To take a spray tan off early, use a dedicated tan remover and exfoliate. Seana’s recommendation is Rose & Caramel Purity Excel 60 Second Self Tan Remover, which is on her Amazon list, paired with an exfoliating mitt.
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Why it works
Every spray tan, original or rapid and whatever the brand, is built on the same active ingredient: DHA. It reacts with the very top layer of your skin to produce the color. It does not go any deeper than that.
That is the whole secret. The tan is not in you; it is in a layer of skin your body is already replacing. Remove that layer and the tan is gone with it. It is also why exfoliants, bar soap and hot baths are on the list of things to avoid when you want a tan to last: they do exactly this, just slower and less evenly.
How to do it
- Apply the remover as directed and give it its working time. The Rose & Caramel product is designed to work in about a minute.
- Exfoliate, with a mitt, in the shower. Warm water, steady circular pressure, and work in sections so nothing is missed.
- Rinse and check. Stubborn areas (knuckles, elbows, knees, ankles, the backs of the hands) are where color built up during the tan, and they may want a second pass.
- Moisturize. You have just removed the top layer of your skin on purpose; put some hydration back.
When you would do this
- The tan has faded unevenly and you would rather start clean than patch it, which usually traces back to aftercare rather than the application
- You are getting a new spray tan and want a completely fresh base, because removing the old color before the new appointment is far better than spraying over it
- Something went wrong: a rinse that happened too early or too late, a solution that was wrong for your undertone elsewhere, a color you simply do not like
The better fix for next time
If the reason you are removing a tan is that it came out wrong, the fix is almost always upstream: the solution was not matched to your undertone, or the prep was not there. Both are the entire point of the Sunless Method: your tone, undertone and depth decide the solution before anything is sprayed, and you leave with your rinse window written down.
Questions? Text 615-428-0746.