The Faux Tan Detox

Wed, 28 November 2012 11:39AM

I have no shame in admitting it – I love fake tan in every formulation possible, from gradual to mousse, lotion and gel. And when it comes to colour, my skin is naturally quite olive, so I’m partial to the medium to dark shades.

So it seems, is Emily Blunt, who we spotted at the Gotham Independent Film Awards earlier this week. She’s quite the bronzed beach babe nowadays, wouldn’t you say?

Despite the fact that I usually forgo the fake tan in winter – nobody sees your pasty legs anyway, right? – I fortunately spent the coldest month of the year in Italy, which meant I didn’t have to be sans colour for long. Since I happened to bring home a bright and colourful new wardrobe, I couldn’t help but continue to slap on the gradual tanner since I came back from overseas.

Then dancing season hit. You might remember my beauty dancing diary, but in case you missed it, we wear a dark fake tan for the stage. So I said hello to St Tropez Self Tan Dark Bronzing Mousse, $59.95, Priceline. And lots of it.

I’ve had dancing competitions the past five weekends, which meant approximately 18 applications of fake tan. No matter how much you love a tan – and I love St Tropez Dark to bits – after that many layers of course your tan is going to look a little on the crazy side.

Alas, competitions are over for the year, so I now am officially in removal mode. Let me tell you, I’ve heard a few, uh, should we say, interesting ways to remove it from some of my dancing friends …

• Gumption. You know the cleaning product used to get rid of bleach in the shower? Let’s not go there.
• Chlorine. Yep, adding two scoops of pure chlorine to your bath apparently helps to break down any excess fake tan. I haven’t tried it, and I never will. In fact, I don’t even want to think about it.
• Lemon and/or hydrogen peroxide. Enough said. I’ll keep my patchy tan, thanks very much.

Side note: Please don’t try any of these at home!

So I turned to St Tropez Tan Detox, $59.95, not only designed to banish tan build-up, but makes for a rather pleasant, pampering experience. You start by running yourself a warm bath and adding the Tan Detox, a bath oil infused with lavender, lemon and hazelnut oils which work to even out your skin tone. Follow it up by using the super-soft wash cloth – perfect for dry and sensitive skin like mine – to gently rub the tan off.

While beautifully relaxing and my skin felt silky smooth as opposed to rough and patchy, I felt the need to follow up with an exfoliant to dull the colour even further.

I then met my match: Pure Fiji Coconut Sugar Rub, $49.95, Pure Fiji.

You’d all know that you need to keep up your moisturising routine in order to extend the life of your fake tan, but I’m sure you would have noticed that whenever you have used oil- or butter-based product that they tend to fade your colour, or even in some cases, remove it. Like an oil facial cleanser dissolves your makeup, the oil in your moisturiser works to not only remove the tan but to also soften your skin, making it easier to slough off the tan when you exfoliate.

Which is where this sugar rub comes in. Not only do the fresh sugar cane crystals act as a gentle exfoliant, it’s the rich and exotic cold pressed virgin coconut oil and nut extracts that provide intense hydration and moisture to dry and patchy skin. Used in conjunction with a removal mitt – I love ModelCo’s Tan Away Tan Removal Mitt, $24.95, Priceline – it gently buffs away the tan, making removal a breeze. I then follow it up with a coat of Pure Fiji’s Exotic Coconut Oil, $14.95, and my skin feels soft and smooth. Plus, I smell pretty yummy afterwards, if I do say so myself.

While I’ve no doubt got a few more days repeating my bath and detox routine, I’ll be back on the faux tan bandwagon for the upcoming party season in no time.

Tell me, Primpers, what are you favourite products for removing fake tan?

Have you tried either of these?

Do you use any exfoliants that work a treat at getting tan off?

Hayley x

Posted by: Hayley Bennett

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Tags: coconut, coconut oil, fake tan, fake tan removal, pure fiji, remove tan, st tropez, tanning mitt