How To Remove Fake Tan: Your Back To Basics Guide

Need to remove your fake tan fast? Here's how to sort out those dreaded orange hands or bronze streaks, pronto...

Updated on30th June 2023 at 4.25pm

Fake tan is the ultimate pick-me-up product that can achieve a healthy, sun-kissed glow all year round - which is why so many of us love it. But get it wrong and you can wake up to unwanted patches, those tell-tale orange hands or even worse – multi-tonal streaks. That’s why we’ve spoken to tan guru and founder of Isle of Paradise, Jules Von Hep to get the best tips and tricks on how to effectively remove fake tan…

How to remove fake tan quickly

If it’s gone terribly wrong and you need to get rid of your tan straight away, opt for Isle of Paradise Over It Magic Self-Tan Remover, £17.95. ‘Spray it all over your skin, then massage into a lather and leave for 5 minutes,’ recommends Jules Von Hep. Next step? ‘Keep returning to the skin and re-massaging every minute, paying special attention to those areas that are slightly dryer,’ - so elbows, knees, in-between the thighs and armpits. Once the exfoliating glycolic acid has worked its magic, rinse it off in the shower. ‘For the face, I love spraying a sheet mask with Over It, £10.77, too,' says Von Hep, this way you get the hydrating benefits of the mask whilst stripping the orange tan. A win-win.

How to remove fake tan from hands and feet

The most obvious signs that you’ve been hitting the bottle have to be orange patchy hands and streaky feet. We’ve all been there, but Jules Von Hep explains it is all in the prep – ‘the trick here is to ensure you moisturise the hands and feet PRIOR to tan application, that way there will be no tan-over.’ For those of us not in the know, tan-over is Von Hep’s term for that moment where you wake up and realise you’ve messed up your tan. ‘Remember immediately after you have applied to wipe your palms, in-between your fingers and buff your knuckles on a dry towel to remove excess.'

If the damage is done and the Wotsits fingers are on full glow, try an exfoliating product. Jules Von Hep recommends ‘a lactic acid on the surface of your hands followed by an exfoliating make-up wipe like Simple's Kind To Skin Exfoliating Facial Wipes, £3.49.' This won’t completely strip the tan off but will help it to fade rapidly.

How to remove fake tan before applying more

If, like us, you’re a regular fake-tanner and can’t go a day without it – that’s okay. You don’t have to remove fake tan after every single application. ‘I recommend tanning back to back for two weeks,’ states Von Hep, ‘then take a week’s break and use the removal tips in between.' This will maintain the golden glow whilst preventing too much product build up. And for face? ‘I tan my face every third day as the face fades faster due to our muscle movement and skincare routine.'

How to remove fake tan gradually

The best way to remove fake tan, according to Jules Von Hep, is to tease it off the skin over the course of 3 days. ‘Simply mix a spoon full of sugar in with your body wash, and each time you wash a light layer of tan will come off,' suggests Von Hep. This way the tan will gradually fade for a more even natural finish.

How to remove fake tan with lemon and lime juice

'Mix a small amount of lemon and lime juice with baking soda, mix and then pour over a hand sponge. Put in the microwave for 2 minutes, leave to cool for a few seconds then rub over your skin. Do this over a 48 hour period before tanning.'

How to remove fake tan using toothpaste

How to remove stubborn build up

'To remove stubborn tan build up – take an exfoliating wipe, soak it in a facial oil and rub away the tan. Oil breaks down the composition of the tan, so it great addition to a bath when you want to soak your tan off.'