Are you wondering how to get fake tan off hands?
Fake tan offers a great solution to temporarily giving you a natural glowing tan, without having to sit in the sun for hours and risking any damage caused by UV rays. It’s a much safer option than exposing your skin to the sun, or laying on a tanning bed.
Over the years, Fake tan has had a bad reputation for being tricky to apply, going orange and patchy but also smelling. However, as times moved on, so has the product ingredients. Nowadays there are lots of different brands and types of tanners to chose from, that not only can benefit your skin health, but also to boost your confidence.
Sadly we don’t always get the application right, and no matter how much money you spend on a quality fake tan, it doesn’t always work out as perfect as you’d wished for. Dodgy orange hands, patchy wrists, bright orange elbows, knees and ankles are all common mistakes when self-tanning.
Whatever your situation, I can guarantee you that I’ve experienced it a million times and so has many others. So, we’ve all been there and I can confidently tell you to stop spending money on lots of different types of fake tans, and focus on the technique of applying the products.
I’m here to provide you with a simple yet effective guide on how you can get the natural glow you want, without giving the secret away!
How To Get Fake Tan off Your Hands
What if I told you, The best way to get fake tan off hands is actually to avoid it happening all together. You can simply do this by using a tanning mitt or latex gloves, and washing your hands after applying your tan. Another tip is an obvious one, but often missed. Simply just take your time – Take time to moisturise before hand, rub the product in properly and allow time for it to dry.
Having said that, sometimes the situation is unavoidable and we need to find a home remedy quick fix to help get rid of orange and patchy wrists! Here are some ways you can do this
- Oil – applying oil to your hands such as olive oil, coconut oil or baby oil can help soften your skin and remove the fake tan. Allow it to soften for a couple of minutes, then lightly use a face cloth or exfoliator to buff the excess off.
- Lemon juice – mix a some sugar with with lemon juice until it has a paste consistency. Gently use it as an exfoliating on the area of your skin and wash off after a few minutes.
- Baking soda – 1 teaspoon of baking soda, mixed with a little water. Mix well into a paste. Apply on the area of skin, and leave for a few minutes. Gently use an exfoliating mitt and wash off with warm water
- Vinegar – use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, the acidity will help dissolve product build up
How to avoid fake tan mistakes
- After applying the product, swiftly wash your hands in warm water with soap
- Moisturise and exfoliate the area the day before, and prepare the skin before application. Fake tan sticks to dry skin
- Use a moisturiser or barrier cream before starting to apply the product
- Apply the tan in natural light to allow you to judge where needs extra attention
- Use latex gloves or a tanning mitts
- Invest in tanning remover wipes
- Use a baby wipe to wipe the inside of your palm, nails and wrists
Top tip
Rub thoroughly and allow to dry: Be aware that although the product can stain your skin quickly, you might not see the streaks or patchy marks for a few hours.
What not to do when tanning
- Don’t over use the product. If you don’t see much of a result instantly, that’s ok, it can take 6-8 hours to fully develop. If you apply too much product you risk an orange and patchy tan.
- Don’t exfoliate too much. This will only irritate the skin and the fake tan won’t sit right.
- Don’t wash your whole hand. By doing so, you could have white hands and brown body. Consider using a makeup wipe for the palms, wrists, and in between the fingers. Alternatively, wash your hands carefully and try not to get the top of your hands wet.
NEVER bleach your skin
This was a popular thing to do at one stage, this is not ok and it will damage your skin.
Top tip: once you wash your palms with water, use a hand moisturiser all over the hand, to naturally blend in the tan product. This will help to avoid any harsh lines
How to apply fake tan & avoid patchy skin
- Exfoliate the day before. It’s important to exfoliate prior to tanning. Exfoliating removes dead skin and creates a smooth base for the tan, focus on your hands, knees, elbows and ankles as a priority.
- Remove body hair. Another important tip is to remove any hair the day before, otherwise you risk the product getting stuck in the pores and creating dark spots.
- Avoid deodorant and perfume – it’s best not to use deodorant or perfume when applying the tan, and ideally afterwards until it’s developed. By doing so, it can create an uneven finish and turn your tan green.
- Always use a mitt – this is an absolute must, otherwise your hands will get patchy. If you don’t have a mitt, use a latex glove or wash your hands well after applying.
- Allow time to dry. It’s easy to get caught up and want to rush, but it’s worth waiting awhile to dry off before putting any clothing on. Otherwise this could lead to an uneven finish.
- Wash the tan off. Once it’s developed, have a quick shower to rinse. Try to avoid bathing as this could fade the tan, and stay away from shaving and scrubs.
- Maintaining your tan. Invest in a light scrub, use this every couple of days, also moisturising after showering will help prolong the results and avoid any streaky or patchy areas.
Lifesaver. What mitt do you use???
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