Raw oils like coconut (which boasts tons of skin benefits) or sunflower will do, but Evans says baby oil is your best bet. Slather your skin in the stuff, leave it on for a few minutes, and then rinse it off in the shower with a loofah or nubby washcloth.
Baby Oil
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. Once you hop out of the shower, you'll likely notice that the colour of your self-tanner has gone down a shade or two (woohoo!).
``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.
``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.
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.
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.
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.
If you're worried about self tanning your face, you could try mixing a little of your self tanner with your favourite moisturiser to dilute it slightly for a lighter application.
Even though hydrating your skin is the key to prolonging a fake tan, applying oil to the skin can also lift a tan— given it's done right. 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!
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.
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.
If you want a subtle glowing fake tan, try using a gradual tan a couple of days a week. If you prefer a deeper colour, layer it on over a few days until you get the glow you want.
Take an oily bath
My favourite way to do this is to either pour some bath oil (or olive oil!) into a warm bath before soaking for 15 minutes, or applying coconut oil liberally to my body and leaving it to soak in for 15 minutes before jumping in the tub and soaking for a further ten minutes.
Before we dive into tips on how to extend your sunless tan, you're probably wondering, “Just how long does a fake tan last?” On average, your skin retains self tanner for 5-7 days, but this period of longevity can vary based on many factors. Expired self tanning products, sensitive skin, and skin types are a few.
Oil. Soaking your hands with coconut oil, olive oil, or baby oil loosens the top layer of skin cells and decreases the appearance of darkened or orange patches. It can work exceptionally well in combination with gentle exfoliation.
Depilatory Cream
One of Evan's go-to tan removing methods is a hair-removing cream like Nair or Veet. “It removes the color completely,” she insists.
Using body products with either vitamin C or coconut oil (or both!) are good products to apply onto the skin. All types of natural oils are extremely healthy for your skin. 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.