How to Remove Sunless Tanner from Skin

Last Updated: March 12, 2023 References Approved

Self-tanners allow would-be sun bunnies to become golden brown without exposing themselves to the dangers of the sun. But applying self-tanner can be tricky and, in some cases, a streaky or orange mess. As a result, you may need to remove the self tanner or smooth out the streaks. But by using some simple products you have at home, you can easily remove all of your sunless tanner or smooth out streaks.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Taking Off Self-Tanner

1
Apply baby oil. In most cases, moisture will help you retain your sunless color. However, baby oil has the opposite effect and will loosen the skin cells pigmented with sunless tanner. Using a baby oil treatment can tone down or completely remove self-tanner without harming your skin.
- Soak your skin in baby oil and leave it on for ten minutes. Then hop in the shower and gently scrub your skin with a loofah to remove the color. Repeat the process if necessary.^{[1]
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2
Put on exfoliator mitts and lemon juice. Exfoliation is one of the most effective ways to remove and smooth sunless tanner. By pairing exfoliation mitts with the acidity of lemon juice, you can break up and lift off the color from your skin.
- Spread lemon juice on the part(s) of your body where you want to remove sunless tanner with a cotton pad or ball. After you’ve finished this, put on your exfoliator mitts and hop in the shower. Rub the lemon juice into your skin with the mitts and then rinse it off with warm water. Repeat the process if necessary to remove any remaining color.^{[2]
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3
Blend baking soda and lemon juice. You can also lighten sunless tanner on your skin without using harsh bleaching agents. A paste of lemon juice and baking soda can lighten up and exfoliate sunless tanner from your skin.
- Mix lemon juice and baking soda in a bowl until they form a paste. If you’re using this mixture to remove sunless tanner from your entire body, make sure you mix a larger amount. Lightly rub the paste over the spots from which you want to remove the sunless tanner. Rinse off with warm water and repeat if necessary.^{[3]
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- Make a paste of baking soda and water if lemon juice is too harsh for your skin.
4
Apply white vinegar. Vinegar is a multipurpose product that can exfoliate and lift sunless tanner from skin. Apply it for ten minutes to areas of your skin on which you want to remove color. When the ten minutes are over, rinse the area with warm water and check that you’ve removed the amount of color you want.^{[4]
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- Be aware that your skin may smell like vinegar after using this treatment. Making sure to rinse thoroughly can minimize this odor.
5
Use a sunless tanner removal product. Many companies that make self-tanners also produce removal products. If your tan hasn’t fully developed, try one of these products to stop the development and remove the self-tanner.^{[5]
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- Get a removal product at pharmacies, large retailers and specialty cosmetics stores. Read the packaging to ensure that the product will work on the type of self-tanner you used. You can get products to remove the sunless tanner within four hours of application or after it has fully developed.
- Apply the remover with a loofah, washcloth, or exfoliating wipe to your entire body or specific areas. After this take a shower and rinse with warm water. Check your skin to see if you’ve removed the sunless tanner. If not, consider repeating the process.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Smoothing Patchy Areas

1
Use an exfoliating wipe. Certain areas of skin such as your elbows, hands, knees, and ankles soak up more self-tanner than others. You may need to tone down or smooth out the color and a simple exfoliating wipe can do this without completely removing the color.^{[6]
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- Get exfoliating wipes at any pharmacy, large retailer, or specialty cosmetics store. You may want to choose one for sensitive skin so that you don’t rub your skin raw.
- Rub the area on which you want to smooth in a gentle motion. This can help ensure that you don’t harm your skin or remove too much of the self-tanner. Check the area occasionally to make sure that you’re not rubbing off too much self-tanner.
- Consider trying baby wipes, too. Although not all of them work for sunless tanner, some do and have a pleasant scent, too.^{[7]
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2
Rub on a sugar-based exfoliator. Streaks of sunless tanner can develop when you don’t apply enough product or miss a spot during application. Using a sugar-based exfoliator can gently even out the color of your skin.^{[8]
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- Find a sugar-based exfoliator by reading package labels. Sugar is a common product in many exfoliators and you may notice that it has a gritty texture. You can get these products at many large retailers, pharmacies, and cosmetics stores.
- Apply a generous amount of the product to your skin and lightly rub it to remove the sunless tanner. After 30 seconds to a minute, rinse off the exfoliator with warm water and check to see if the color is even. If not, repeat the application until you reach the desired color.
3
Massage with a cut lemon. Lemon is a natural exfoliator and can lighten your skin, too. If you have a few streaks or spots you want to remove, cut a lemon and gently massage it on your skin.^{[9]
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- Rub the spot for two to three minutes. Check the spot and see if your streak is lighter. If not, repeat the process until the streak is the same color as the surrounding skin.
4
Try acetone. It may sound unusual to use acetone, which is nail polish remover, to smooth out self-tanner streaks. But applying a bit to the streaks you want to smooth out can quickly and effectively hide any mistakes and streaks.^{[10]
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- Make sure to get an acetone polish remover by reading the packaging label. Non-acetone polishes may not smooth or remove self-tanner streaks. You can easily get acetone polishes at pharmacies, large retailers, and specialty cosmetics stores.
- Soak a cotton ball or pad with acetone and rub it into the area you want to smooth. Check every few seconds to see if the spot is smoothed. If not, continue to rub the area with acetone until you smooth out the streak.
- Be aware that acetone can cause serious harm if you ingest it by drinking. It is safe to use on your skin, but rinse off acetone if it burns your skin or causes any discomfort.^{[11]
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5
Apply a hair remover cream. Depilatory, or hair-removal, creams may also seem like an unusual way to smooth out streaks, but it also can gently take down the color of mistakes. Applying a hair remover cream for half the recommended time may quickly and gently remove color to smooth out streaks.^{[12]
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- Dab a small about of hair remover cream onto a cotton swamp. Gently apply this to the streak and leave it on for half of the application recommended time. Rinse off the product with warm water and check the color. If necessary, repeat the process until the streak matches the surrounding skin.
- Avoid leaving the hair remover on for the whole application time suggested on the packaging. This can completely remove the tanner and cause a white streak.
6
Dab on whitening toothpaste. Hands and fingers are one of the areas most prone to getting streaks of sunless tanner. Applying a dab of whitening toothpaste to them has the same effect as it does on your teeth—it lifts stains. Try rubbing a thin layer of whitening toothpaste to any areas on which you want to smooth out the color. Consider trying a whitening toothpaste that also has baking soda and peroxide, which may help to boost the effect of the product.^{[13]
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7
Moisturize your skin. Streaks or splotches are often the result of dry skin patches. This is especially true on areas such as the hands, elbows, feet, and ankles. You can easily remedy this by using moisturizer to your benefit with an exfoliator.
- Exfoliate the areas you want to lighten or smooth out. Check the spot after a minute to see how much of the sunless tanner you’ve removed. When you think you’ve blended out the streak, moisturize the spot.
- Prevent these types of streaks and splotches by moisturizing your hands, feet, ankles, and elbows before you apply sunless tanner. This can keep the areas from absorbing too much product.^{[14]
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Community Q&A

Question

How do I whiten my teeth overnight?

Community Answer

Use a whitening toothpaste and Crest 3D White Strips. Don't forget to floss.
Question

I'm looking for a powder to help remove the residue of the self-tanning after the drying process. Where should I look?

Waffels14

Community Answer

You can find it at any beauty supply store, or possibly a lotion store such as Bath and Body Works or Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

Warnings

Avoid getting any removal product or mixture near your eyes. If anything does get in your eyes, rinse them thoroughly with water for 10 to 15 minutes.

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