The hunt for a (sun-safe) glow is not without its challenges – after all, no one wants that tell-tale patchiness or an obvious orange hue. So, we asked the experts how to avoid common fake-tan mishaps.
We’ve all been there. You look in the mirror pre-holiday and realise you’d like just a little more colour to complement your summer outfits. Or, perhaps you want to feel a little more confident before a big meeting or a first date. With time being of the essence, you turn to your old bottle of fake tan.
However, after applying your chosen formula, you resemble something close to an orange wotsit – with visible streaks and tangoed hands. Cue the frantic rush to scrub every inch of your body to rid yourself of the evidence, leaving your skin feeling sore, and you swearing to never try it again… until next time.
There is a way to stop the cycle. From expert advice on how to prep your body to avoid uneven colour (especially around your hands, knees and elbows) to the formulas we’ve tried, tested and loved – this is how to fake tan flawlessly before your next holiday.
How to fake tan for beginners
Step one: Moisturise
For the best results, you want to keep your skin moisturised. This avoids flakiness and ensures a smooth tan application. Treat yourself to a head-to-toe application of a buttery body lotion, such as Kiehl’s Creme de Corps or Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Body Cream to help the fake tan glide on seamlessly. Importantly though, you need to do this the day before you tan, as applying a moisturiser right before your self-tanner can cause a barrier that affects how your tan absorbs, leaving it patchy or invisible. If you are pushed for time – for example, fake tanning right before an event – your best (but not perfect) solution is to use a moisture-enriched self-tanner on moisturiser-free skin. Then, next time, leave more time!
Step two: Exfoliate
The biggest cause of patchy fake tan? Dry, rough skin. That’s why the number one rule of fake tan is to exfoliate your body from head-to-toe 48 hours beforehand. This is especially important if your skin tends to lean towards the drier side. Yes, it’s a bit of a hassle – but so worth it for a flawless finish. You can also make the process less of a chore by choosing an indulgent physical scrub that’s actually enjoyable to use. We love Beauty Pie’s Soul Providers Re-Energizing Dry Oil Body Scrub (it will keep your skin hydrated too) and Sol de Janeiro’s Bum Bum Body Scrub. Use circular motions to buff it into your skin, and pay particular attention to stubborn areas of dry skin on the knees, ankles, elbows, and wrists.
Step three: Cleanse
Right before tanning, clean your skin gently to ensure there’s a smooth base for your fake tan to adhere to. The trick is to avoid anything too oily (that may act as a barrier to your tan) while making sure the formula doesn’t strip your skin of moisture. Stick to lightweight moisturising washes such as Aesop’s Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser and Naturium’s The Multi-Vitamin Daily Nutrients Body Wash. This is an even more important step if you haven’t had time to adhere to the 48-hour-before exfoliation rule.
Step four: How to properly tan your hands and feet
Constantly finding that your elbows, knees, wrists and feet tend to go darker than the rest of your body when you fake tan? To stop excess product gathering in these areas and leaving movement creases, you can apply a little bit of lotion to them right before you tan. This creates a barrier that subtly reduces how much your tan will develop in these tricky parts of the body. An area you really shouldn’t miss: between your fingers and toes, other wise its a recipe for ‘wotsit hands’. Aim for a pretty simple (but effective) formula, such as Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion and Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Hydrating Body Lotion.
Step five: How to best apply fake tan
Now you are ready to apply your tan. But, don’t do so without reading the how-to-use instructions for your chosen product. This allows you to use your chosen formula in the best way possible, including information on how many coats to use and the motion that gets you a streak-free finish. In all likelihood, though, you will need a large mitt for the best application, whatever formula you choose. We’d recommend keeping St Tropez’s Dual Sided Tanning Applicator on hand. Equally, remember that it is always better to apply less and build your fake tan up, than apply too much as this is how streaks can form. Slow and steady always wins the race.
How to choose the best fake tan
1. Make sure you have the right shade
There tend to be two schools of thought when it comes to tan: go big and go home – aka apply the darkest shade so you can get super-fast results – or incredibly meek and mild. Really though, a middle ground is best if you want a natural-looking colour. Don’t go straight for the darkest shade possible, as it’s much more likely to look fake, but do choose one that will lift your skin tone enough with one application; if you have to keep applying new layers of very light tan to get the finish you want, you increase the likelihood of it going patchy.
2. Choose a tan that suits your skin type
Another consideration, aside from the colour you want, is what other ingredients are inside a fake tan that can help you get a flawless finish. For dry skin in particular, brands that market moisturising formulas that nourish your skin can help ensure your colour doesn’t go patchy, and there are now warming pigments in some tans to lift and enhance naturally darker skin tones too.
What are the best fake tans for a flawless finish?
Tanning expert James Read has helped leading celebrities perfect their glow for years and his at-home range is brilliant, not least because it feels more like skincare to apply. Case in point this mist, which works as both a toner and tan, helping prep, hydrate and soothe your skin while adding a subtle warming radiance to your complexion.
