How to remove stubborn fake tan: Top tips and best products to use

From exfoliating mits to foam erasers, here’s everything you need to know about fake tan removal

Your new layer of fake tan should be applied on freshly-exfoliated skin for best results (iStock/The Independent )

With summer just around the corner, it’s time to start replicating that holiday glow at home by applying some fake tan.

But achieving a natural-looking fake tan isn’t solely dependent on the formula you use, or even the evenness of your application – it’s all about prepping your skin. This key step is even more important if you’ve got an old layer of tan on, with product build-up resulting in dry patches and dreaded so-called tiger bread skin.

If you want that fresh-from-the-beach bronzed look, your new layer of fake tan should be applied on a freshly-exfoliated and cleansed base, just like you would prime your face before applying make-up.

While some choose to remove their old tan by scrubbing with an exfoliating mitt or brush in the shower, others prefer to take the hard graft out of buffing away your tan by using removal cream, gels or foams.

Whether you’re a seasoned self-tanner looking to brush up on your technique or you’re trying it for the very first time, here’s everything you need to know about fake tan removal – plus the best products to buy.

How to remove fake tan

If you’re removing fake tan more than a week after application, any decent exfoliating mitt, brush or glove should do the trick. Equally, an exfoliating body wash can help with removal of your old tan in the shower.

But sometimes a good old scrub in the shower just doesn’t cut it. If you’re tackling a stubborn fake tan or attempting to remove it a few days after initial application, then removal products can give you just the right amount of oomph.

These innovative formulas work to lift the product off your skin ahead of showering, coming in mousse, scrub or liquid form. The best formulas contain gentle exfoliants like glycolic acid that effectively melt away your tan. Most should be applied over your old tan and left on anywhere between five and 10 minutes, before rinsing off with water.

How to remove fake tan from hands

Patchy hands can give away a bad fake tan job immediately. For particularly stubborn tan stains, try an exfoliating mitt or loofah and scrub with the help of a self tan eraser. If you’ve only just applied the fake tan, make sure to wipe rather than scrub as this is more effective in removing fresh tan.

Best fake tan removers

A reliable exfoliating mit is one of the most trusty items in your tanning arsenal. In our round-up of the best, So Eco’s 2-1 exfoliating glove (£4.80, Amazon.co.uk) was described as the best all-rounder. “Getting its 2-1 name from having a coarse side for exfoliation and a soft, gentle surface for cleansing, it feels more like a luxurious process than a must-do task,” our tester said.

In our review of the best fake tan removers, Skinny Tan’s eraser (£6.69, Lookfantastic.com) secured the top spot. “While the scrub texture feels just like other body scrubs at first, the formula contains a combination of manual and chemical exfoliants (pumice and salicylic acid) that help buff away tan, as well as moisturising ingredients (glycerin and urea) that work to soften and smoothe skin,” our tester said. Simply rub the jelly-like product onto dry skin and leave for five-minutes before rinsing off in the shower.

(Skinny Tan )

Bondi Sands’ self tan eraser (£11.72, Amazon.co.uk) also impressed our reviewer. “Boasting the same foam consistency as its fake tan products, apply the product liberally on your skin and leave for five minutes before showering,” they said. “We found it yielded the best results when left on for 10 minutes and while stubborn areas like knees, elbows and inner thighs required more attention, most of our tan was lifted away when rubbing off the product with an exfoliating mitt in the shower.”

(Tan-Luxe )

Tan Luxe’s products impress us time after time, so it’s no surprise the brand’s self tan water eraser (£24, Lookfantastic.com) also earned a spot in our round-up. “The liquid eraser is applied by spritzing directly on the target area, before rubbing in circular motions, leaving on for five minutes and wiping or rinsing clean,” our tester said. “Compared to full-body removal, we found this was most effective for removing streaky or patchy areas of tan – particularly on our hands – after initial application, without any need to jump in the shower.”

Looking for more recommendations? We’ve rounded up the best fake tans for 2024