Great tan is all in the prep; 24-48 hours before tan application we recommend exfoliating, removing unwanted hair and moisturising. Thoroughly exfoliating your body to remove dead, dry skin cells and removing old tan with our Miracle Tan Eraser will leave you with the perfect base for fresh tanning, and help you keep your glow for longer. We recommend using it with our double-sided Exfoliating Mitt for an even more flawless finish! Moisturising dry areas such as ankles, elbows and knees will also help to create a beautiful even glow.
We suggest you remove any unwanted hair 24-48 hours before applying tan, to create a flawless base and allow your pores to close (avoiding those little dotty marks). We would also recommend exfoliating and moisturising your driest areas (including ankles, knees, elbows and hands) at the same time. This will ensure you are tanning smooth clean skin (rather than dead skin) with no lingering shedding skin cells that could cause the fake tan to look uneven or patchy. It will also help your fake tan to last longer!
For those new to self tanning we’d recommend starting with either a Gradual Tanner to build up a subtle glow over a number of days, our Self-Tanning Whip or Self-Tanning Mousse which features a built in colour guide to help with application. These formulas will melt into skin and blend effortlessly, so it’s far harder to go wrong.Our Tan & Tone Self-Tanning Oil also provides an easy application experience – just spritz, buff in and go, no rinse required!
Hands and feet can be tricky! Firstly, make sure you've thoroughly exfoliated and moisturised 24-48 hours before applying tan; hands and feet can be dryer than other areas of the body, so the tan is more prone to sticking. We recommend applying the left-over excess tan from your application mitt and lightly feathering over the areas. Then use the Miracle Brush to buff around knuckles and in-between fingers and toes. You can also spritz a little Coconut Tanning Mist over the hands in a claw like position and leave to dry naturally for a few minutes, for a perfect professional ‘spray tan effect’.
We created our award winning Back Applicator to help you get to all those hard to reach places. Simply add your tanning product to the centre of the applicator and close ends together to distribute tan onto the fabric. Hold either side of the applicator handles and glide the applicator smoothly over your back (or other tricky areas) with a buffing motion and repeat as required.
We recommend applying all our self-tanners with our velvety soft Application Mitt, which features a waterproof lining to keep hands stain free. You can apply Gradual Tanners and Face Tanning Drops with your hands, buffing in with our Miracle Brush or Body Buffing Brush, but make sure to thoroughly wash them afterwards to avoid unwanted staining.
All Skinny Tan fake tans are suitable for face and body; we’d recommend using a small amount (or excess on the mitt) of your chosen tan and blending into the face using a mitt or brush. If you have sensitive skin or are looking for a more subtle result, why not one of Skinny Tan's Face Tanning Drops? These are formulated with skin-loving ingredients that can be added to your daily skincare to transform it into a gradual tanner! We also have our Notox Beauty Elixir or Coconut Water Bronzing Face Mist which are easy to integrate into your daily beauty regime.
While your tan is still developing we don't recommend using perfumes or deodorants, as this will impact the colour result. Our self-tan should be applied to clean, dry skin (with the exception of a light moisturiser that can be applied to any dry patches beforehand). It's fine to use deodorants and perfumes after showering, however some products do contain ingredients that may dry the skin and cause your tan to fade faster than normal in those areas.
We recommend you wait 6-8 hours for your tan to develop before washing it off in the shower. However, if you’ve used one of our Express formulas you can wash it off in as little as one hour for a more subtle result that continues to develop over time.
Hydration is key when trying to prolong your tan; drink plenty of water and moisturise daily to prevent the dryness which causes the tanning results to fade. However, you can help your tan to fade more naturally by gently exfoliating with the pink side of our Exfoliating Mitt about 2-3 days after application; this will help to buff away any shedding dead skin cells and start the process of a natural looking ‘fade off’. We would also recommend the use of one of our gradual tanners to keep your tan topped up - apply every 1-3 days to see the best results!
If you want to start from scratch then we recommend thoroughly exfoliating your body to remove dead, dry skin cells and removing old tan with our Miracle Tan Eraser. This will leave you with the perfect base for fresh tanning, and help you keep your glow for longer. However, you can layer and top-up our tans to create a deeper result within the first few days of application. Our Tan & Tone Oil lasts up to two weeks with a second application within 48 hours! You can build up our gradual tanners over a number of days for a darker result, or they can be used over any of our self-tans to darken and prolong your colour.
