How to Fix a Fake Tan

Co-authored by Chloe Goldman

Last Updated: January 22, 2023 References

Laying in the sun for that summer glow is always tempting, but it comes with consequences like retinal damage, sunspots, wrinkles, and leathery skin. Fortunately, there are fake, self-tanners that create the illusion of sun-kissed skin! Unfortunately, they can be tricky to properly apply. Waking up to discover that your fake tan has made you look like a zebra can be panicking, and when a fake tan does in fact look incredibly fake, with streaks and smudges, it ends up being a modern day beauty disaster and major disappointment. It is all too easy to commit a mistake when applying fake tans, but don't worry because there are numerous remedies to fix each problem. Fake tanning is a learned skill and it is almost impossible to get it totally right the first time trying. Everyone's skin is unique which means that tanning products will react differently on everyone. Your tan might turn out blotchy, uneven or even orange, but there are ways to even out or even remove those unnatural looking spots.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Evening out Dark Spots and Streaks

1
Apply a tinted moisturizer to blend uneven tones on your face. Common problem areas for post-fake tans occur around the jaw line, edges of the face, or on the neck where skin is sensitive and left vulnerable for skin irritation. If you find yourself with fake tan blotches in these areas, instead of removing them, try to cover them first to protect your skin. Use either a foundation or a tinted moisturizer to disguise the blotches.
- First, exfoliate your skin by dampening your face with warm water and then gently rubbing your skin in circular motions with a cream or wash cloth.
- Then, apply a generous amount of face lotion, again rubbing in circular motions which will help restore your natural tone.
- Lastly, apply the foundation or tinted moisturizer, covering your face and neck evenly resulting in a fresh face. Stay away from heavier foundations that may draw attention to any uneven colors.^{[1]
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2
Skip the bronzers and blushes. Adding a third shade of tan to your face will only exacerbate the problem. When choosing the right foundation color for you, don't match it only to the tone of your face. It is wiser to match it to the tone of your neck so you do not have two different skin tones visible.
- Next time, don't use fake tan on your face. Instead, buy a foundation that matches your skin with the fake tan. You can then play around with your foundation by mixing it with your lighter color to match your fake tan as it fades.
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3
Blend in your hands and wrists. Sometimes, it can look like you just dipped your arm into a can of orange paint. The best solution for correcting tan lines on hands and wrists are to simply add more tanner and blend them in.
- Apply a small amount of additional self tanner onto a cotton ball. Do not apply the tanner directly to your hands or wrists, but instead start from the middle of your arm work your way down to ensure a gradual transition. Use a circular motion as you apply.
- Plan where your stopping line will be so you can better blend in the tanner. It should be near where your thumb connects your wrists.
- Be sure to tan the top of your hands but not your palms! You do not want tan arms and white hands. Use your finger to make small circular motions around the area where the side of your hand meets your palm.
4
Don't neglect your knuckles. A lot of people are afraid of tanning their hands because they don't want their knuckles to turn orange. The skin in this area can be rough and dry, causing it to absorb more tanner and turn out too dark.
- To avoid this, simply moisturize your knuckles or any dry, rough area before applying fake tan products. This will prevent rougher areas from looking too dark because the lotion keeps some of the tanner from absorbing.
5
Carefully apply fake tan around your feet and ankles. These areas have multiple skin types in close quarters which makes it easy for dark blotches. To fix these streaks and spot, gently exfoliate with a warm wash cloth and then add more fake tan.
- Put the fake tan on a cotton ball and begin apply midway up your calf. Work your way down using circular motions. The closer you get to your foot, the less fake tan there should be on the cotton ball.
- Without applying anymore fake tan, keep applying all around your ankle and feet.
- Stop along the bottom sides of your feet.
6
Go all natural with sugar exfoliation to even out dark spots. Organic sugar scrubs, as will products with lactic acid, AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) or BHAs (beta hydroxy acids), help cell turnover. The best type of sugar to use is organic brown sugar because the grains are softer and smoother. Simply mix one part sugar with two parts water together in a bowl. After you have your mixture ready, softly spread it onto the problem areas with your fingers and rub it onto your skin for about one minute. Let it sit for three to five minutes before rinsing off with warm water.
- This sugary fix helps to hide unnatural hues and it’s a safe and natural alternative to lathering your skin with synthetic chemicals that may do more harm than good.^{[2]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Removing the Tan Completely

