How to Remove Your Self-Tan

Self-tan is by far the fastest and safest way to achieve gloriously bronzed skin, especially when the summer sun seems but a distant memory. Get it right, and your skin sings with a golden glow that can only otherwise be achieved with two weeks in the South of France. Get it wrong, however, and you can end with uneven patches, streaks and palms that are three shades darker than the rest of your body.

But don’t fret – there are a few simple, stress-free ways to return to your natural hue. From scrubbing, steaming or raiding the pantry for a DIY overhaul, here’s how to remove fake tan (and any telltale mishaps) fast.

How to remove self-tan:  

1. Steam

Convert your bathroom into a DIY steam room. Or, if you’re lucky enough to be a member of a fitness club with high tech facilities, then be sure to make the most of their steam or sauna rooms. The warm, humid environment causes your pores to open which effectively removes trapped pigment from the tanning product. It also encourages dead skin cells to flake away, subsequently reducing your tan. 

2. Oils

As mentioned, when DHA (Dihydroxyacetone, i.e. the ‘dye’ in self-tan) is applied topically, it reacts with the top layer of skin cells in the epidermis and creates that bronzed, sun-kissed look. Oils, on the other hand, have the reverse effect and break down DHA.

So, run yourself a bath and have a long, luxurious soak with the help of a deeply moisturising oil, like the Kathy Phillips x BEAUTY PIE Skin Nourishing Aromatherapy Bath & Shower Oil, which contains Pure Essential Oils, blended into five skin-replenishing Carrier Oils, to hydrate and nourish skin. ‎

3. Exfoliate

Tan removal = dead skin cell removal and what better way to do this than to exfoliate? Plus, a high quality exfoliator will not only remove dead skin cells, but it will also deeply nourish and hydrate the fresh, healthy cells below. 

We recommend massaging a generous handful of our Dry Oil Sugar Scrub onto dry or very slightly damp skin and using circular motions, allowing the scrub to melt and spread before rinsing it off. Repeat two to three times per week, or until you’re happy with the result.

Can I remove a singular self-tan ‘streak’?

Thankfully, yes. There are a few tried-and-test ways to do this without removing the surrounding tan. First, put a small amount of your self tan on a makeup sponge and apply around the streak, then take a dry towel and blend in the two areas, and wait for it to develop.

If you’d rather remove the tan from a small area, mix two tablespoons of baking soda, with a couple of drops of body oil and the juice from half a lemon juice. Then rub where you want to remove the tan. The baking soda will bubble up and remove the colour. 

Finally, there are products specifically made for removing self tan. You can use these as a spot-treatment and then go back in with a tan to even it out. 

What’s the best way to remove self-tan from your face?

As the skin on your face is so much more delicate than that on the rest of your body (up to 20 times thinner, in fact), it can be difficult to remove self-tan without irritating or worse, damaging, the skin. So, to remove self tanner from the face, opt for a gently exfoliating acid or facial scrub.  

If using a chemical exfoliant, look for Glycolic Acid, Vitamin C or Salicylic Acid. Or, for a gentle facial scrub, any moisturising formula containing ingredients like Jojoba, Cocoa Butter, or Fruit Extracts will be your saving grace. 

Repeat your exfoliating routine up to three times weekly to allow your golden glow to fade evenly. Note: exfoliating in circular motions boosts blood flow to the skin’s surface, creating a fresh-faced radiance.

Is it true you should give your skin a ‘break’ from self-tan?

DHA reacts with top layers of skin, which are dead. While it can dry out your skin, this is nothing that a nourishing body moisturiser can’t fix. Integral damage to the skin is typically caused by excessive free radicals penetrating deeper in the dermal layers of the skin where the Collagen and elastin are. So, self-tanners are safe to use continuously as they don’t go deep enough to impact the integrity of your skin. 

Are some kinds of self-tan (e.g. mousse, mist, gel, drops, gradual) easier to remove than others?

Surprisingly no. While some tan formulas are significantly different from others when applying, removing them is a different story. As the DHA only treats the top layers of your skin, any difficulty removing it doesn’t come from the shade or formula you chose.

Once I’ve removed fake tan, how long do I have to wait before I can reapply?

Immediately, if not sooner! The best thing about self tan is that it doesn’t damage your skin in the same way a sun tan does. So, what are you waiting for? Get glowing.