Help!!

[yssie]

I decided to do some "strategic tanning" at the beach last weekend.

I figured if I used different strength sunblock over different parts I'd have a good shot of coming out all one colour. Suffice to say that it backfired, and now I'm stripey, just in time for summer weddings and vacations

Does anyone have any recs for how to fade a tan?? The only other thing I can think to do is go out and crisp again, and I'd really rather not!


ETA: Or recs for a good tan-in-a-bottle that works on darker skin - the few I've tried turned me orange...

 

[iLander]

I've had this happen, and basically, you scrub it off.

I know, sounds impossible, but it works;

Buy a bar of Lava soap. Take a really hot shower. Scrub away. It takes some time, but it will work. I think I had to do it two days in a row.

It also worked the time I used an unfortunate self-tanner (that only took 20 minutes). Don't try those, they're just awful. You'll end up in worse shape.

 

[yssie]

I had to look up Lava soap -Thanks iLander, it's worth a shot!! The burn is fading so now is probably a really good time to shed a couple more layers


DH is off on a conference, he just laughed and said it's exactly the sort of thing I would think was a good idea

 

[iLander]

I've had this happen, and basically, you scrub it off.

I know, sounds impossible, but it works;

Buy a bar of Lava soap. Take a really hot shower. Scrub away. It takes some time, but it will work. I think I had to do it two days in a row.

It also worked the time I used an unfortunate self-tanner (that only took 20 minutes). Don't try those, they're just awful. You'll end up in worse shape.

I had to look up Lava soap -Thanks iLander, it's worth a shot!! The burn is finally fading so now is probably a really good time to shed a couple more layers


DH is off on a conference, he just laughed when I told him

Don't hate me, but I chuckled a little too . . .

Lava is available at a lot of grocery stores, some drugstores.

 

[movie zombie]

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup salt
cover with oil...olive, jojoba, grapeseed, etc or any combo.
apply to skin and rub in circular motions.
homemade exfoliant that actually moisturizes as you peel!
add a drop of two of your fav essential oil.....

 

[yssie]

I've had this happen, and basically, you scrub it off.

I know, sounds impossible, but it works;

Buy a bar of Lava soap. Take a really hot shower. Scrub away. It takes some time, but it will work. I think I had to do it two days in a row.

It also worked the time I used an unfortunate self-tanner (that only took 20 minutes). Don't try those, they're just awful. You'll end up in worse shape.

I had to look up Lava soap -Thanks iLander, it's worth a shot!! The burn is finally fading so now is probably a really good time to shed a couple more layers


DH is off on a conference, he just laughed when I told him

Don't hate me, but I chuckled a little too . . .

Lava is available at a lot of grocery stores, some drugstores.

And amazon with overnight shipping!

S'okay. I'm laughing at myself. I thought it was brilliant, and I spent probably half an hour painting myself with spf 4/15/40... bah.

 

[yssie]

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup salt
cover with oil...olive, jojoba, grapeseed, etc or any combo.
apply to skin and rub in circular motions.
homemade exfoliant that actually moisturizes as you peel!
add a drop of two of your fav essential oil.....

I like this one!
I might do a morning/night thing, scrub with the lava soap in the morning and this stuff at night when I'll have the time to actually mix it.

I'm reading that lemon juice is good too - thoughts on adding that to this mix? Overkill?

 

[movie zombie]

not sure if the lemon would get through the oil and onto your skin if added to the exfolliant.
you could try it though. certainly would smell good!

i make this and store it in a jar by the bathtub. it does not spoil.
its ready for use whenever i am ready to use it. great on elbows, hands, and feet as well as legs/arms.

variation is to use brown suger. i use a coarser variety as sold at trader joe's and/or a health food store.

otherwise, its just plain old cane sugar, salt [i prefer organic], and olive oil just enough to soak through to the bottom of the jar.
super simple and way less expensive than commercial exfolliants.

good luck!

 

[iLander]

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup salt
cover with oil...olive, jojoba, grapeseed, etc or any combo.
apply to skin and rub in circular motions.
homemade exfoliant that actually moisturizes as you peel!
add a drop of two of your fav essential oil.....

I like this one!
I might do a morning/night thing, scrub with the lava soap in the morning and this stuff at night when I'll have the time to actually mix it.

I'm reading that lemon juice is good too - thoughts on adding that to this mix? Overkill?

Oww! Stingy! You just need an abrasive, which is what Mozo and I are suggesting, not an acid. Eeek!

 

[yssie]

Oh good to know it'll keep mz, I guess I shouldn't add in other stuff if I'm going to store it though. I have some granular cane sugar and sea salt, that should do the job okay.


Hah, iLander, fair point I'd probably wuss out anyway, I've been tiptoeing around even the loofah all week. Stupid sunburn.

 

[movie zombie]

how coarse...or not...is the sea salt? you don't want anything really much coarser than the cane sugar.
definitely keeps! easier to make up a batch to have on hand than to do it each time you want to use it.
or maybe i'm just lazy...........

the first times i made it i put in too much oil. not really a problem but it wasn't able to act as an exfolliant very well. you want it wet but not swimming in oil. pour some oil slowly and evenly along the complete top. let it sink towards the bottom. do again until you get it all wet but not swimming in oil. still useable and lovely on the skin but just too oily for my taste....speaking of which, if you use it on your face use your finger tips gently.....and it if gets on your lips it doesn't taste horrible! the PMS woman's ideal: salty and sweet!

