Your first course of action to even things out is to exfoliate any darker areas. Exfoliating with a mitt and gentle body scrub will help lift away those dead skin cells that have absorbed a touch too much colour. Additionally, ingredients like glycolic acid are fab at naturally fading your colour.
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.
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.
What are the common causes of a blotchy St. Tropez tan? Not blending your tan enough. Not using a dry tanning mitt. Not ensuring your skin is clean and dry. Hopping around different areas of your body before completing one area. Using too much product at once.
A patchy, streaky or dotty fake tan often means you've missed a 'prep step' in the run up to your treatment. Preparing your skin for your fake tan encourages an even, long-lasting glow so it's well worth examining your pre-tan routine to check where you might have gone wrong.
Tan often settles in areas where skin is dry so the rougher texture causes tan to look patchy.
Avoid OILS on the skin!
Oil can break down the colour of self-tanner by loosening the dead skin cells that have been dyed brown by fake tan. When these dead skin cells start to crack and flake off, it can result in a patchy or uneven tan, often referred to as a "tiger bread" tan.
Hydrate Your Skin
Use a hydrating lotion daily to nourish and quench your skin. Our personal favorite is the Hemp Nation Tan Extender, which helps to lock in moisture and extend the life of your tan. Well-hydrated skin will hold onto the spray tan longer and allows the colour to fade more evenly.
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.
Add a layer of radiance
A single application can extend your colour for a few more days and balance out an uneven fade off. Once your special event is over, allow your tan to fade away in full and exfoliate your skin a day before your next spray tan. This creates the perfect base for a new application of tanner.
Hop in the shower and exfoliate
If you notice some streaks or dark spots on your skin, a hot shower can help smooth out streaks and give your self-tan a more natural appearance. The combination of hot water and steam can help lighten any dark spots, tone down your overall tan, and soften your skin.
- Rub the affected areas with baby oil which should help tone down orange streaks on your hands. - Lemon juice can help to dissolve uneven patches of self-tan on small areas, such as your ankles, wrists and palms.
Coconut Oil
It can also help reduce the appearance of tan lines. Apply coconut oil to the affected areas and leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes before rinsing off with cool water.
Once you have washed off your fake tan moisturise your skin daily to increase the longevity of your tan. Dry, dehydrated skin will cause your dead skin cells to shed quicker, taking the fake tan you worked so hard for with it. Use an oil-free moisturiser as oil can break down the product [2].
The rash appears in people who have developed sensitivity to sunlight, especially ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or other sources, such as tanning beds. This is called photosensitivity. It leads to immune system activity that causes a rash.
You can use a chemical exfoliate or even an at-home ingredient. Some mitts act as skin exfoliators that can help scrub away the unwanted tan. If you're using a scrub, exfoliate the area for up to five minutes, getting between the fingers and into the creases of the palms. This should help fade your tan significantly.
Excess product often settles onto dry areas, like the elbows, knees, ankles, hands, and feet, causing an uneven, patchy tan. Luckily, our soft Buffing Mitt is designed to gently buff away tan build-up, leaving you with a smooth and even finish.