Does Fake Tan Cause Acne and Breakouts?

Acne is caused by the pores in the face overproducing sebum, an oily substance that lubricates the skin.

This leads to clogged pores, which can then result in an outbreak of acne.

Acne is a very common skin condition, and while it may resolve on its own, some people require medical treatment to help their skin clear.

Self-tanners are often used to conceal acne and acne scars, but they may also be a source of acne or breakouts.

Self-tanners don’t cause the long-term condition of acne, but they can aggravate the condition.

If you are looking to use self-tanners to hide acne or acne scars and feel that it will help boost your confidence, it might be worth your time to do a test to see how your skin reacts to self-tanning products, in order to predict if it will aggravate your condition or not.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about self-tanners and acne-prone skin, and whether or not they can really cause breakouts and make acne worse.

Can Self-Tanners Cause Acne?

Above the overproduction of sebum that causes acne, self-tanning products can further clog pores, which in turn makes the skin oilier, as well as introducing bacteria to your skin.

Some self-tanners contain harsh chemicals. These harsh chemicals can irritate the skin, causing it to become oilier, which in turn results in blocked pores.

These harsh chemicals, along with dihydroxyacetone acid (DHA), which is found in all self-tanners, can also cause your skin to dry out.

Your skin may react to this by producing more sebum, which then triggers a breakout.

How to Avoid Breakouts When Using Self-Tanner

Having acne doesn’t mean you have to write off self-tanners forever. There are some self-tanning products that are alcohol-free, oil-free, non-comedogenic, or non-acnegenic.

These self-tanning products do not clog pores and help prevent the skin from becoming oilier.

Also, be sure to check that the self-tanner is specifically designed for use on the face.

These are usually lighter and gentler on the skin compared to self-tanning products, which can be applied to the entire body.

Another important thing to remember is that self-tanning products do not give your skin protection from the sun.

Ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause irreversible damage to your skin, so it is essential to provide your skin with proper protection against UV rays.

Overexposure to the sun can exacerbate your acne and further dry out your skin. Be sure to use a strong SPF suntan lotion when going out into the sun, no matter the time of year.

Which Self-Tanners Don’t Cause Acne?

With acne-prone skin, the last thing you need is a self-tanner that adds excess oil to your skin.

Look for a self-tanner that states it will not aggravate acne. If you can’t find one like this, make sure to stay away from any self-tanners that contain animal fats and vegetable oil.

I really like this lightweight tanning mousse. It is quick-drying and doesn’t contain any nut oils.

These can cause blemishes, pimples, and acne breakouts. It is best to also stay away from self-tanners that contain alcohol, which can also aggravate your skin.

This is my favourite alcohol-free self-tanner (keep in mind that it does contain oil).

Which Self-Tanners Cause Acne?

Avoid purchasing self-tanners that contain added oils or harsh ingredients. It is always better to choose self-tanners for sensitive skin or opt for organic or natural self-tanners.

These tend to be more gentle on your skin and have a lighter consistency.

Self-tanners with a thicker consistency can clog your pores even further, potentially causing a breakout.

Acne-prone skin requires regular cleansing and oil-free care, so any self-tanner that promises to do so is a good choice.

How To Prepare Your Skin To Avoid Breakouts

There are several ways to minimise the damage caused by self-tanners, which should help reduce breakouts and aggravation of acne on your skin.

If you are set on using self-tanner on acne-prone skin, here is how to ensure it is less damaging:

• Try to avoid spending time in the sun, especially if you have already applied self-tanner to your skin, as it may cause your skin to dry out. Always wear sunscreen, even if it is in winter.
• Take extra vitamins containing vitamin E; this does wonders for your skin.
• Wear an antioxidant serum that helps keep the skin healthy and moisturised.
• Avoid self-tanning every day and use it only for special occasions.
• Do not stop your daily face-wash routine in fear of washing your self-tanner off.

Maintaining a Healthy Fake Tan

Self-tanners might make acne look more pronounced. Self-tanners work by reacting with dead skin cells on the skin, and there is usually a larger amount of dead skin cells around pimples.

The chemical in self-tanners responsible for this is dihydroxyacetone acid (DHA). This can cause the area around the pimples to turn a darker shade, making the acne appear worse.

The more dead skin around the pimples on your face, the darker these areas of skin will be.

Prepping your skin before applying a self-tanning product can help avoid this and ensure the self-tanning product effectively covers the acne, rather than making it more noticeable.

Exfoliating before applying self-tanner is a good way to prevent it from happening.

This will scrub away most of the dead skin cells around pimples, providing a more even surface for the self-tanner to work on and minimising the visibility of the pimples.

At the same time, if you use treatment on your acne which contains petrolatum, mineral oil, or too much moisturiser, this could cause the self-tanner not to stick to the pimples, which will cause them to stay lighter and pinker while the rest of the skin tans, causing them to be more noticeable.