The fake tan that convinced our previously tanning-averse beauty director to actually give it a try, Isle of Paradise's mousse feels more like applying a hydrating body foam than a fake tanner. Plus, as well as giving you a natural-looking glow-boost, the formula contains colour-correcting actives to make the finish even more flattering for your skin tone.
The top pick of our fashion team, this clear water delivers no mess from the get-on and its spray pump means easy application is guaranteed. It's also really user friendly for someone who is naturally quite pale, giving a really flattering sun-kissed finish.
St Tropez is a classic tanning brand you can totally trust to help you get a flawless tanning result. Best of all, this foaming self tanning is infused with aloe vera, coconut oil and glycerine so it hydrates, nourishes and builds your colour in one easy application. The result is a really natural-looking glow for every occasion.
Being short on time doesn't have to be a recipe for streaks and patchiness with this express tan that develops in just an hour. Lightweight so it is easy to apply, the formula also dries quickly but is boosted with hyaluronic acid, elderflower and cucumber extracts that keeps the finish super smooth.
Proof you don't need to break the bank for a flawless fake tan. For less than £5 you can fake your way to a post summer holiday glow with this really good supercharged tanning lotion. We'd particularly recommend it for first timers or nervous tanners as it helps you gradually build up your colour, while also working like bodycare with a skin-smoothing blend of ceramides, niacinamide and aloe vera.
What to do when fake tan goes wrong
How to get rid of dark patches
If your tan doesn’t look even, or if it has been absorbed by certain areas of the skin more than others, firstly, “don’t panic,” says tanning expert and co-founder of Isle of Paradise, Jules Von Hep. “The key here is gentle exfoliation. Use a scrub or exfoliating mitt to buff away the patchy areas, focusing on the uneven spots such as darkened elbows and knees. Then, mix a small amount of your self-tanner with a moisturiser before applying. This will dilute the tanner’s intensity and give you a more natural look. Remember to blend well and use sparingly.”
How to fix small mistakes
If you are worried about taking off too much tan, especially if the mistakes you make are small, or if you want to use something you might already have in your bathroom cabinet, “use a cotton pad soaked in micellar water to help lift excess pigment without affecting the surrounding tan,” says the beauty expert at Cult Beauty, Trifonia Asmar. Best of all, micellar water is easy to travel with, so you can fix any tanning mishaps when on the go, too.
How to get rid of tan lines
Whether you’ve naturally been caught in the sun while wearing a T-shirt, or want to blend away other tell-tale lines, “you’ll need to gradually blend the lines by applying a self-tanner one shade lighter than your current tan,” says Von Hep. “This will help soften the contrast between your tan lines and untanned skin. Make sure to blend thoroughly and feather the edges for a seamless transition.”
How to stop fake tan from falling into fine lines
Searches for ‘best fake tan for older skin’ are up by 170 per cent, according to search data from Lookfantastic, but it isn’t just which product you choose that can help stop fake tan from gathering in fine lines. Your application is very important too.
“The key is, rather than applying fresh product directly onto areas where lines are more visible, use a mitt with residual tan and gently sweep it across the skin for a sheer wash of colour,” explains the tanning expert Michaella Bolder. “For extra control, apply a lightweight, oil-free moisturiser to these areas first to slightly soften and dilute the tanning effect, creating a more seamless finish.”
Bolder also recommends applying your facial tan strategically, focusing on the points where the sun would naturally hit, such as the cheekbones, forehead, bridge of the nose and temples. This gives your skin some subtle definition, while also avoiding concentrating on areas where fine lines are common.
How to make full tan removal stress-free
If you want to remove your tan completely, it’s time to pause before you just start scrubbing away with reckless abandon. “Removing fake tan properly is just as important as applying it. Rushing the process can lead to dry, irritated skin or patchy results,” says Asmar. “A warm shower, bath, or steam room session helps soften skin and break down stubborn tan residue. For best results, soak for at least 10–15 minutes to allow the tan to lift naturally.”
Then, “I recommend using a glycolic tan remover,” says Von Hep, which is a type of chemical exfoliant to more gently slough away surface skin cells. “For stubborn tan, try adding a cleansing balm on top of the glycolic tan remover and work it off the skin using a face cloth,” Von Hep continues. We recommend gently using Bondi Sand’s Self Tan Eraser, or a quick-fire formula like Rose & Caramel’s 60 Second Tan Remover, paying particular attention to drier areas such as your elbows and knees.
Becki Murray is Citizen Femme’s Beauty and Wellness Director. As one of the only UK journalists to hold a Distinction-grade diploma in cosmetic science, she combines her unique knowledge with an editor’s eye to help you make smarter choices about beauty and wellbeing. Becki also heads up CF’s spa guide so you could say she’s an expert in the science of relaxation too…
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Lead image: YAITTE
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