Oops, you forgot to wash your hands after self-tanning. Your palms have gone orange and your cuticles look dirty. Don’t worry, we can tell you how to get spray tan off hands. There are a number of ways to do it. Let’s begin with the easiest.
How do you get fake tan off your hands?
The most straightforward way to remove unwanted spray tan is to use a product designed for the purpose. There are several on the market from all the major sunless tanning brands.
They are formulated to erase remnants of the old fake tan so that your next tanning session has a perfect finish. And unlike DIY spray tan removal, they aren’t abrasive and don’t dehydrate the skin.
Bondi Sands Self Tan Eraser
The spray tan remover from Bondi Sands is safe for the face and body as it has no bleaching agents or toxic chemicals. It only removes the fake tan and doesn’t affect a natural tan at all.
The formula is advertised to work in only 5 minutes, but we found that this is only true for old fake tans. If you just spray-tanned in the last day or two, leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing. (Those with sensitive skin should do a patch test just in case before applying it over a large area. The product is paraben-free but has an artificial fragrance).
How do you use it? Apply a generous amount to foam to dry skin and rub it in until it’s dry. Then wait the appropriate amount of time before washing with warm water and a washcloth. The fake tan should come right off as this is an exfoliating product.
How does it work? The ingredients dissolve the protein in the top layer of skin so that it comes off more easily. This is effective because self-tanning products use DHA on the surface of the skin. The DHA interacts with the protein to darken the color kind of like an apple slice turns brown when exposed to the air. If that top layer is exfoliated, the color is gone. (Meanwhile, an actual tan cost by sunbathing is deposited deeper under the surface where the pigment, or melanin, lives. It can’t be scrubbed off, but will eventually disappear as layers of skin gradually exfoliate over time).
As you might imagine, this fake tan eraser would get spray tan off your hands within a few minutes. However, some reviewers said that they require two applications if they had spray-tanned recently. Is there anything that works faster? And what you do if you don’t have professional tan remover at home?
How do you remove fake tan instantly?
If 15 minutes seems like too long to get rid of spray tan on your hands, you have other options. For example, do you have glycolic acid at home? Many women have glycolic acid cleanser or exfoliating pads for their faces.
TAN-LUXE Glyco Water
Even though this is a tan removal product, it’s based on glycolic acid and that makes it handy for cleaning spray tan off the hands.
Spray the glyco-water onto dry skin, massage it with circular motions, and leave it for 5 minutes. If you have a shower mitt or loofah, use that to scrub off the fake tan while you rinse with warm water.
This formula is odorless and transparent, made for the face and body. It’s not just for erasing a fake tan as it can also prime skin for a new spray tan.
If you look at the label, you’ll see ingredients like urea (an exfoliant), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), glycolic acid, and lots of moisturizers and antioxidants. Some of these components (besides glycolic acid) can be found at home and used to remove a spray tan, too.
How to get spray tan off hands with baking soda?
Have you ever cleaned something with baking soda when you weren’t wearing gloves? Did you notice that left your skin feeling slippery and smooth? You can use baking soda and warm water to scrub spray tan off your hands.
On the downside, it might dry out the skin, so please apply moisturizer after rinsing. Dry skin isn’t good for fake tans because the color goes patchy.
If you don’t have baking soda but you have whitening toothpaste, chances are it contains sodium bicarbonate and can be used to erase a fake tan, too. In this case, a little toothpaste and an old toothbrush can get spray tan out of the crevices between your fingers and toes and clean the cuticles. But please, be gentle and apply moisturizer right away when you’re done.
How to get spray tan off hands with lemon?
If you only have a little bit of spray tan to remove, you might try using lemon juice. It’s highly acidic and packed with vitamin C. The fruit acid, just like glycolic acid, will dissolve the protein in the epidermis and allow you to exfoliate the stained patches of skin. Then, the vitamin C may brighten the skin tone – at the very least, it delivers a powerful dose of antioxidants.
Massage the juice into the skin and wait a few minutes before gently scrubbing with a washcloth to remove the fake tan. Adding baby oil or olive oil might help release the dead skin and thereby the color.
Be sure to rinse well with warm water and moisturize once you’re satisfied.
How to get fake tan off hands with white vinegar?
Vinegar is like lemon juice in that both are acidic. Although it doesn’t smell as nice, it works about the same as lemons for getting spray tan off the hands. Follow the same steps described above.
Can you use a magic eraser to remove spray tan?
You know those white sponges that don’t require cleanser to leave your sink shiny? The microscopic texture can also exfoliate a spray tan right off your hands. Use warm water and scrub. Stop if it becomes painful or you notice the skin getting red. Plus, apply moisturizer once you’re done.
How to get orange fake tan off your hands?