There are also some self-tanning products which contain a combination of DHA and erythrulose, which causes the tan to develop over a period of days.

This means that you could actually use too much to start with, and won’t realise it until a few days later.

Once you have exfoliated properly and applied self-tanner to your face, you still need to cleanse your face regularly to prevent further oil build-up and breakouts.

You may feel the need to wash your face a few hours after applying self-tanner.

Avoid using harsh face washes; instead, use a warm water rinse to gently cleanse your skin.

There is no point putting off washing your face to try to maintain a tan; this is a big contributor to breakouts with self-tanners.

Is Self-Tanner Better for Your Skin Than Sun Tanning?

There is no doubt that sun tanning is harmful to your skin, even if you are one of the lucky ones who get a wonderfully bronzed tan from a few hours in the sun.

Self-tanning is definitely the way to go, especially if you can find a product that doesn’t aggravate your acne.

UV-A rays from the sun can cause damage to the skin, resulting in the release of free oxygen radicals.

Melanin pigment in the skin absorbs these free radicals, becoming darker in the process, which helps protect the skin from DNA damage.

You will receive more of a tan from UV-A radiation if you have a higher level of brown pigment in your skin.

UV-A rays can cause an instant change of colour in your skin, but also might leave you with long-term damage that is almost impossible to reverse.

The sun also emits UV-B rays, which are responsible for immediate skin damage.

These rays might not have an immediate effect on the actual colour of the skin, but they do cause the skin to produce new melanin.

Fair-skinned individuals may notice that this causes their skin to appear as if it has additional freckles or sunspots.

This means that tanning with acne, especially for those with fair skin, will likely leave your skin more damaged and with more freckles, exacerbating the acne-prone skin.

For those with darker skin, concealing whiteheads, blackheads, and pimples with a natural tan may be an option; however, this comes at the cost of potential permanent skin damage.

Is Self-Tanner Safe To Use With Acne?

Using self-tanner with acne can make the breakouts worse, and possibly highlight the acne further.

While self-tanner can exacerbate acne, there are self-tanning lotions that are gentler on the skin and contain less oil.

Using these safer alternatives could mean that you get to enjoy a glowing sunless tan with minimal damage to your skin.

Be sure to check that you can use self-tanning products if you are on acne medication. Some acne medications work by drying the skin, thereby reducing the oil content.

Using self-tanner on dry skin can cause your skin to dry out excessively and may leave you with an unnatural-looking tan.

How To Use Self-Tanner To Hide Acne Scars

Acne scars can cast a shadow across the skin, making them more noticeable. To try and hide this, you can use a self-tanner designed for the face.

You will first need to exfoliate the dead skin off your face, and then use a self-tanner lotion applied in an even layer across your skin.

Tanned skin helps to disguise the indented scars and shadows better than fair skin, so a darker tan on your face will make the appearance of acne less noticeable.

Using Self-Tanner With Sensitive Skin

Hypersensitivity to self-tanners can cause a significant problem if you already have acne-prone skin. Even with acne, you should still be allowed to have radiant, glowing skin.

Here is how to self-tan with sensitive skin:

• Use a self-tanner with natural ingredients. Something which contains Aloe Vera can help soothe and care for sensitive or inflamed skin. Select a self-tanner that is fragrance-free and free from alcohol and parabens.
• Make sure to do a patch test. Apply a tiny amount of fake tan to an inconspicuous area, such as behind your ear. Leave the colour to develop and be aware of any discomfort or burning that may occur. If you experience no discomfort and notice a beautiful glow on your skin, you can proceed to apply the self-tanner to the rest of your face. Be sure to use a non-abrasive exfoliator the day before to avoid a build-up of excess dead skin cells, which could leave you with a patchy tan.
• Be sure to moisturise your skin regularly after applying the self-tanning product. This will help keep your skin hydrated and boost the lifespan of your tan. Better moisturised skin holds a self-tan much longer than dry skin does.
• Try out an ice facial. A quick ice facial will help close your pores and tighten your skin. This prevents the self-tanner from penetrating too deeply into the skin and potentially clogging your pores, which could lead to a breakout.
• If you find the self-tanning product too dry for your skin, add a small amount of moisturiser to the mixture. This will help you build up a daily tan while still allowing you to hydrate and care for your skin.

Miami Gorgeous is an amazing unscented self-tanner for sensitive skin.

Things To Avoid When Using Self-Tanner on Your Face

There are several things to consider when self-tanning your face, especially if you are concerned about your acne or breakouts.

There are also things you should avoid when applying self-tanner to your face.

