Frequently Asked Question

My knees and elbows turn orange.

This is normal. The way to keep it from happening again is to apply lotion to your knees and elbows before applying the sunless tanner, then remove most of the sunless tanner about fifteen minutes after application. You can do this by lightly dampening some tissue and rubbing it gently over your elbows and knees, or by applying a little more lotion, then wiping that off. Also, thoroughly exfoliate your old tan so that you don't get a build-up. This applies to other troublesome areas such as ankles, tops of feet, and wrists.

The exfoliator I bought doesn't seem to work.

They never do. Personally, I like Freeman Raspberry and Almond Scrub. It does as much as the expensive kind, which is nothing, but at least it is cheap. What I recommend is a wet cotton washcloth. Rub yourself with it gently in a circular motion while showering. When I apply sunless tanners two days in a row, I use an exfoliating scrub on the second day instead of the washcloth. Some folks use nylon mesh mitts and loofahs, but those make my skin red for hours. Please be gentle...

My tan is flaking off and I look like I'm dying of some strange disease.

Alas. You are flaking away because you didn't exfoliate properly before you applied the sunless tanner. Or your sunless tan is getting very old. Most sunless tans will start to come off after five days no matter what you do. Other symptoms of this problem include freckled areas, a sunless tan that rolls up into little balls and falls off, and blotches. You should exfoliate to help it along.

If your trusty washcloth isn't cutting it, try using an exfoliating body lotion which contains AHA. Do not apply just before sunless tanners (see problem below). Be advised that unless the lotion specifically states the percentage of AHA, it probably doesn't have enough to do any good.

My sunless tan is washing right off my face.

Are you putting a lotion on your face which contains AHA just before you apply your sunless tanning lotion? This causes an interesting problem. The active ingredient in the sunless tanner will tan the lotion, not your face. That's why it seems to wash right off — it is washing right off. Note that only lotions with a high concentration of AHA will cause this problem. If the lotion doesn't say how much AHA is in it, it doesn't have enough to worry about. Apply sunless tanners in the evening, then in the morning apply your AHA lotion (and don't forget the sun screen on top).

My hands turn orange even though I wash them thoroughly.

There is washing, and then there is washing. You must purchase a nail scrubbing brush, get it soapy, and scrub your palms, fingernails, and knuckles with it. Just ordinary hand washing will not do the trick. Also, if you take a long time to apply the sunless tanner, your hands will already be "done" by the time you get around to washing them. While applying sunless tanner, stop every five to ten minutes and wash your palms and fingernails thoroughly. Then continue. Some people wear gloves. That doesn't work for me, because I rely upon my sense of touch to tell me which areas I have done and which I have missed. But if your hands turn orange no matter how much washing you do, you are a prime candidate for gloves.

My hands are too white.

This is probably the most challenging area of sunless tanning. If you apply sunless tanner to your arms, how do you blend it onto your hands without ending up with orange hands? The solution is to apply some of the sunless tanner to the backs of your hands when you begin, and to scrub just the palms and fingernails of your hands during the process. Then apply ordinary lotion to the backs of your hands, gently blending it all over your hands and onto your wrists. Then wash only the palms and fingernails of your hands again.

If you wear gloves, moisturize your hands with lotion and then lightly wipe sunless tanner onto the backs of your hands with a cosmetic sponge. The folks who do this recommend that you hold your fingers tightly together to avoid getting any lotion between them.

I have streaks!

To prevent streaks:

Do not exercise for three hours after applying — perspiration is a killer. Be warned that even mild perspiration can do you in.

Do not take a hot shower or bath before using sunless tanners. Semi-warm is best. No long showers or baths either!

Do not apply sunless tanner in an up-and-down motion. It's especially easy to screw up on the legs. Next time, use an overlapping circular motion. Go around your leg, not up and down it.

Do not use loofahs to exfoliate. Stick to soft cotton washcloths.

Exfoliate more. Or try applying regular lotion to your entire body before applying sunless tanners. Some people swear by baby oil.

