If you have tried out self-tanning at home, you might know that you can sometimes be left with streaky areas and darker patches. While this might seem incredibly frustrating at the time, do not worry. There is a completely natural and safe way to lighten your tan, using something most of us keep at home.
What is the miracle cure to a patchy tan?
Lemons! Many of us love a slice of lemon juice in our water or used in some delicious cooking, But lemon juice is also a really effective tool with helping to remove fake tan.
Read on to find out how!
The Ever-Useful Lemon Juice
Lemon juice works well to remove and lighten a fake tan. This is due to the citric acid in the lemon juice, which breaks down dead skin cells in the skin.
Removing and breaking down these dead skin cells helps to lighten a tan, as fake tans use DHA, which reacts with the outer dead layer of skin, to cause a tanned appearance.
Lemons have bleaching properties, which reduces the melanin in the skin, with melanin being responsible for the darker pigmentation of the skin. To add to the effectiveness of lemons, they contain alpha-hydroxy, which actually exfoliates the upper layer of skin, further removing the skin.
While it might seem a little harsh to remove the layer of skin which is tanned, the lemon does help keep the skin moisturized and hydrated, so at the end of it all, you will be left with healthy, lighter looking skin.
Different Ways To Remove A Fake Tan With Lemon
Lemon is incredibly versatile, so there are many different ways and mixtures involving lemon that you can use to remove your tan from most areas of your body.
Plain Lemon
Lemon can be used on its own in small areas to remove or lighten a tan. A cut lemon can be rubbed over the darkened area, or you could use lemon juice and wipe it gently over the fake tan. You might have to do this a few times if the area is much darker then the rest of the body.
Lemon and Turmeric
This is a great combination if you want to lighten self-tanner on your face. A common mistake with self-tanning at home is using the same color self-tanner on your face and your body, which leads to your face appearing much darker and making the tan seem unnatural.
Mix 2 tbs of lemon juice and 1 tsp of turmeric powder and spread over the affected areas on the face. Leave this for 20 minutes and wash off thoroughly. Be careful to keep the mixture out of your eyes.
You can also use this premade lemon turmeric scrub.
Lemon and Sugar
This doubles up as a great exfoliator, especially if you are using the lemon to remove your fake tan to have a new one reapplied.
All you need is one tbs of granulated sugar and a couple of drops of lemon juice. Rub this into your skin in circular motions and leave it on your skin for 15 minutes. Use cold water to wash the scrub off. Your skin will be left fresh and rejuvenated.
If you don’t want to make your own, you can try out this lemon sugar facial scrub.
Lemon and Honey
Many of us have heard of honey and lemon to fix the common cold, but it works just as well to fix patchy tans. Honey has great antibacterial properties, which is also a bonus for the skin.
Two tbs of honey and a few drops of lemon juice make the perfect mixture, which should be rubbed into the darker areas and left to sit for 15 minutes. Wash it off with cold water and you will notice the difference straight away.
Using lemon to remove a fake tan is so great, not only do most of us have easy access to lemons if we don’t already have a couple at home, but they are pretty cheap and also pack a punch when it comes to hydrating and rejuvenating the skin.
You don’t have to spend heaps of cash on products which help to remove a tan, you simply need a trusty old lemon and some time to let the lemon work its magic.
Other Ways To Remove Fake Tan
You can never have enough patchy-tan remedies, so to add to the effectiveness of lemon as a fake tan remover, here are some other easy ways to correct a streaky fake tan.
Take a bath – Correcting a fake tan has never been more relaxing. All you have to do is run yourself a nice hot bath, and spend some much deserved time soaking in the warm water.
The water will help dull the fake tan. To make this process even more effective, you can apply olive oil to your skin 15 minutes before getting into the tub.
Swim – This is perfect for summer! Swimming in a chlorinated pool will definitely help to lighten your fake tan. The chlorine and water work together to get your tan to fade quickly.
Exfoliate – Exfoliation is one of the best ways to remove fake tan because, by exfoliating, you will be removing the outer layer of dead skin cells that have been darkened by the fake tan. Use an exfoliating mitt and body scrub in the shower for the best results. Do not scrub too hard, just enough to gently remove all the excess dead skin cells.
Baking soda – Baking soda is another great household ingredient that does wonders when removing fake tan. Create a paste with some baking soda and water to rub on over darker patches, rinse off and repeat.
Baby oil – Slather a thick layer of baby oil onto your skin, and leave it to soak for 30 minutes. Jump into a warm shower or bath and use an exfoliating washcloth to scrub the darker patches and streaks away. Not only will your skin be left lightened and with a more even tan, but it will be silky smooth as well.
Glycolic soap – Glycolic soap stimulates cell turnover, which means the dead skin cells holding your tan will be shed off, leaving a lighter tone behind. It will not instantly correct a bad fake tan, but after a few washes, the skin will have lightened enough to appear patch and streak-free.
With so many ways to lighten your tan at home, using fairly common ingredients, there is no way that the possibility of a patchy tan should scare you away from self-tanning at home. Streaks and patches can be removed easily, and pretty quickly as well. With practice, you will be able to perfect home self-tanning.
Related Questions
How do I quickly remove fake tan?
The quickest and most sure-fire way to remove a fake tan quickly is to exfoliate. Throw some lemon juice into the exfoliation for better results.
Exfoliating removes the outer layer of dead skin, which would have been turned darker from the fake tan. Once these dead skin cells have been removed, you will be left with the lighter skin underneath which was not affected by the fake tan product.
Does coconut oil help to remove a spray tan?
Coconut oil is not entirely effective to remove a spray tan, but it does work really well to hydrate the skin following a spray tan.
Well-nourished and hydrated skin holds a spray tan much better than dry, flaky skin, so using coconut oil after your spray tan will really help your skin feeling cared for and nourished, giving it everything it needs to really help the spray tan glow.
Coconut oil is a great product to incorporate into your beauty regime leading up to a spray tan. The extra moisture given to your skin by the coconut oil will ensure it does not dry out during the spray tan, and that even the driest areas, such as knees, ankles, and elbows, will hold onto the spray tan evenly.
Can I use soap after a spray tan?
Avoid using soap, shampoo, shaving cream or body wash for the first 24 hours after a spray tan. These could interfere and stop the development of the spray tan, which could result in a patchy and streaky tan.
Instead, just jump into the shower and rinse off any residue leftover from the spray tan. Shaving should be avoided, as this could strip the spray tan product from the skin even more.
Lemon Juice – The Perfect Fix
It is so great coming across an ingredient that can quickly sort out a patchy fake tan, and even better so when it costs next to nothing and is probably sitting in your fridge waiting to be used.
Forget lemon drop cocktails, use the trusted lemon to lighten and remove fake tan, helping you to achieve an even, natural-looking, and glowing summer tone.
Not only will your fake tan lighten, but your skin will thank you for the extra kick of moisture it gets from all the great minerals and vitamins found within the simple, yet powerful, lemon.
