Getting Rid of a Fake Tan Easily

When you don't have access to a tanning salon or tanning bulbs, sometimes the best option for getting a golden glow is sunless tanning lotion. Sunless tanners come with inherent issues though. If you aren’t careful you can turn more orange than tan and sunless tanners are known to streak. Should you find yourself with a bad sunless tan, fear not however, as there are some simple ways to getting yourself looking good once more with minimal effort!

1. Remove a poorly applied self tanner is to exfoliate your skin. The exfoliation process is one in which you remove the dead skin cells. Since your top layer of skin is the one that was affected by the sunless tanner application, you can remove much of the lotion along with the dead skin. Look for something that will give you a good, deep exfoliation - a nylon puff won't do in this case!
2. Make certain you follow up with a moisturizer to prevent your skin from drying out.
3. Shaving will also help remove some of the tanning lotion. Scraping the razor across your skin removes that top layer of skin and some of the tanning lotion.
4. Spend some time soaking in a hot soapy bathtub. Sure you can take a shower, but soaking in a tub of hot water eats away at the self tanning lotion. If you follow the soak up with a round of exfoliating, you can more easily remove the tanning lotion. 
5. Mineral oil wreaks havoc on self tanning lotion as it breaks down the colors in the lotion and quickly fades it out. Put the mineral oil on a clean washcloth, rub it in and then use your loofah or nylon scrubber to remove it.
6. Fresh lemon will also fade the dyes from a self tanner and help it go away more quickly. You can use lemon by simply rubbing it right onto the affected area. Because lemon has a natural bleaching agent, it will break down the tanning lotion and get your skin tanner free. 
7. Pick up a self-tanning lotion remover from your local department store. These are lotions specifically made to remove the incorrectly applied tanner.

How to Clean Tanning Bulbs

Owning a tanning bed means you will have to set aside time to remove the acrylics and bulbs occasionally to clean them of dirt and dust and dead skin cells. Whether you have a tanning salon or a tanning bed at home, it should be a monthly task that you set aside time for to remove the acrylics and the bulbs and clean it all thoroughly. If dust builds up you won’t tan as quickly or as evenly as you did before they got dirty. While it may seem that because you’re not tanning as quickly you might need to replace the bulbs, that is a mistaken belief. Many times as they might just need a thorough cleaning!

Tanning bulbs gather dead skin, dirt and dust and it accumulates on the tanning bulb and doesn’t allow for the UV rays to get through and causes your tan to take longer to build up and could also tan you unevenly. Take time on a monthly basis to clean off the bulbs. It will take an hour or so and you may want to recruit some help but it will help extend the life of your bulbs.

The first step in cleaning the bulbs is to remove the clear acrylic panels and set them aside. Read the instructions that came with your bed to find how to properly remove the panels. Lay down a clean sheet and then remove the tanning bulbs and lay them on the sheet. Never stand the bulbs on end as they can easily break.

Caution should be used at all times when handling the bulbs because you don’t want to break the filaments or the bulbs themselves.  Wrap the bulbs in a clean, dry cloth and pull the cloth from top to bottom of the bulb to gently remove all of the dust. After you’ve cleaned the bulb, set it aside onto a clean sheet so it doesn’t pick up the dust from the sheet. Using a clean cloth for each bulb should be the plan so you don’t transfer any dust from one bulb to another.

Replace the bulbs gently back into the bed with the second person helping you ease them back into the bed without bumping into another bulb or the edge of the bed itself. Once all of the bulbs have been replaced, place the thoroughly cleaned acrylic panels back into the tanning bed and you should be ready to go. 

Preparing for a the Tanning Salon Visit

Making your first trip to a tanning salon? Don't make the usual rookie mistakes! There are a few things you can do to get yourself and your skin ready for a session under the tanning bulbs and on your way toward a sun-kissed tan. The time you spend preparing for your trip to the salon will enhance the tan you receive afterwards. So do it right and reap the rewards.

First, if you’re on any antibiotics or other drugs, know they can negatively affect your skin and cause photosensitivity, regardless of the limited amount of time spent under the tanning bulbs. Check with your doctor before you head to a tanning to see if any medicine you’re on can cause side effects when exposed to UV rays.

Make certain your skin is prepared to fully benefit from the tanning bulbs. The way to do this is to have spent some time – days or even weeks if you have time – moisturizing your skin.

Also, exfoliate the day before you tan to get rid of all of the dead skin cells. You can use exfoliating creams and/or bath puffs to scrape off the dead skin cells. Make certain your exfoliation process is a gentle one though as you don’t want your skin to be raw or irritated. In truth, you should be moisturizing daily and exfoliating at least every other day as these processes keep your skin healthy and smooth year round.

You should definitely make sure you’re using a moisturizer the day of your tanning salon visit. Make certain the lotion doesn’t contain any sunscreen and the day of your visit you will want to avoid any kind of astringents or any products that contain alcohol (these will dry out your skin and make it harder to tan properly).

When you go the tanning salon, ask the person who works there how many sessions they think you will need to achieve the level of tan you want. You will want to space out your visits so that you get your tan gradually. If you’re planning to go on a vacation, it’s best to start your tanning sessions at least a month prior to the trip. For individuals with hard-to-tan skin, you may want to look at beginning your tanning two months prior to your vacation.

Time spent in a tanning salon can lead to a nice even tan – the kind you rarely get from lounging on a raft poolside. Having a base tan can also prevent you from getting a burn while on your vacation. So consider time under the tanning bulbs one more to-do item before that vacation, or simply give yourself that boost that comes with knowing your skin is glowing and golden.