A warm shower softens your skin and preps it for exfoliation. Use a homemade sugar scrub mixed with mineral oil for best results. The mineral oil breaks up stubborn tan patches, while the sugar gently exfoliates the top layer of skin. Repeat the process if needed, but be gentle to avoid skin irritation.
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.
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.
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.
Add colour where you're paler
An alternative approach is to top up your tan on any areas that seem to have been missed in your initial application. To tan these smaller areas, grab your tanning foam and a kabuki brush.
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.
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. Quick links: What is the Fitzpatrick skin type scale?
Frequent sunburns or hours spent tanning can result in a permanent darkening of the skin, dark spots, and a leathery texture.
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Exfoliate darker areas
To lighten darker patches, exfoliate the affected areas regularly. You can also apply a tan remover or exfoliating product to speed up the fading process. Try the Clarins Tonic Sugar Polisher , which contains rosemary, making it gentle enough for even the most sensitive of skin.
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.
Dry patches are a magnet to fake tan which can leave muddy streaks instead of a smooth skin kissed glow. When your fake tan goes wrong in this way, an easy fix is to soak in a bath with a generous glug of bath oil for at least 15 minutes. The warm water and oil will help to soften and loosen the dry patches.
A natural tan will usually last for around 7-10 days, although this can vary for each different skin type and colour. However, any exposure to sun during that 7-10 day period could mean that your tan will hang around for longer, so the length of time it lasts really does depend on the individual.
Simply take some coconut oil (mixing other natural oils is okay as well), apply it on the uneven tanned areas, and leave it on overnight. When you wake up in the morning, simply wash your skin. Repeat the process each day, and your tan lines should be barely visible after a while.
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.
To protect itself from the damaging effects of the sun, skin makes more brown pigment, called melanin. That extra melanin is what creates a suntan. But sometimes skin doesn't make melanin evenly. As a result, the skin's coloring, called pigmentation, looks patchy.
Exfoliation is the best way to remove tan at home. It removes pigmented dead skin cells and promotes new ones, reducing the appearance of the tan.