There is sun kissed and then there is bronzed beyond recognition. With all of the health concerns that come with sunbathing, many people have turned to spray tans and bottled bronzers to illuminate their skin. However, imperfections arise, such as streaks and other cosmetic blunders. To correct a bad tan, consider using home remedies for self tanning.
Self Tanning Home Remedies
One of the advantages of a self tan is to lessen your contact with harmful sun rays, prevent sunburn, and the good thing is – if you mess up, most mistakes start to fade within a few days. But sometimes, you go overboard and look too orange or suffer streaks and discoloration. If you’d like to speed up the process and ensure an even tan, the following home remedies for self tanning may help:
Exfoliation
Before applying a self tanner, take a shower and exfoliate, which promotes a more even distribution of product.
Gloves
Avoid discoloration of your hands when applying self tanning products by wearing gloves.
Lemon
To lighten up the results of a self tanner, apply lemon juice to your body. You can also rub your hands with a small slice of lemon to remove tanning lotion stains.
Vodka
To lessen the appearance of a bad tan, start rubbing vodka into your skin.
Baking Soda
Add a small amount of baking soda to a moistened washcloth, and rub across self tanning splotches. Not only will the baking soda bring a bleaching effect, but it also exfoliates the skin.
Hydrogen Peroxide
When too much tanner has gotten under your fingernails, hands, feet and toenails, apply hydrogen peroxide to affected areas to encourage the color to fade.
Go Easy on Knees
When applying self tanners to your knees and elbows, do not overdo it. These areas have a tendency to soak up the product – sometimes leaving behind a ‘dirty look’ rather than sun tanned.
Circular Motions
Applying a self tanner using a circular motion can help avoid streaks. Moving up and down the skin often leads to streaking.
Coffee
If you’re looking for a natural self tanner that also hides the appearance of cellulite, consider mixing one cup used coffee grounds (warm) and two tablespoons of olive oil. Apply the remedy to your legs, arms, face, and wherever you’d like color. Leave on for 15 minutes before washing off.
Pumice Stone
Sunless tanning lotions affect the top layer of your skin, so removing dead skin cells will cause the effects to fade away. Gently rub a pumice stone on your palms to eliminate tanning lotion residue.
Loofah
Gently rub your hands and skin where you wish to remove sunless tanning lotion.
Washcloth
Use a moistened washcloth to scrub the orangey residue left behind after self tanning with lotions.
Sugar or Salt
The abrasive nature of sugar or salt granules can help remove tanning lotion stains on your hands. Simply moisten your hands and rub with the sugar/salt.
Cocoa Powder
To make a homemade self tanner for the face and body, try mixing ¼ cup of cocoa powder (like Hershey’s baking cocoa) with your favorite white lotion. Spread an even layer of the concoction on your skin. Rinse off after 15 minutes to see non-orange results.
Tea
Darken your skin naturally by pouring ¾ cup of boiling water over three teabags. Allow the tea to steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the teabags and put ¼ cup of the tea into a blender. Add ¼ cup lanolin and ¼ cup sesame oil. Blend all of the ingredients on slow speed – making sure to slowly add the rest of the tea. Sparingly apply this homemade remedy for self tanning to your skin.
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