Make sure your product is thoroughly mixed. Shake it up. If it is in a tube, knead it.

To get rid of streaks:

Take a long warm (not hot) bath everyday, exfoliating gently with a washcloth.

Use AHA lotion every day for a few days until the streakiness is completely gone.

The ingredients in preparations to lighten facial or body hair will also lighten your sunless tan. Of course, they will lighten any hair you have, too.

Wait. Even if you do nothing at all, your streaks will be 75% - 100% gone in three days.

My legs have small dots all over them.

Many people have this problem. The area surrounding the hair follicle gets darker than the surrounding skin. In the June '99 issue of InStyle magazine, their theory was that this happens when people shave just before they apply sunless tanners. But in my experience it can happen any old time. This has befuddled me for a long time but I finally figured it out. It's natural for extra sunless tanner to accumulate around (and probably in) the hair follicle. If you have ever spilled any sunless tanner somewhere and let it dry, you will know that the sunless tanner doesn't need you to turn brown — it can do it all on its own after being exposed to air. Just the other day I had tiny little dots around each hair follicle. When I took a shower, I rubbed my skin with a wet washcloth and they were gone. Gone, I tell you!

Even after I shower, I can still smell sunless tanner.

This is not an unusual problem. I've found that using a scented bath/shower gel is far more effective at reducing sunless tanning odor than bar soap, even deodorant bar soaps. I never used shower gels until I started using sunless tanners regularly. Now I've got about a dozen in all different fragrances, depending on my mood. For most effective sudsing, use a nylon mesh ball.

I'm getting small white spots on the undersides of my arms.

This was another puzzler. What might be happening: When you wash your hands you are getting splashed with small drops of water. A drop of water on your sunless tan within the first hour will make a white spot. So be very cautious when washing your hands for one hour after you apply. Don't turn the water on in the sink so that it blasts out like a firehose, okay?

My sunless tanners come off on my exercise clothing. What can I do?

It's not the sunless tanners that are coming off on your clothes (unless you were foolish enough to put them on and go exercising within three hours of applying). What's coming off on your clothes is your skin. Your skin has always done this, but you never saw it before because it was colorless. Now it has a nice tan. Have you ever considered how great you look in colors like black, dark purple, and navy blue?

My skin turned red and rashy after I put the stuff on.

Throw the stuff in the trash, but keep the package so you have a record of the ingredients which did this to you. There is a chance that you are allergic to dihydroxyacetone (DHA), the active ingredient in sunless tanners. Before buying another sunless tanning product, test a few at department store counters to see if a rash develops.

Keep in mind that you may not be suffering an allergic reaction but skin irritation. Have you started using other new products such as exfoliating scrubs and lotions? These may be the real culprits. And don't go berserk with exfoliation. Your skin is not all that fond of being scrubbed, then shaved, then topped off with sunless tanning lotion. If you developed red bumps on areas that you shaved, you should not shave before applying sunless tanners.

My hands are really, really orange. Help!

I used to recommend amputation. Then I learned from a reader (thank you, Energizer Bunny) that ordinary hydrogen peroxide will lighten orange palms safely. Using a cotton ball or cotton swab, apply a small quantity of hydrogen peroxide to the problem area. Only leave it on for a minute or so. The Bunny has used it successfully on knees and ankles, even streaks. Afterwards, remove the hydrogen peroxide from the skin using a damp washcloth.

Please note that the results may not be immediate. Many people think it hasn't worked and then realize a couple of days later that their hands are normal again (untreated orange palms can last nearly a week).

The Bunny would also like to warn you that hydrogen peroxide goes bad. Don't attempt to use hydrogen peroxide that's been sitting around for years. Hair bleaching products used to lighten facial and body hair, which can be mixed up in small quantities as needed, work beautifully. Other folks have successfully used whitening toothpastes which contain peroxide.

Be safe! Do not use household cleansers, nail polish remover, and other toxic substances on your skin. If it is not a product formulated to be used on skin, do not use it on your skin!