How to Tone Down a Fake Tan

You know the drill – get in, strip down and get sprayed. You do everything as you’re told and your fake tan seems fine. Until you get home and you start noticing little problems. Whether you’ve turned orange or you just have a few blotches, we have the tricks you need to fix a bad fake tan.

Let’s start with the easy stuff – getting rid of the oompa loompa orange. It the orange is isolated in a small region, like the face or hands, just try using make-up remover to get off. If you are willing, you could even try bleach – not domestic bleach, only use the hair bleach that you would use for your upper lip. Apply this to your hands and feet, but be extremely careful as the bleach could whiten the areas you apply it to. Lemon juice is another good remedy to reduce the “orangeness” of your tan. Squeeze a couple lemons and apply the juice using a cotton wool pad to smaller blotches and streaky areas.

For an orange that goes all over your body, keep bathing and exfoliating until the fake tan fades. You could even try swimming in a pool to let the chlorine help. Also a good idea is to rub baby oil to help grab the tanning solution then bath an hour later.

When it comes to blotches do not panic, these are easy enough to fix. Nail varnish remover is your trusted friend here. Use a little bit on a cotton swab and damp lightly over the blotches. This will lighten them and help them better blend into the tan. You could also try scrubbing them off with body wash in the shower and exfoliate a few hours later.

Streaks can be a little tricky and there are multiple tricks to remove uneven lines. The first thing you should try is evening your fake tan. Try to cover up the streaks with tanning solution. You will need to massage a generous amount of moisturiser mixed with tanning solution into your streaks. If that doesn’t work, try using toothpaste (in small areas) to lighten the skin and better blend the streak. Nail varnish remover works the same as well. If there are too many along your body, try swimming or bathing to completely remove your fake tan, exfoliate for two days, and try tanning again.

There you have it. The next time you end up with a bad fake tan, do not panic. These tips should help minimise the damage. And remember, it’s not permanent. Even if you do nothing, in a few days your tan will settle down on its own.