What to do if you hate your spray tan?
Oil, heat and steam are all spray tan enemies so using body oils, sitting in a steam room or having a hot bath should help. You can also try a DIY tan removing solution. Mix lemon juice with baby oil or a little baking soda. Apply the mixture to skin and leave it to work for around five minutes.
Lemon juice is another good remedy to reduce the “orangeness” of your tan. Squeeze a couple lemons and apply the juice using a cotton wool pad to smaller blotches and streaky areas. For an orange that goes all over your body, keep bathing and exfoliating until the fake tan fades.
Most often, looking like you have too dark of a tan on your face is a result of literally using too much solution (remember: two ounces for the entire body, not just the neck up!) or being sprayed with a percentage that is too high for your skin type.
Can You Sit After Spray Tanning? Yes! You just want to be sure there's a piece of clothing between you and any sticky surfaces - including your skin. That's why we recommend wearing long pants and a long shirt until your first shower.
Depending on how much self tan you have on you might need to do this process again a few hours later or the next day. Take a dish sponge ( scrubber side) and apply some dawn dish washing detergent. Scrub the area and it should come off.
Take a long hot bath and allow the warmth of the water to lighten your fake tan. In fact, you can speed up this process by applying olive oil to your skin 15 minutes beforehand and then soaking in the tub.
There is a bronzer in the solution, which means that you will have some color immediately after you are sprayed. The color will continue to darken as the solution develops. Your color will lighten after you shower off the bronzer. You will see color coming off in your first shower.
If you showered after just a few hours, you might notice your skin is not as tanned as you'd expected. Don't fret! Your colour will continue to develop and darken for a few hours (and a spray tan takes up to 24 hours to develop fully). That brown water disappearing down the drain?
Traditional spray tans will need about eight to twelve hours to develop (it's best to sleep in these and then shower in the morning), while certain express solutions will allow you to shower after one to three hours.
A strange and unnatural color: The point of a spray tan is to look like you've been kissed gently by the sun, and if your skin has taken on a dark or orange color all over, something has gone horribly wrong.
What happens if you leave a spray tan on longer than recommended?
Do not leave a product on overnight, if you have not experienced this product before (on yourself). Doing so can lead to over darkening, poor fading, off color, etc. If this is a specialized Rapid Acting/Early Shower off type blend, then follow the suggested manufacturer product directions for their blend.
As colour will continue to develop for approximately 8 hours, the longer the tan is left on the skin prior to bathing, the darker the result will be.
Please note: the tan will continue to develop even after the shower, so do not be alarmed if you're not as tanned as you expect to be. The tan will continue to develop over the next 12-24 hours.
If you fake tan before bed and shower in the morning, you probably wake to orange-tinged sheets, unless you sleep on a large, dark coloured towel. Applying the tan earlier in the day will give the tan time to absorb and prevent it discolouring your linen.
A spray tan on lighter skin tones might last for about 5 days, medium shades can last between 7-8 days, and darker shades can last up to 10 days. To be safe, we say that your spray tan will last anywhere between 5-7 days, depending on your spray tan care routine.
If you don't have the Bronze Off Exfoliating Mitt, there are thankfully various other convenient ways in which to remove your spray tan. Baby oil is just one such example. Cover your tanned skin with the oil. Be sure to massage it deep down.
(And yes, baby oil may remove fake tan)
And you don't just have to opt for baby oil, either. You can also use coconut or olive oil, which should be left on the skin for 10 minutes before washing off.
It can cause patchiness, poor fading, and poor coloring. Typically, you want to wait until the first spray tan has faded before getting another one.
Does coconut oil really remove fake tan? Yep! Oil in all its forms — think baby oil, coconut oil and olive oil — loosens dead skin cells, which can help break down tan build-up. Grab the oil and apply a generous amount to your palms before massaging it into the skin.
Forgetting to moisturise daily is one of the key reasons that your sunless tan has faded faster than you'd hoped. While many of us moisturise daily already as part of your normal skincare routine, moisturising when you have a tan is important to help maintain that glow for longer.
Can I put another layer of fake tan on the next day?
We generally recommend sticking to the one self tanning product per application. If you do not find the colour to be as dark as you would expect, you can always apply a second coat 30-60 minutes after initial application or the following day if the developed colour is not to your desired colour depth.
If you are getting your nails done, it's always best to do so BEFORE your spray tan session. This is because when most nail techs do your nails, they soak your hand and feet in soapy water, sometimes even use wet, warm wash clothes to wipe your skin. These are all big no-no's when it comes to post-spray tan behavior!
This is often caused by having too much spray tan sprayed on your face, or by using a percentage solution that is way too strong for your skin type. Make sure you have the right percentage solution and avoid overspraying your client's face (remember: two ounces for the ENTIRE BODY, not just for the neck up!).
Avoid heavily fragranced lotions as well as acne products and retinols as these can strip your tan more quickly. Products to avoid both before and after your tan include: Dove, Aveeno, Eucerin, Bath & Body Works, Suave, Nivea, Neutrogena, Ivory, Lubriderm, Dial, Olay, acne products, exfoliating products, and retinol.
Since spray tans usually last between seven to nine days, it's actually best to get a spray tan 2-3 days before your big event. This allows time for your tan to fully develop and gives you time to have one rinse-off in between the tan application and the event.
