Imagine this: it’s early in the afternoon and you’re about to get a self-tanning session in before a big date tonight. You exfoliate, you put on your self-tanning mousse, and everything seems to be going well. You take off your gloves and you are shocked to find that the product had leaked in through a tear and your hands are covered in tanning splotches. Unfortunately, you ran out of self-tanner removing wipes and hadn’t bothered to restock. Running to the store would take too much time. What do you do next?
Not panic and read on are some things you can do. Here are our best hacks to getting off those nasty splotches by using just items you probably already have lying around the house.
1. Your body scrub is your best friend.
Tried and tested by us, the body scrub is probably the best method there is out there – bonus points for it not damaging your skin too! Take your exfoliating mitt while in the shower (our favourite method), apply an appropriate amount of body scrub, allow to seep and lather, and use with circular motions to slowly scrub those splotches away. Not only do you get rid of dead skin cells, but those pesky streaks too at the same time.
If your hands look pasty compared to the rest of your body, try applying a gradual tanner like the Afterglow Tanning Drops to even out your colour.
2. When life throws you lemons, you use it to remove excess tanners.
Chances are you have a lemon or two sitting somewhere around your kitchen. This method is best use for the smaller accidents like small splashes around your hands and feet. Soak a cotton pad with lemon juice and rub directly on affected areas and the spots should come right off.
If you can’t be bothered, bottled lemon juice from the grocery store works just as well.
3. Wipe it out with some white vinegar.
If you are someone who cooks regularly, a quick rummage of your pantry should produce a bottle of white vinegar. This amazing ingredient – which can be used not just in cooking but in cleaning and in beauty regimens – can help save you from hiding your hands throughout date night.
Just rub a small amount into your self-tanner, wait for around 10 minutes or a bit more, then rinse the area with water.
4. Unbake with some baking soda.
This personally doesn’t work for us quite as well as the others did but you may want to give it a try as well, especially if this is the only one you have in your home. Just mix baking soda with a bit of water and exfoliate away. Go easy on your skin – you don’t want to damage it.
5. Lighten up with some baby oil.
For an overdeveloped tan on a larger skin surface area, we recommend this method. Just rub some baby oil into the areas affected and leave for 10-15 minutes. Then hop into the shower and rinse the oil off. This should help lighten up the area and leave your skin feeling hydrated.
6. Rub with some baby wipes.
This one needs a bit of trial and error as not all baby wipes are created equal. But once you find one that works, this will be a lot more convenient and pleasant smelling than lemon or vinegar. Use the baby wipes on small areas only, being careful not to rub too hard to protect your skin.
7. Last resort: rubbing alcohol or acetone.
These are definitely not our top picks for trying to get self-tanners out but when left with no choice, these can help you last minute. Using a cotton pad, apply these to the affected areas, wait for a minute or two and rinse off. Don’t leave them on for too long as they may be damaging to your skin. Make sure to cover up the harsh smell too!
8. Pop that toothpaste tube.
If you have whitening toothpaste around the house, this may work – but use with caution as well. Apply to the splotched up areas, let it sit for a bit, and rinse right away.
Let us know which ones worked for you!