People generally want to tan their skin because it’s cool, and the most popular way to tan is to sit under the sun for some minutes or hours. Unfortunately, suntanning comes with some challenges. The sun scorches and may burn your skin on a very sunny day.
In addition, the sun’s ultraviolet rays can be harmful to the skin. It damages the skin gradually. In fact, sun tanning has been mentioned as one of the causes of skin cancer. That’s why a better alternative emerged. A self-tanner is a spray, lotion, or cream that can be applied to your skin to give it a tanned look.
However, it has a problem too. After using a self-tanner several times, it will stain your hand permanently.
How Can I Remove A Self-Tanner From My Hands?
- Using baking soda
- Using shaving cream
- With toothpaste
- With lemon juice
- With the use of facial bleach
- Using coconut oil or olive oil
- With the use of white vinegar
- Using nail polish remover
But before explaining how to remove self-tanner from your hands, we discussed how to avoid getting your Hands stained by a self-tanner and the advantages of using self-tanners over suntanning.
How to Avoid Getting Your Hands Stained by a Self-tanner?
As you already know, prevention is always cheaper, smarter, and better than cure. Instead of thinking about how to remove self-tanner from your hand, it is better to prevent it from staining your hands. Here are a couple of preventive measures.
1. Apply Moisturizers On Your Hands
Before you use a self-tanner, it is a good idea to apply a moisturizer to your hands first. This will prevent the tanner from having direct contact with your hands. Once you wash the moisturizer away, the tanner that may have settled on your hands will be washed away with it.
Furthermore, you need to keep your skin moisturized all the time because self-tanners settle down better on a dry skin surface. Besides, dry skin is a strong foundation for all kinds of skin diseases.
2. Wash Your Hands After Applying Tanner
Wash the self-tanner off hands with soap immediately after applying the tanner. It is always easier to wash off tanner before it settles down. The longer it stays on your hand, the more difficult it will be to remove. So, always wash it off your hands immediately after applying it.
3. Wear Gloves
Another great idea is to wear a pair of gloves before using your self-tanner. This prevents it from having direct contact with your hands. This way, you’ll never have the funny orange color stain on your hands. In fact, you can dedicate a particular pair of gloves exclusively to the use of self-tanners.
5 Advantages of Using a Self-tanner:
1. No Harmful Ultraviolet Rays
When you apply a self-tanner on your skin instead of sitting under the sun, you won’t subject your skin to the ultraviolet ray of the sun, and that saves your skin from the dangers that come with it. So, sunless self-tanners are safe.
2. Tanners Reduce The Aging Of The Skin
Several self-tanners have nourishing effects on your skin because of their anti-oxidant content. This keeps your skin smooth and glowing. More importantly, it slows down the aging of your skin.
3. It Gives Fast Results
When you sit under the sun, it may take several hours or multiple tanning sessions before you begin to see the tanned look on your skin, but with most self-tanning creams, sprays, or lotions, you’ll get fast results. The tanned look of your skin will appear within a few minutes after applying it.
4. It’s Great For All Skin Tones
Self-tanners are great for all skin tones. No matter the tone of your skin, you can apply a self-tanner to it. And you won’t have to hide any embarrassing tan lines.
5. Self-Tanners Are Easy To Apply
The final benefit of self-tanners is the ease of use. You can easily apply self-tanners to every part of your skin, whether it’s a tanning spray or a tanning cream.
How to Remove Self-tanner from Your Hands? 8 Steps
Here are some effective ways to remove the stain of self-tanner from your hands.
1. How To Remove Self-Tanner With Baking Soda
This method does not work fast. You’ll have to do it several times before you notice considerable results. Mix a tablespoon of baking soda with some drops of water. Ensure it turns into a paste. Rub the paste on your palms and the back of your hands. Leave it for about 3 minutes.
After that, rub the paste on a toothbrush and use it to scrub your hands. Leave it for 2 more minutes before rinsing it off with warm water. Do it twice a day for 3 days in a row.
2. Using Shaving Cream To Remove Self-Tanner
You can also use your shaving cream to remove self-tanner from your hands. Apply the cream to a soft piece of cloth and use the cloth to scrub every part of your hand in a circular motion. Let the shaving cream sit on your hands for 2 minutes. After that, your hands should be rinsed.
