Fill in the gaps. ...
  4. Always use a tanning mitt. ...
  5. Opt for a gradual self tanner.

How do you fill in a patchy tan?

How to fix a patchy tan? Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate. Opt for a physical exfoliant like a tanning mitt or dry brush. Exfoliating scrubs are not a good option before self-tanning because they contain oils and waxes.

How to fix tanning patches?

Use a gradual tanning lotion to prevent blotching. Use a blending lotion if you're not on your routine of moisturizing. If it's already happened, exfoliate off some of the patchiness. Blend with either a mist, a lotion, or a mousse.

How To Fix & Prevent: PATCHY PEELING SPRAY TANS

How to get patchy tan off?

Exfoliate

Use exfoliating mitts, loofah, or washcloth and gently rub your skin in circular motions to loosen the tan and exfoliate. Remove dead skin cells and remaining self-tanning residue with Clarins Exfoliating Body Scrub and apply Clarins Moisture-Rich Body Lotion for maximum nourishment and hydration.

Why is my natural tan so patchy?

Irregular or patchy discoloration of the skin can be caused by: Changes in melanin, a substance produced in the skin cells that gives skin its color. Growth of bacteria or other organisms on the skin. Blood vessel (vascular) changes.

What happens if I put tan over patchy tan?

You'll be able to top up your tan with a fresh new layer once your existing tan shows signs of fading. We'd advise waiting until your colour has completely faded away before stepping back in the booth to ensure even coverage and to give your new tan the best chance to last as long as possible.

What is the best self-tanner?

After extensive testing, we determined the highest rated self-tanner to be the St. Tropez Self Tan Express Bronzing Mousse. It's an airy mousse that's easy to apply and blend and leaves you with a natural-looking glow. You can also customize the depth of color based on how long you leave it on your skin.

How to make gradual tan look good?

To maintain your gradual tan, it's important to keep your skin hydrated and moisturised. This will help prevent the colour from fading too quickly and will keep your skin looking healthy and glowing. Avoid exfoliating too frequently or using harsh products that can strip the colour and cause it to fade unevenly.

How do you fix a splotchy natural tan?

Grab any exfoliator and simply scrub your skin and carefully exfoliate the parts where the uneven tan lines are a lot more prominent on your skin. The exfoliator can help speed up the process of lightening dark areas of your skin.

How do you fix sun blotchy skin?

Chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and bleaching creams may also be helpful. However, be sure you talk to your dermatologist first, since some of these approaches may irritate your skin or even make the blotchiness worsen. The most important thing is to keep your sun exposure to a minimum.

Why is my tan patchy when I put it on?

Tan often settles in areas where skin is dry so the rougher texture causes tan to look patchy.

How do you get rid of sun tan ASAP?

The first step in removing sun tan is to exfoliate. Exfoliating helps in removing dead skin cells and revealing fresh, healthy skin underneath. You can use a body scrub or a loofah to exfoliate your body. For your face, use a gentle exfoliating face wash, anti-tan face wash, or gentle face scrub.

How do you cover up a patchy tan with makeup?

You might be able to blend your makeup with your tanned skin tone if you use a warm bronzer or blush, but beyond that, you should keep your makeup natural, fresh, and clean. Overcompensation may be tempting, but you will already be adding a lot of products (to cover up the redness), so going natural is better.

Which soap removes tan?

When looking for the best soap for tan removal, you should opt for a formulation <br />of skin-brightening agents such as Vitamin C, Turmeric, Saffron, Coffee, etc. It is best to choose a toxin-free soap with the above properties. For example, you may try Mamaearth Ubtan Soap.

What is the number 1 rated fake tan?

Best fake tan formulas 2025 at a glance:
  • Best overall: Coco & Eve Sunny Honey Bali Bronzing Foam.
  • Best colour-correcting mousse: Bondi Sands Technocolor 1 Hour Express Self Tanning Foam.
  • Best for beginners: Tan-Luxe x Paris Hilton The Future Airbrush 360 Self-Tan Mist.
  • Best for natural results: St.

What tanner does Kim Kardashian use?

Ardell Body Drench Quick Tan Instant Self-Tanner

Kim Kardashian flashed her own bottle of Body Drench when showing off her travel makeup bag — and she definitely knows a good sunless tan! If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member?

What is the best tanning oil?

Our Top Picks
  • Best Overall: Supergoop Glow Oil SPF 50, $40.
  • Best Scent: Sol de Janeiro Rio Radiance Body Oil SPF 50, $38.
  • Most Nolstagic: Vacation Baby Oil SPF 30, $22.
  • Best for Dry Skin: Hampton Sun Silk Body Oil SPF 50, $28.
  • Best for Oily Skin: Kopari Sun Shield Body Glow SPF 50, $42.

How to fix a patchy tan quickly?

How to fix patchy fake tan
  1. Gently buff away excess tan. Excess product often settles onto dry areas, like the elbows, knees, ankles, hands, and feet, causing an uneven, patchy tan. ...
  2. Exfoliate the skin. ...
  3. Fill in the gaps. ...
  4. Always use a tanning mitt. ...
  5. Opt for a gradual tan moisturiser.

Can you get rid of uneven tan?

You can simply scrub your skin and carefully exfoliate the parts where the tan lines are most visible. This way you will also speed up the process of lightening dark areas of your skin. The equation is rather simple – the more you scrub, the faster the fading process.

Should you moisturize after rinsing off self-tanner?

Regardless of when you wash the colour guide off, we highly recommend you don't moisturise until the 8 hour mark. Why you might ask? Even rinsing your initial colour guide off, the product still continues to develop on your skim, resulting in the most perfect fake tan.

How to treat patchy tan from sun?

  1. Hydrating the skin. Whether the tan is even or not, the skin needs hydration and nourishment after a tanning session. ...
  2. Gently Exfoliate. Hydration has soothed the skin, which can finally be exfoliated in the area showing uneven tanning. ...
  3. Use a self-tanner. ...
  4. Conceal with tinted skincare products.

What product helps you tan faster?

But if you're looking to tan faster, tanning oil is designed to boost UV absorption, helping your skin deepen in color more quickly.

Does exfoliating make your tan go away?

So, does the tan go away or not when you exfoliate the skin? Not only does it not go away, but it also makes it last longer and makes your skin look softer and more beautiful. Your tan has to do with melanin pigmentation and exfoliation does not affect this at all.

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