It's the classic scenario - you've applied your fake tan and you think you've done a bang up job only for it to dry and realise you've got dodgy brown marks on your elbows, knees, palms and ankles... well, everywhere, that immediately give away the less than natural origin of your faux glow.
The question is - how do you remove fake tan and those tell tale tan marks that make it a lot less easy to convince co-workers that you definitely did go to Bali for two weeks and you definitely didn't just sit at home watching the entire series of Normal People?
We caught up with pro faux tanners James Harknett and James Read to let you in on how to remove the fake tan and ensure your all over bronzed glow is totally believable.
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How To Avoid Fake Tan Marks In The First Place
'Exfoliate the day before your tan and only use a body moisturiser that is oil free', says James Harknett, 'Shaving should be taken care of 24 hours before a self tan application or spray tan. This gives the pores time to seal over and avoids any guide colour sitting in the pores.'
Before you start, moisturise your elbows, wrists, hands, knees, ankles and feet, 'Just enough to create a slight barrier on the areas of your skin that are prone to dryness and absorbing too much colour,' says James.
If you're a self tanning novice, James advises to just start with your legs and use a product with a guide colour so you can avoid piling the tan on giveaway areas like your elbows and ankles.
And don't forget your ears! 'Blend whatever product you have left on your hands or application mitt over your ears.' Because tell tale pale patches are just as bad as the tan marks, people.
ELLE Top Tip: Use a mitt! Never underestimate how much fake tan really wants tostick to your palms.
The 11 Best Fake Tans For A Head-To-Toe Glow
Tan-Luxe The Gradual Tan Lotion
If you've seen this cropping up on your feed, that's because it really is as good as the TikTokers say. Unlike the gradual tans of old (too streaky; not glow-y enough), this next-gen formula by Tan-Luxe is lightweight, failsafe when it comes to application and develops in just one hour. If you consider yourself to be somewhat of a lazy self-tanner, this is your best bet.
Isle of Paradise Medium Self-Tanning Oil Mist
By now you're probably familiar with Isle Of Paradise's brilliant body-positive, colour-coded fake tan family. One of the latest innovations joining Jules Von Hep's tanning line-up is this high-tech oil mist: it's nourishing, fast-absorbing and enriched with a hydrating powerhouse of hyaluronic acid, glycerin and squalane.
Clarins Self-Tanning Tinted Gel
If you're looking for an instant glow boost, this is it. Particularly formulated for those with oilier or combination skin types, this gel-like texture adds an immediate gleam that's not too shimmery nor too matte and dries within seconds without leaving dreaded patches.
Aussie-born brand Loving Tan is the name on everyone's lips right now, and it's easy to see why. Inspired by the results of a professional spray tan, this impressive mousse could easily be mistaken as the work of a pro. There's also impressive staying power and a 'colour guide technology' which make it well worth the investment.
There's a reason - or reasons - why this formula keeps selling out. For starters, you can find all your beloved skincare ingredients in the bottle, from niacinamide to hyaluronic acid and vitamin E. Then there's the high-tech lotion-to-mousse formula which, if you're notoriously impatient like us, is a game-changer as it dries almost instantly.
Sisley Paris Self Tanning Hydrating Body Skin Care
This velvety cream is formulated with skin-nourishing ingredients including sesame extract and macadamia oil and delivers a luminous tan that begins to develop after just two hours, leaving you just enough time to get started on your hair and make-up before a night out.
Dior Solar The Self-Tanning Gel
If you're in the market for a high-fashion tan that wouldn't look out of place backstage at PFW, Dior's self-tanning water is for you. The super-fine mist diffuses evenly for a non-streaky application, ensuring a result that's more weekend in St. Tropez than summer season on Ibiza.
There are plenty of facial tanning drops on the market now, but this is the bottle that started the stampede, and it still hasn't been matched.
The silky formula inside is a skin hydrator first and a fake tanner second: what you get is essentially a hyaluronic-acid serum that happens to bronze your complexion as it plumps and smooths.
Apply it every day until you've reached your desired level of glow, then pare back to bi-weekly top-ups.
It's not new, buzzy or famous on social media, but sometimes the old classics just can't be beaten. Garnier's gradual fake tan is the gradual fake tan: it's lightweight, moisturises properly, and smells genuinely pleasant. For a light but buildable everyday bronze, stop the search here.
Ignore all the 'purity' spiel on the front of this one: you're not here for the vitamins it purportedly contains. You're here because this watery mist applies evenly, dries without stickiness, and develops over the course of a day into a beautifully believable glow. For anyone after a beginners bronze, this is your best choice.
There are plenty of buzzy new tanning formulas out there, but many don't stand up to their promises. Bondi Sands' unique 'foaming water', however, delivers the glowiest, most believable tan after one quick application.
There's a bit of a knack to getting the best results: use a mitt, and be quick to blend the product, as it dries quicker than most. But trust us: you'll be left with the most even, radiant tan that never turns orangey and fades on its own accord without those dreaded scaly patches.
How To Remove Fake Tan
If you need to remove those fake tan marks quick sharp then follow James Read's secret top tips for DIY tan removal:
'Mix lemon/lime juice with some baking soda, warm a mitt/flannel pour over mixture, then rub over the body. Mixing olive oil with sugar, then rubbing on the skin can help to break down your tan as well.'
How To Remove Fake Tan From Your Hands
'Aside from tan removal products, everyday products you have around the house work perfectly well too,' advises Read. 'Toothpaste is great to remove unwanted fake tan, as well as white vinegar.'
How To Remove Fake Tan From Your Face
'Using a P50 product or retinol product every 3 days during tanning helps your tan fade evenly,' explains Read. 'That way you can be tanned all the time without having a pale moment.'
How To Remove Fake Tan From Your Feet
Get those feet in some hot water and start scrubbing. A pumice stone with a good body scrub are a winning combination for removing that tan.
How To Remove Fake Tan From Everywhere Else
1. Take a bath ASAP
Run a hot bath with bath oil and soak. The oil and hot water will help break down the fake tan and remove any dodgy marks. The only downside is you have to be committed to getting rid of the entire fake tan, not just the bad bits.
Really freaking out? Up the ante by moisturising with a body oil first, then hop in the bath.
2. If you do shower...
Use a shower gel with sulphates in as these will help strip the colour away and exfoliate with a body scrub like there's no tomorrow.
3. Towel dry
To maintain a fake tan, James advises you pat yourself down lightly with a towel post-shower. Which means to remove a fake tan you want to do the opposite and give yourself a good all over body buff.
4. Moisturise the hell out of any patchy areas
Using a moisturiser with AHAs, vitamin A or retinol will help increase skin cell turnover and in turn encourage your fake tan to break up.
5. If all else fails, go swimming
Chlorinated swimming pools and hot tubs are renowned for their tan stripping abilities. And it's fun too.
The Best Facial Cleansing Brushes And Tools
George Driver was the former Senior Beauty Editor - Digital at ELLE UK.