• Do not forget to self-tan your ears. Use the leftover product on your tanning mitt to spread some product evenly on your ears. It would look odd for your ears to be a different colour from the rest of your skin!
• Avoid a thick orange line framing your face by using a cotton bud to extend the self-tanner past your hairline. 
• Try not to move your face too much when applying the self-tanner. This will cause the self-tanning products to move towards the natural lines of your face, which will emphasise your expression marks and even your wrinkles. Avoid drinking or eating straight after applying the product.
• Do not apply too much product to your face. You will wash and clean your face twice a day, which means the self-tan will fade much faster than the rest of the tan on your neck and body. To minimise the appearance, avoid applying too much product to your neck.
• Do not forget to wash your hands after applying a self-tanner to your face. Forget to do this and you will be left with orange hands!

Things To Know About Self-Tanner

Self-tanners come in all shapes and sizes; some will work well with your skin, and others might cause breakouts.

You need to be cautious about the self-tanning products you use and how you care for your skin before and after applying a self-tanning product.

However, there are some common things to remember and keep in mind when using a self-tanning product, whether for your face or your whole body.

Self-tans don’t last forever

Maintaining a self-tan can be quite tiresome and expensive. Self-tanners typically last for a week or so, depending on your skin type and the level of maintenance.

Try and give your skin a break every now and again before applying another round of self-tanner.

Shower and exfoliate prior to tanning

Exfoliate your entire body from head to toe the day before applying self-tanner.

This removes any dry, flaky skin, and the self-tanner will adhere to the skin more evenly, and you won’t end up with dark patches or streaks.

You can’t just wash it off

The tan left behind from a self-tanner is meant to fade slowly and is actually a chemical reaction with your skin and the DHA.

You cannot easily scrub the self-tanner off if it all goes wrong. You need to approach your self-tanning application with caution to ensure it is done correctly, as you will be stuck with the results for a week.

If you want to remove self-tanner, however, you can check out my guide on the topic here.

Moisturize daily

Your skin will need to be kept hydrated after applying self-tanner, especially if you are concerned about breakouts or acne.

Apply a light moisturiser twice daily to keep your skin healthy and nourished. This will also keep the self-tan looking glowing for longer.

Your self-tan will darken after the application

The self-tan will darken on your skin after it is applied and can sometimes take up to a day to fully develop.

Avoid adding more self-tanning product to your skin immediately after application.

If you are worried that it looks too light, you will end up with skin that is too dark and unnatural-looking.

Pat your skin dry

When you get out of the shower, be wary not to rub yourself dry. Instead, use a towel to pat your body dry.

This will preserve your tan for longer, as you won’t be scrubbing away at your skin, which could cause the tan on your body to fade.

Protect your nails

This is something that many people often overlook. Applying self-tanner to your face requires you to really get stuck in there, getting into every crevice and corner.

This could result in you having excessive product on your nails. A way to avoid your nails becoming discoloured is to apply nail polish, even a clear coat.

Use old clothes

Even if you are just applying self-tanner to your face, remember to wear old clothes.

As you blend the self-tanner down onto your neck, you may accidentally get some product on your clothes.

This will likely stain, so make sure it isn’t on something you want to wear again.

Use barrier cream

If you have drier areas of skin, such as the elbows, ankles, and knees, it is a good idea to use a barrier cream over these areas to prevent them from turning out much darker than the rest of your body.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will fake tan clog my pores?

If you use a fake tanning product that contains animal fats or vegetable oil, there is a good chance that it will clog your pores. This, in turn, will exacerbate your acne.

Chemicals and fragrances in self-tanning products might also cause an inflamed flare-up or breakout.

Is a gradual tan better for acne skin?

Gradual tanners can be used over a period of days to build a tan. These are usually lighter and contain fewer harmful chemicals, at least not in large amounts.

These are considerably better for acne-prone skin as they won’t be a sudden shock to the skin, and you can control how dark you want your tan to be.

So, if you notice the colour isn’t right or it is accentuating your acne too much, you can stop using the tanner daily.

Are tanning pills better for acne-prone skin?

Tanning pills are used to accelerate tanning in the sun. They can also cause yellow crystals to form in your eyes, which may impair your vision.

Tanning pills require you to spend time in the sun, which is never a good idea. UV rays can further damage your skin and exacerbate your acne.

What are self-tanning moisturisers?

Similar to gradual tanners, self-tanning moisturisers can be used daily. They contain small amounts of self-tanning ingredients, blended with a nourishing moisturiser.

You can use these as a daily moisturiser to hydrate and care for your skin, while still building a natural-looking tan.

Final Thoughts

There is a way to self-tan if you have acne; you just need to be aware of the products you use and how you treat your skin.

Be sure to use gentle products that won’t clog up your pores or contain harmful chemicals. Remember to always use sunscreen to protect your skin from further sun damage.

The most important thing to remember is to keep on with your normal washing and cleansing routine.

Sacrificing this for the sake of maintaining a tan will only lead to your skin deteriorating over time.

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