1
Combine sugar and fresh lemon juice to remove botched fake tans. Lemon juice is naturally acidic and it acts like a mild bleach. It works to remove unwanted color from patchy and flaky tans. Make sure you use fresh lemon juice because already squeezed lemonade that you buy at the store may have different chemicals in it that you may not want to apply onto your skin. Simply cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice out into a bowl.
- Then, mix one cup of raw sugar with 3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice.
- Dip a cotton ball into your mixture, and wipe the streaky orange areas using circular motions. Your candy corn discoloration should be diluted after several minutes of light massaging.^{[3]
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- Use a loofa or other scrub brush with the lemon juice and sugar mix for a more aggressive way of completely removing your fake tan.
2
Turn to baking soda and lemon juice for a gentle scrub. Sugar is course and can be rough to scrub against your skin. If yours is too sensitive for the sweet solution, try baking soda instead to strip the fake tan right off. It is nonabrasive and leaves your skin feeling incredibly smooth. However, it may take a little longer to get rid of the streaks.
- Grab a bowl and mix equal parts baking soda with fresh lemon juice. Mix together until the powder becomes a paste. If your mixture seems more like a liquid, add more baking soda. You want the spread to stay on your skin and not run right off.
- After you have developed your desired consistency, spread it on your skin and begin rubbing in soft, circular motions. Focus on the areas of extreme streakiness until the unwanted tan disappears. Don't scrub for more than three minutes.
- When you are finished, clean off with water and a wash cloth or jump in the shower.
3
Remove any dark, over the lip mustache spots. Many people attempt to tan their face only to find that it doesn’t spread evenly or forgivingly. If your face is oily, sweaty, or dry, you will end up with dark patches that refuse to blend in, especially over your lip where fine hair grows. When blending in this undoubtedly tricky area, or anywhere on your face, you have to be very gentle because the skin on your face is sensitive and you can easily break capillaries if you scrub too hard.
- To lighten above your lip, wet a wash cloth with warm water and gently rub for about 30 seconds using circular motions. The area will lighten up quickly because you are simply cleaning off the tanner that is attached to the fine hair above your lip.
- Pull your lips in tight, hiding them while you apply the tanning spray or cream.
- Do not apply the fake tan directly around your mouth because it will stick more easily here than in other facial areas. Instead, bring down existing tanner from your cheekbones and lightly rub on thinner amounts.
4
Use an astringent toner or toothpaste to smooth out a patchy application. If you have streaks in areas where you skin is dry or rough, you need to exfoliate your skin before you apply more fake tan to even out your first job.
- Take the astringent toner or toothpaste and apply them on a dry washcloth. Gently massage your patchy areas in a circular motion until you can see the fake tan rubbing off.
- Then, wash off your skin with warm water and apply the fake tan again. After you give the tan enough time to develop, you can determine if it is dark enough. If you want a darker look, or if you still see streaks, repeat the procedure.
- You may need to repeat this step up to three times in order for it to look the way you want it to.
5
Try peroxide or anti-dandruff shampoos to strip off the streaks. These products are designed to take off the top layer of skin and change the DHA in skin, essentially lightening the fake tan. However, they may also irritate sensitive skin, so exercise caution. If you decide to use them, dilute the chemicals with moisturizer and avoid your face and neck at the very least. Never apply them immediately after shaving or exfoliating.
- Cut either the peroxide or anti-dandruff shampoo with half parts moisturizer cream and apply the mixture to a wash cloth. Gently rub your skin in circular motions for a couple minutes.
- Stop rubbing your skin once it becomes irritated or it starts to burn.
6
Head to your nearest drug store and pick yourself up a bottle of hair removal cream. A quality hair removal cream should help to erase those disastrous fake tan spots.
- Simply apply your hair removal cream, let it sit for the recommended time in the directions on the package, and wipe off. While this may work like an eraser, beware of skin irritation. Hair removal cream works by using strong chemicals that strip off dead skin cells.
- If you have sensitive skin, this may not be the best method for you.^{[4]
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7
Use a scrubbing mitt to remove fake tan quickly. If you notice shortly after application that your tan is headed in the wrong direction, the fastest method is to slough it off with a specialty exfoliator mitt. These mitts are double-sided for easy access to areas that are hard to reach. Before using, it is important to soften your skin in the shower or bath first and dampen the mitt.
- Squeeze any excess water from the mitt and use reasonable pressure to rub your skin in a rapid vertical direction. You should see folds of dead skin and more importantly, fake tan, begin to roll away.^{[5]
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- Soak in a bath to remove self-tanner pigment. This is a great way to loosen the top most layer of dead skin cells before you use your mitt.
- Add in a body wash to your bath to create bubbles that will also help exfoliate your skin.^{[6]
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- You can remove the fake tanner from the skin by exfoliating it.
- Use a scrub with some exfoliating microbeads in it.
- And something with colic acid to help facilitate the exfoliation.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Preventing Fake Tan Mistakes