Although now it’s rare for a fake tan to turn orange, it can happen. The hands, especially the palms, are one of the places on the body that can turn orange after spray tanning. It’s one of the reasons why professional spray techs pre-treat the skin with a solution to balance the pH or apply barrier cream.
Weirdly, washing with a bar of bath soap can make your fake tan turn orange. That’s because bar soap is alkaline or basic with a high pH that alters the chemistry of the spray tan.
Protect yourself against the dreaded orange by using pH-balanced body wash instead.
If your hands have turned orange, take a deep breath and use a spray tan remover like the one below.
St. Tropez Tan Remover Mousse
St. Tropez is one of the top self-tanning brands worldwide. Its at-home sunless tanning products are straightforward to use and provide beautiful, natural-looking color. But if for some reason, your hands have gone orange or you need to remove fake tan from them, St. Tropez also has a spray tan removing mousse.
Not only will it prep the skin before your next spray tan, but it also fixes mistakes. It’s potent enough to erase a fake tan starting on the first day and works even faster on week-old color.
Moreover, it’s mild enough for both the face and body as it’s been tested for sensitive skin. It features purifying and balancing ingredients including probiotics to keep the skin healthy.
What’s the secret? Honestly, we found that it takes more than 5 minutes to remove a new spray tan, and using the tan remover mitt really speeds things up. Still, it performs admirably and doesn’t wreck the skin like some of the at-home solutions we tried.
The formula uses sodium bicarbonate and urea to exfoliate and has lots of moisturizers and soothing ingredients. It’s paraben-free and doesn’t have sulfates, formaldehyde, or formaldehyde-releasers either. Even the bottle is recyclable – just not the pump (yet).
What also works to get spray tan off the hands and body?
If you want to get spray tan off more than just your hands, try soaking in the bath. Use a sugar scrub or an exfoliating mitt. Bath oil helps, too.
Did you know that swimming in a chlorinated pool will also remove a fake tan? The chlorine helps dissolve the color.
Just like when you get dirt or ink embedded in the skin, a little scrubbing will also erase spray tan.
Bronze Tan Self Tanner Remover & Exfoliating Glove by Existing Beauty
Instead of purchasing a pricey exfoliating glove from one of the top self-tanning companies, try this mitt. It’s designed to prep your skin before your next sunless tanning session. Furthermore, it comes with a money-back guarantee.
The texture gently removes dead skin and fake tan residue to leave the surface smooth and ready to bronze. It performs best once you let the skin soak in warm water for a few minutes.
How to prevent unwanted spray tan on your hands
Avoid the problem in the first place by using an applicator mitt when you apply self-tanning product.
If you don’t have a mitt, you can use a latex or rubber glove or even a plastic bag over your hand. Use the glove, bag, or mitt to do the tops of your hands last.
If you don’t have any of these items or you don’t want to use them, how do you keep unwanted fake tan off your hands? Well, the key is to wash them right after applying the product. (1)
We realize that washing your hands is tricky when you don’t want to mess up the spray tan on top of the hand. We suggest using a makeup removing wipe or a damp washcloth to clean the bottom of the hand, in between the fingers, and the tips including the nails. Remember to clean underneath nails and the cuticles, too.
Another trick is to apply barrier cream to your hands and let it absorb before applying fake tan to the rest of your body. Even a simple moisturizer can help prevent the product from sinking into the crevices of your knuckles. (But you’ll still need to wash your hands if you haven’t used a mitt or glove).
Bronze Tan Self Tan Remover Mousse by Existing Beauty
We like this fake tan remover mousse because it’s alcohol and paraben-free. It’s not the nicest-smelling, but it’s also not the most expensive. Furthermore, it comes with a money-back guarantee.
What’s interesting is that the instructions say no exfoliation mitt is required. Apply the mousse and work it into a lather that you rinse off in the shower.
The instructions say it works best on a fake tan that’s at least 2 or 3 days old. It’s also handy for removing streaks and toning down a too-dark color.
Lastly, the formula has certified organic aloe juice and coconut water to keep the skin hydrated.
Conclusion
We hope we helped you find the answers today about how to get spray tan off your hands. The most gentle method is to use a self-tan removal product, but that isn’t your only option.
If you have other questions about tanning or self-tanning, feel free to leave us a comment below.
| The best spray tan removal products | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Bondi Sands Self Tan Eraser |
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| TAN-LUXE Glyco Water |
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| St. Tropez Tan Remover Mousse |
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| Bronze Tan Self Tanner Remover & Exfoliating Glove by Existing Beauty |
|
| Bronze Tan Self Tan Remover Mousse by Existing Beauty |
|
Source:
1. https://uk.sttropeztan.com/blog/how-to-tutorials/how-to-get-fake-tan-off-hands/ How To Get Fake Tan Off Your Hands