Wave goodbye to streaks, stains & patches with our easy-to-follow guide
Fake tan is a great (and safe) way to achieve a sun-kissed glow. Get it right, and it can look as though we’ve spent two weeks in St Tropez. But get it wrong, and we end up with uneven streaks, patches and telltale orange palms. For a seamless tan, we recommend following our top tips on how to master the art of applying fake tan.
For those occasions where it does go wrong or it’s starting to look patchy after a few days of wear, don’t fret – there are several steps we can take to remove fake tan at home, whether it’s from the face or body. Here, the experts reveal all.
How to remove fake tan from your face
"Keep it gentle," says Claire Lambert, Skinny Tan’s resident tanning expert. "Using a gentle exfoliator twice a week, alongside regular cleansing, can help break down a tan." Eventually, a fresh base for a new application will be all that remains.
It’s also worth noting that face tan will fade faster than on the body. "As many of us have a daily skincare routine consisting of several steps, including exfoliation, skin cell turnover happens faster," adds Michaella Bolder, celebrity and St.Tropez skincare and tanning expert.
For top exfoliation tips and how to find the best exfoliator for individual needs, check out our easy-to-follow tutorial.
How to remove fake tan from legs & arms
For stubborn tan on legs and arms, the experts recommend using a specifically formulated self-tan eraser.
Jules Von Hep, tanning guru and founder of Isle of Paradise, swears by his very own Over It Magic Self-Tan Eraser.
"Spray it onto skin, massage it until a lather is formed and leave for five minutes," he recommends.
Then simply wash it off in the shower, buffing skin gently in circular motions until the colour has been completely removed. For hard-to-remove areas, double your efforts with an exfoliating mitt.
How to remove fake tan from hands & feet
"The trick here is to ensure that we moisturise the hands and feet prior to tan application," says Jules, "that way there will be no 'tan-over' – my term for the moment where you wake up and see that you’ve messed up your tan."
As well as moisturising, Jules recommends "wiping palms, in-between fingers and buffing knuckles on a dry towel immediately after application."
For those telltale orange hands, one trick to remove or lessen their appearance is to "use a lactic acid skincare product on the surface of the hands, followed by an exfoliating make-up wipe," says Jules. "It won’t completely strip it off, but it’ll help fade the tan rapidly."
How to remove fake tan from your back
The very trickiest of areas to both apply fake tan and remove it, the back is a solo tanner’s nemesis. But Michaella has a top tip for living out the enemies to lovers trope with this tricky tanning area.
“Apply a tan remover on to the back using a long armed body brush or a tanning band to disperse the mixture over the skin and gently rub it in for a few moments. Leave it for five to 10 minutes before washing it off in the shower.”
Try Botanics’ Natural Bristle Body Brush to reach those troublesome areas.
Any other top tips to remove fake tan at home?
"The best way to remove a tan is to tease it off slowly but surely over the course of three days," says Jules. "To do this, simply mix a spoonful of sugar with body wash and then with every wash, a light layer of tan will come off giving a gradual but even fade." After the final day, Jules recommends using a self-tan eraser.
If the tan is streaky, Michaella assures us this can be easily fixed by “exfoliating the problem area as soon as possible, then using a tanning mitt, lightly dab your chosen self-tan product onto areas that are missing tan.”
“Once the tan is applied, buff the area to help blend the new tan into the existing one,” she adds.
How do chemical exfoliants work to remove fake tan?
It may be obvious that physical exfoliants, like scrubs or gloves, work by sloughing away dead skin cells to reveal new skin underneath. But what about formulas that include chemical exfoliants?
Chemical exfoliants help to break down the bonds between dead skin cells and the surface of the skin. Body care products containing AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) or BHAs (beta hydroxy acids) can help to remove any lingering remnants of fake tan and leave your skin feeling soft, smooth and fresh.
How can I care for my skin after removing fake tan?
While the best fake tan removers are designed to be gentle on the skin, it’s important to protect the skin’s natural barrier during and after the tan removal process.
While removing your tan, avoid any harsh scrubbing that can lead to skin irritation. While exfoliating is crucial, it should be done gently and patiently to help protect the skin. If you use exfoliating gloves, control the pressure and work in small, circular motions, moving evenly over the whole body. Similarly, body scrubs should be worked gently into the skin and rinsed off thoroughly.
Some fake tan remover formulas may have a drying effect, so it’s important to lock moisture back into the skin as soon as possible. Slather on a moisturiser immediately after removing your fake tan to keep the skin hydrated, smooth and soft. Choose a rich body moisturiser, such as a lotion, oil or body butter.
If the fake tan is particularly stubborn, consider visiting a beauty salon for professional exfoliation treatments or a skin treatment that’s specifically designed to remove fake tan.
5 of the best products to help remove fake tan
Whether streaks, patches or dodgy orange hands are the concern, we’ve got all post-tanning woes covered. Here are five of our favourite products for seamless fake tan removal.
Shop more fake tan removers in our full range.
Boots Exfoliating Gloves
• Reusable exfoliating mitts
For a really thorough exfoliation, you can’t beat these in-shower mitts. Use them in combination with other fake tan removal products, or lather up with your favourite soap or shower gel to gently buff away dead and dull skin cells in the shower or bath. Once you’re done, simply rinse them out, squeeze thoroughly and hang up to dry, ready to use on another day. They’re also ideal to use 24 hours before applying your fake tan to create a smooth, soft canvas.
Boots Glow Tan Eraser
• Size: 150ml
• Remover and primer
• Cruelty-free
Wave goodbye to patchy traces of tan in just five minutes with this super simple formula that’s designed to exfoliate, soften and prep skin ready for your next fake tan application. It couldn’t be easier to use – simply mist all over your body until the skin is saturated, relax for five minutes, then rinse off in the shower until all traces of your tan disappear.
Skinny Tan Miracle Tan Eraser
• Size: 200ml
• Remover and primer
• Jelly-like texture
• Vegan-friendly*
• Cruelty-free
Banish remnants of old tan and prime skin for the next application all in one go with this self-tan remover. A hydrating scrub, its jelly-like formula uses a hybrid of physical and chemical exfoliants, including pumice and salicylic acid for removing dead skin cells and moisturising glycerin to smooth and prep the skin.
Bondi Sands Self Tan Eraser
• Size: 200ml
• Vegan-friendly*
• Cruelty-free
Designed to be used at least three days after initial tan application, this self-tan eraser effectively removes tan in just five minutes, without excessive exfoliation. Its unique cleansing formula moisturises limbs, leaving them feeling silky soft and fresh.
Rose & Caramel Purity Excel 60 Second Self Tan Remover
• Size: 200ml
• Contains natural perlite
Need a super speedy solution for your leftover fake tan? This exfoliating scrub gets to work immediately, removing patchy colour in an impressive 60 seconds. It’s infused with the brand’s signature mango and pomegranate fragrance, which provides a lovely light scent. The result? Tan-free, soft and smooth skin that’s ready for your next tan application
Ready to create a clean canvas for another round of self-tanning? Shop all of our fake tan removers.
