The Solution: For dark or orangey spray tans, put baby oil on the skin, let it set and then soak in a hot bath for a while. The oil and hot water will help to break down the tan. Once out of the bath, taking a shower and rubbing skin lightly with a loofah or exfoliating mitt is a good idea.
Lemon juice mixed with a bit of sugar helps lighten up that tan fast. Just don't forget to moisturize afterward, or you'll end up looking like a dried-up raisin tomorrow! And for the wedding, you might wanna go easy on the makeup -- natural vibes are always a win!
If a dark tan is what you're looking for, we do recommend waiting a few hours before rinsing it off so that the product has longer to develop with your skin. Note: after rinsing, your skin will continue to deepen over the next 24 hours, so if your skin does not seem that dark, give it time!
``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.
Mix Baby Oil and Baking Soda
The oil will soften your skin and break down the DHA in the spray tan. Scrub the mixture over your body and watch the color begin to fade.
“Drench the skin in oil and leave it on for about five to 10 minutes before taking a warm shower with exfoliation,” Evans advises. “You will see your spray tan instantly drop a few shades.” Any oil works, but Evans suggests using body oil, such as coconut oil or even baby oil.
Raw oils like coconut, olive, or sunflower will work in a pinch, but be sure to pick up baby oil if you want the best results. When it's time to remove your self-tanner, simply slather your skin with the baby oil and leave it on for a few minutes. Then rinse it off in the shower using a loofah or washcloth.
Exfoliate 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 an exfoliator mixed with a touch of olive oil to gently remove the dead skin cells sitting on the surface of your skin and in turn lighten the fake tan. Avoid using a harsh exfoliator because it might take your tan off in patches.
Optimal Tan Development: Understanding the Timeframes
For a Light Tan: Leave the tan on for 2-4 hours, then shower. For a Medium Tan: Leave the tan on for 4-6 hours, then shower. For a Dark Tan: Leave the tan on for 6-8 hours, then shower.
How Long Does It Last? Because your skin is constantly creating new skin cells on the epidermis level, any skin treatment will fade over time. Spray tans generally last for 7-10 days, depending on the coverage you requested; if you wanted a lighter color, your tan could fade more quickly.
Just normal showering everyday and using a body wash will definitely calm it down. You have 2 days. I'm sure it's not as bad as you think! I would not use an exfoliating scrub or anything else besides regular body wash or it will probably get blotchy and look uneven.
“Mix lemon juice with a little baking soda or baby oil. Saturate the skin with the mixture, then let it sit for about five minutes before removing with a cleansing wipe—this will erase the tan entirely,” she says.
For quick sun tan removal, exfoliate with a scrub or alpha hydroxy acid to shed pigmented surface cells and apply natural lightening agents. For more immediate results, consider professional treatments that can remove the top layers of tanned skin.
Stay hydrated, but don't over moisturize.
Applying a natural looking fake tan can be a bit of a balancing act. Make sure your skin is hydrated, but avoid applying any lotions pre-tan, and make sure your skin is clean and dry. So remove all makeup and deodorant before self tanning.
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.
Try using lemon and sugar to create a DIY tan removing scrub, or combine lemon or lime juice with baking soda for a fast-acting fake tan remover. Rub onto your body with a warm washer, then rinse thoroughly. Another winning kitchen combo? Olive oil and sugar.
Yes, it's possible to lighten a too-dark tan.
“What you always tell people not to do is take hot showers or be in any kind of jacuzzi because that will take your tan off faster,” Burdge added. “So if it's too dark, you're going to tell them to do the opposite you'd normally do.”
Lemon juice contains citric acid and Vitamin C, which aids in lightening the skin and removing excess spray tan color. You can use it directly on your hands or feet or combine with baking soda to create a mild exfoliant aimed at cutting through patchy color.
Although steaming your face and body is excellent for cleansing your skin, opening up your pores and removing blackheads, it can also make your tan fade a little quicker. This is because treating yourself to a steam actually encourages your older skin layers to flake away to reveal fresh, smooth skin.
BAKING SODA AND LEMON
If you're wondering what to do when a fake tan goes patchy, one natural remedy to evening out tan lines can be found right in your kitchen. This simple trick involves combining lemon juice and baking soda until it makes a paste. Then, rub the paste on your tan, and let it sit for a few minutes.
The quickest steps are the basic (olive, coconut or baby) oil, soak in the tub, then use an exfoliating body mitt and body scrub or the specialist products designed to remove fake tan efficiently.