1
Understand the process of fake tans. Sunless tanning products work on the top layer of skin which are the dead skin cells you rub off during exfoliation. The dihydroxyacetone (DHA) in the fake tan products reacts with the amino acids in the dead skin cells to produce melanoids, which result in increased pigmentation in that top layer. This means that a sunless tan only goes as deep as the top layer of your skin, and does not extend any further.^{[7]
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- To create a good fake tan, you have to start with an even top layer of skin.
2
Prep your skin beforehand. Total body exfoliation and moisturizing are a must for even fake tan results. Shave your legs, exfoliate your body and face, and moisturize everywhere you apply the fake tan. Start exfoliating a few days before you self-tan, and avoid over-moisturizing immediately before you apply the product.
- When you do apply the tanner, do it slowly and be sure to rub it in completely, paying extra attention to the knees, elbows, feet, and neck, all parts of the body that will absorb the tanner more readily.
3
Wait to get in the shower. You need to let the tanner set for the recommended length of time before you get your skin wet. If the fake tan has not completely set and dried on your skin, water will create streaky lines. When you have waited long enough and you are ready to shower, do not use body wash or a luffa to scrub your skin immediately after. This will tamper with the tone of your tan. Simply wash your body with your hand and warm water.
- When you dry off, make sure you are pat dry dry instead of rub dry with a towel. Rubbing will remove your tan because your skin will be wet and soft.
- After your shower, be sure to moisturize your entire body.
4
Try using tinted self-tan products. These fake tanners are most fool-proof because you can see the distribution of the sunless tanner before it develops. Using tinted products usually produce better results. Opt for a lotion instead of a quick-drying foam, for a better window of opportunity to correct any uneven spots before the DHA starts reacting with your skin and sets.^{[8]
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5
Stay away from that orange glow. When trying out a new brand of self-tanner, always start with a light to medium shade, rather than a dark one at first. You can always go back and apply the darker shade, but it is difficult to undo the damage once you've turned bright orange. For the first time using a fake tan, you can even try diluting your self tanner by mixing it with equal parts lotion.
- If you do decide to dilute the fake tan, make sure you mix them completely together so you don't end up with streaks and spots.
6
Keep your fake tan from premature fading. Since you can exfoliate to fade an uneven tan, you can also exfoliate away a perfect tan. To keep your beautiful glow around as long as possible, avoid shaving your legs for 48 hours after you've applied the product. Also, for the first few days after application, don't take long baths or go in chlorine-filled pools, because they will rub off the top layer of skin and interfere with the DHA reaction.^{[9]
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7
Use gloves to prevent orange palms. Nothing says faux tan like orange palms and feet. To make sure this does not happen, apply the tanning lotion or cream with latex or plastic gloves. However, it can be slightly more challenging to apply the tanner with gloves on, so if you think it will cause more harm than good, skip the gloves and just make sure you wash your hands many times during the application process.
- Work on one body part at a time, and wash your hands before moving on to the next area.
8
Wait to get dressed. You don't want to smear your tan or stain your clothes by getting dressed too soon after your application. Wait at least 15 minutes after you've finished applying it to get dressed. To ensure that the self-tanner has set, dry your skin with a blow-dryer on a cool setting. Be sure to stop blowing if you start to sweat because that could create streaks on your skin.
- When you are ready to dress, don't wear tight clothes or thick fabrics. Instead, put on cotton so your skin can breathe. The best thing to wear would be a cotton bath robe for a couple hours.

References

Community Q&A

Question

Is there a way to lighten areas that got too dark without removing the whole tan?

Community Answer

Leave baby oil on the area, rinse, and exfoliate afterwards. This should take the top layer of skin off and lighten the tan a bit. If it doesn't get light enough, repeat until you reach the desired shade.
Question

How can I shave off a fake tan?

Community Answer

You should try doing exfoliating treatments on the area of your tan. This will shave off the dead layer of skin on the surface.
Question

How do I fix my spray tan? It left orange streaks and didn't cover my sports bra area. In a pageant tonight, do you have any help? The dress is low back.

Libby Powers

Community Answer

You can use make-up bronzer, and there are lotions that provide a nice tan.

Warnings

Avoid fake tanning creams with current pre-existing skin conditions or open sores. This may include eczema, rashes, cuts, scabs, or psoriasis.

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Always test just a very small area to make sure there is no stinging, burning or irritation. If there is, just stop the treatments and patiently wait for the tan to wear off by itself.

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