How to Remove Self-Tanners From the Body

So you have a date at the beach and your flesh is as white as Melville's Moby Dick. You break out the self-tanner and liberally apply it, waiting for the magic. Instead, what you're left with, to your horror, is an orange body that looks nothing like a bronze, healthy sun-kissed glow. Don't panic. There are ways to remove or at least lessen the effects of self-bronzing products, but you'll have to spend some time in the bathroom to rid yourself of that neon glow.

Things You'll Need

• Baking soda
• Exfoliating body scrub
• Alcohol-free toner or liquid makeup remover
• Cotton balls
• Body hair bleach
• Epsom salts or mineral salts
• Razor

Instructions

1. Take a shower and scrub yourself all over with handfuls of baking soda. Rub your skin in a circular motion. A baking soda scrub down naturally exfoliates your skin, flaking off dead skin cells that have absorbed the self-tanning pigments. If you don't have any baking soda, exfoliating body scrubs will also help slough off dead skin cells saturated with self-tanning pigment.

2. Apply an alcohol-free toner or liquid makeup remover to your face with cotton balls. Gently rub your face and neck in upward, circular motions, paying close attention to creases and under the chin area.

3. Apply a body hair bleach to the bottoms of your feet and to your hands for 10 minutes and then rinse thoroughly. The soles of your feet are often harder and drier and the bleach will penetrate the self-tanning pigment faster.

4. Soak in the bathtub with a cup of Epsom salts or mineral salts added. You may have to take several baths over the course of a few days. Salts help dead skin cells to fall from the skin, and with those cells go the self-tanning color. While you're in the tub, you may want to shave your legs. Shaving also removes dead skin cells safely and effectively.

Tips & Warnings

• Try not to irritate your skin by trying too many products and scrubbing to vigorously. You can only exfoliate so much dead skin cells at a time. Bathing and swimming are the most effective ways to remove self-tanners from your body. It's comforting to know that even if you do nothing at all, most self-tanning products remain on the skin for a few days at most. Even very good sunless tanners stay on the skin for only a week without constant renewal.

• Don't apply body hair bleach to any other areas of your body. The palms and soles of your feet are tougher flesh. Avoid harsh chemicals promising the banishment of self-tanners. The best way to remove sunless tans is by bathing and exfoliating.

References

• Sunless.com: How to Get Sunless Tan Off
• The Beauty Bunny: Removing Self-Tanners