3. How To Remove Fake Tan From Hands With Toothpaste
Whitening toothpaste is preferable for this purpose. Squirt a dollop of toothpaste on your hands and rub it all over your hands in a circular motion. You can leave it there for a couple of minutes before you rinse it off with some clean water.
4. How To Get Tanologist Tan Off Your Hands With Lemon Juice
Lemon juice contains hydroxy acid, and that’s why it is able to remove self-tanner from your hands. Soak a piece of cotton wool or towel in lemon juice and dab the affected areas with it. Leave it to dry off. After that, you can rinse it off.
Some people have suggested that you should add a little bit of sugar to the juice. We tried it but didn’t notice much difference. So, with or without sugar, lemon juice will remove tanologist tan from your hands.
5. How To Get Bronzing Tanning Lotion Off Your Hands With Facial Bleach
Since facial bleach has the ability to lighten your skin, it can help to remove tanner from your skin. Put some bleach on a toothbrush and use it to scrub your hands and fingers. Rinse it with warm water immediately.
6. Apply Coconut Oil Or Olive Oil
You can soak your hands in either olive oil or coconut oil for up to 5 minutes. It will remove the orange patches and other kinds of stains from your hands. This works gradually, so you may have to do it a couple of times before you get the desired results.
7. Use White Vinegar
White vinegar contains an acid like lemon juice. The acid helps to remove stains and dead skin cells. A piece of cotton wool should be soaked in white vinegar. Then, gently rub it on the affected parts of your hands. Get your hands rinsed after leaving the vinegar on them for a few minutes.
8. Acetone Nail Polish Remover Can Do It Too
This substance is harsh and should be used mildly as it could harm the skin. Dip some cotton wool in your nail polish remover and rub it mildly on your hands. Leave it for 2 minutes and wash it off with soap and warm water. You will notice remarkable improvement after the first attempt.
Are Self-Tanners Safe?
Yes, self-tanners are safe to use as they don’t subject your skin to the cancer-causing ultraviolet rays of the sun. Apart from that, they are not known to cause any disease. A lot of people have been using self tanners for years and nothing has happened to their bodies.
More importantly, the world Health Organization and several medical experts have confirmed that self tanners are safe.
Can a Pregnant Woman Use It?
Sure, a pregnant woman can use the product. Self tanners are safe for pregnant women because they react with only the skin. They are applied topically. And after a few days, your tanner will begin to fade away gradually. The only set of people that tanners are not safe for are people with skin allergies.
So, if you have delicate skin or skin allergies, you need to consult your doctor before using a self tanner.
Why Is A Self-Tanner Called Sunless?
This is because using a self-tanner does not involve sitting or lying down under the sun. Before the emergence of self tanners, people used to stay under the sun for several hours to get their skin tanned. Now, you don’t need to stay under the sun to get your skin tanned.
Instead, you only need to apply the tanner on your body, and you body will be tanned. Once again, it does not require any sunlight. That’s why it is called sunless.
How Long Will The Effect Of Self-Tanners Last?
Applying a self-tanner to your skin will give it a tanned look, but the duration of the look varies. It depends on the skin type, the tanning product used, and the quantity of the tan applied. Nevertheless, the effect of self-tanners lasts from 5 to 10 days generally. This implies that it will start fading after 5 to 7 days.
However, you can make it a little longer by moisturizing your skin regularly. Also, some people prefer to add it to their regular body lotion and they apply it every day.
Can People With Allergies Or Sensitive Skin Use It?
People with sensitive skin or skin allergies should consult a dermatologist before using any self-tanner. Your doctor could recommend a particular one that is safe for your skin condition. So, we won’t say people with allergies should not use it.
After all, we have seen some people with allergies that have been self-tanning without any health issues. What matters is to consult your doctor.
Final Thoughts
To wrap up this piece, here is a piece of advice. If you don’t have a self-tan stain on your hands, it is better to avoid it by applying some of the preventive measures discussed above. And if you already have it, no worries, you can apply any of the removal methods listed above.
Some removal methods are more effective for some people than other removal methods because people are born with different skin types. So, you can try several methods and stick with the one that works best for you.
