Here at Pure Beauty, we offer a whole range of gradual tanners, tan accelerators and bronzing moisturisers, all of which allow you to tan gradually, controlling the level of tan that you want and avoiding streaks. However, there are other brands of fake tan out there which don’t give such good results and it’s really common to have a fake tan disaster if you’re not careful! We’ve put together seven top tips for getting rid of streaky, overly orange fake tan so that you can get back to a more normal skin tone!
Head for the Sauna
The combination of the heat from the sauna and the sweat your body will produce is a sure-fire way to help get rid of the fake tan. Take a stiff towel along with you and give yourself a really good towel down once you shower after getting out of the sauna or steam room and it will help to lift off the fake tan. It might not get rid of all of it, but it should definitely reduce it a bit.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is acidic and contains enzymes which will help to break down the fake tan, and it’s best to use it when it’s hot. Soak a flannel or washcloth (preferably an OLD one as it’s going to turn orange!) and microwave it for about 30 seconds. Rub the flannel on all of the areas where you need to minimise the tan and it should start to come off pretty quickly.
Peel
If you’ve gone overboard on the facial tan and need to reduce the “Ross from Friends after using the tanning booth” look, then using a facial peeling product will lift off a lot of the tan on your face. Choose something with salicylic acid for maximum effect.
Shave!
Just like with the lemon juice, there’s something in shaving foam which can help to take down the intensity of fake tan, so if your legs are the problem then simply shave them! The combination of the shaving foam and the actual exfoliating action of the shaving will make your legs look far less orange and will help to even out any uneven areas.
Toothpaste
Toothpaste can be handy on smaller areas where you’ve ended up with splodges of fake tan, such as your hands if you’ve had a tanning mitt failure! Rub the toothpaste on the areas you want to eliminate BUT it needs to be toothpaste which is pure white – for some reason, the stripy varieties just won’t cut it!
Exfoliate
Most people thing of exfoliating BEFORE they tan, but if you’ve had a disaster then exfoliating after could be the solution to the problem. An exfoliating body scrub is the perfect product to use if you need to reduce your David Dickinson-style hue!
Body Brush
A body brush is also great for sloughing away the layers of dead skin, as well as any overly-tanned areas that you want to minimise. Dry brushing is effective at reducing streaks and can be done before shaving to give you the best results.