Most of our self-tans need 6-8 hours to fully develop into the deepest result, so we would recommend only washing off after this period. However, if you desire a lighter result you can wash the tan off at a time that suits you. Our Express formulas can be rinsed off after as little as 1 hour for a light glow, 3 hours for a medium glow and 6 hours for a darker bronze, but the colour will continue to develop over 6-8 hours.
Our tans can be layered for a darker result, but also to keep your tan looking fresh for longer. Our Tan & Tone Oil lasts up to two weeks with a second application within 48 hours! You can build up our gradual tanners over a number of days for a darker result, or they can be used over any of our self-tans to darken and prolong your colour.
You can mix our range of Tanning Drops (including Cherry Face & Body Tanning Drops) with your chosen face or body moisturiser to build up a natural glow. However, we wouldn’t recommend mixing any of our other self-tan products with moisturiser as it may impact the development process. Always follow our instructions for the best results.
Simply mix between 3-8 drops with your favourite self-tan free moisturiser, ensuring a mixing ratio of 2:1 moisturiser to drops. Apply evenly to face and neck, blending well using our Miracle Tanning Brush and paying close attention to the hair line and ears. Don’t forget to wash your hands! By adding a few drops into your moisturiser, serum or foundation, you can transform your daily skincare into a gradual tanner - perfect for anyone wanting to maintain or build an everyday glow.
Skinny Tan products dry super fast for minimal transfer, however if you do buy a product with a guide colour some residue may transfer if you're hot and sweaty. Don't worry, any transferred tan will be easily removed in the washing machine! If you want extra confidence, our Dry Mist Finishing Spray will help set your tan - or you could try one of our products that has no colour guide built in such as our Coconut Water Range.
We always advise you to use a mitt to help apply and buff our products, which will help eliminate streaking and reveal a uniform glow. If the tan starts to streak when applying, don’t worry - this is because you have a product with a colour guide built in, which will be washed away after developing to reveal a gorgeous streak-free result beneath.
Skinny Tan self-tans are known for a really natural and even fade off, but all fake tans will fade as your skin cells naturally shed, and this can vary from person to person. However, you can help it to fade more naturally by gently exfoliating with the pink side of our Exfoliating Mitt about 2-3 days after application; this will help to buff away any shedding dead skin cells and start the process of a natural looking ‘fade off’. It also helps if your skin is kept hydrated, so apply moisturiser each day and drink plenty of water. You can also keep your tan topped up by using a daily moisturiser with added gradual tanner.
Avoid delicate or intimate areas, including eyes, and be careful to avoid any broken or irritated skin. If you’re concerned about applying self-tan, we recommend a patch test 24-48 hours before full application and consulting a medical professional.
For stubborn tan we recommend applying our Miracle Self-Tan Eraser; it combines manual and gentle chemical exfoliation to leave skin smooth and prepped, ready for a fresh layer! It’s also great at fixing mistakes. Just massage into the required areas, leave on for a minimum of five minutes, and then scrub off in the shower using the pink side of the hard working Exfoliation Mitt. It will be super easy to slough off dry dead skin and lingering tan.You may find that tan clings to your elbows, so don’t be afraid to use the black side of the Exfoliation Mitt to really buff away dark remaining patches of tan.
For stubborn tan mistakes we recommend applying our Miracle Self-Tan Eraser; it combines manual and gentle chemical exfoliation to leave skin smooth and even, ready for a fresh layer of tan. Just massage into the required areas, leave on for a minimum of five minutes, and then scrub off in the shower using the pink side of the hard working Exfoliation Mitt. It will be super easy to slough off dry dead skin and lingering tan.
Our formulas are made from up to 99% naturally derived ingredients, are vegan friendly and cruelty free. Every formula is also enriched with skin loving ingredients (such as Vitamin E, Hyaluronic Acid and Coconut Water) to help take care of skin with every application. Our nourishing formulas help to keep your skin glowing for longer, and some will actually help to improve skin over time too.
Our self-tanners will fade faster if you are regularly going into the pool or ocean, as the chlorine and salt encourage a faster skin cell turnover. We recommend taking your tan with you on holiday to top up or help maintain your colour; our Protect & Glow, Gradual Tanner or Tan & Tone Oil are perfect for this.
A self-tan offers no sun protection and will therefore not stop you from tanning naturally. You can and will tan through your fake tan, so be sure to use an SPF product to stay sun safe.
Yes, absolutely you can and you should! Once your tan has developed and you've rinsed off the initial guide colour, we advise to apply the SPF over the top to ensure you're fully protected from the sun's damaging UV rays. We also have our very own Protect and Glow range, which provides SPF sun protection with a built-in gradual tan - so you can tan and glow safely!
