Regardless of whether you’re a professional at fake tan or are trying it for the first time, there is always the risk that it might not turn out exactly how you want it to on your hands. Fake tanning your hands is possibly the hardest part of your body to master and is also the hardest to hide. Your hands can end up darker than your body, or you can get yourself into a streaky situation. We’ve all been there! Here’s what to do if fake tan goes wrong on your hands.
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Don’t Panic!
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So you spend Tanning Thursday doing your tan ahead of the weekend, and you wake up on Friday with some pretty patchy hands. Your initial instinct will be to panic but it’s OK babe, this can be resolved!
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Take a Shower
via GIPHY It won’t remove your tanning disaster altogether, but it will help remove excess tan that’s sitting on the surface of your skin. You’ll see lots of the fake tan wash away as soon as you shower leaving you looking a much more natural shade.
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Exfoliate
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Give your hands a good scrub with your favourite exfoliator. We love a coffee scrub! Lather it on and give your hands a good washing. This will remove any dead and dry skin where the fake tan is likely to look darker.
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Try a DIY Lightener
via GIPHY Believe it or not, you’ll have some items lurking in the kitchen which can help. Mix one teaspoon of baking powder with half a teaspoon of water, and two teaspoons of lemon juice until a paste starts to form. Tanning pros advise that you leave it on for three minutes before removing. A little birdy has told us that toothpaste can also be of use if you’re trying to make your hands look lighter.
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Hands Not Dark Enough? Gradual Tan to the Rescue
via GIPHY If you’ve washed your hands after you’ve put your tan on then you might discover that your hands are much lighter than the rest of your body. Adding more of the original tan you were using at this point will only do the opposite and you’ll end up with hands darker than the rest of your body. Instead, we recommend that you apply some gradual tan moisturiser, which offers a more subtle tan and should help even out the different shades.
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Try a Fake Tan Remover
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We’re now lucky enough to now live in a world where fake tan remover exists! Most of our fav tanning brands now offer a remover in their range to help with any little emergencies. It’s also super useful when you’re ready to remove all of your fake tan and start afresh. We’ve also heard that using baby oil works wonders too when removing fake tan. Remember girls, always wear a tanning mitt when applying your fake tan to help prevent any tanning disasters on the hands. Make sure to take a read of our other blog posts,
How To Fake Tan Your Back, and
The Darkest Fake Tans You Can Buy for more fake tanning inspo.