 

[Lovinggems]

I forgot to put sunscreen on my collarbone area a few days before my wedding and I got burned in that area. I just applied more sunscreen liberally on the burns and it faded in a few days. Maybe use a Sunscreen with whitening properties.

 

[PintoBean]

If you have something like a sonicare - exfoliate your whole body in the shower at night, and then apply a lotion with alpha hydroxy (like Eucerin) that would encourage skin cell turnover. I find lotion absorbs so much better after exfoliating with my sonicare.

how about spray tan? If they can spray tan you 6 pack abs by shading, perhaps they can blend the stripes?

 

[iheartscience]

Poor yssie! I have seriously considered doing the same thing and thought it was a great idea, so I don't blame you for trying! Sounds like you have it under control with the ideas thus far, but I hope the burn goes away ASAP and you can scrub the extra strips away ASAP too!

 

[yssie]

So, I made up the MZ Scrub this afternoon and took a looong bath in the hottest water I could stand. I may have overdone it on the scrubbing...

MZ - the salt was pretty coarse so I ran it through the food processor a bit until they felt about the same, so I think I did okay. I made a big batch

LG - I was way too late for sunscreen I'm afraid - I really toasted myself! I've been schlepping spf50 on all week, hasn't made any difference that I can tell, sadly... Or maybe it *has* and I'd have been even more stripey if I hadn't!

Pinto - I don't have a sonicare - I do have alpha hydroxy cream though, I'll use that after my scrub. Fingers crossed!

 

[movie zombie]

i am so glad you pulverized it a bit! the idea of something akin to rock salt was driving me crazy!

 

[cellentani]

bummer, I was hoping there'd be stripey pics, lol.

 

[LoveLikeCrazy]

i second the spray tan. It might be more costly but if you go to a salon where they do airbrush tanning, you could "even out" until some of the tan fades!

 

[madelise]

EEk! Are you all burnt, like painful-burnt? Maybe you shouldn't be scrubbing already damaged skin? Can you go mask the color differences with a spray tan or something? And just keep applying aloe and lotions to make sure your skin heals up nicely after getting scorched


I'm picturing pink and red, burnt skin that's already painful.. and all these scrubs + lemon juice.. and I totally just shuddered >_< it sounds SO painful!! Poor you!!

 

[yssie]

Haha cell not a chance

LLC - can they spray tan you lighter? The darker stripes are really dark, and most of me is a good bit lighter, if they could match the lighter bits it's definitely worth investigating.
Well - it's worth investigating either way, I have a wedding in 13 days and long sleeves outdoors in July isn't gonna happen!

 

[movie zombie]

hate to suggest it but.....go to a tanning salon and get the light bits tanned. you've got 13 days.....

 

[LoveLikeCrazy]

I don't think it would be possible to airbrush tan lighter. I'm with madelise, i thought these scrubs sounded ouchie, but if the dark spots are too dark for you to consider the rest of the skin going that dark, then they might be your only option. I am sorry to say I am no expert in the "tan fading" area as i am olive toned and i get super dark and pretty much can hold one or two good days of tanning into november!

Hope the at home remedies help you in time for all the summer festivities!

ETA: if you want to "further investigate" the airbrush tan route (say if the scrubs don't seem to be working well..), do not do the random boots inside of tanning salons that are automated. You need to see a person who airbrush tans, they can blend all the bits together. Since they are doing it by hand, they can use the right "shade" for everything to match (and not make the dark bits darker).

 

[yssie]

hate to suggest it but.....go to a tanning salon and get the light bits tanned. you've got 13 days.....

That hopeless, huh?

I don't think it would be possible to airbrush tan lighter. I'm with madelise, i thought these scrubs sounded ouchie, but if the dark spots are too dark for you to consider the rest of the skin going that dark, then they might be your only option. I am sorry to say I am no expert in the "tan fading" area as i am olive toned and i get super dark and pretty much can hold one or two good days of tanning into november!

Hope the at home remedies help you in time for all the summer festivities!

Yeah, I'll definitely keep scrubbing... the dark parts are *really* dark. I like a good tan but I'd look really off that colour all over I think. I might go to Sephora too, see if there's some way to fade it with makeup for just that day...

Edit - Thanks! I wouldn't have known to check that!

 

[Lovinggems]

I agree with applying aloe and other soothing lotions to heal your skin. Please no sunbeds or tanning beds, think about sun damage and skin cancer. Spray tan sounds like a good idea after your skin heals, you still have two weeks.

 

[yennyfire]

I have no additional suggestions, but wanted to send some "tan fading vibes" your way. I've burned parts of my body (i.e. not uniformly), so I know how silly it looks. Just wear lightweight pants/long sleeve shirt til it fades, which it should within your 2 week window. Poor Yssie!

 

[SB621]

exfoilating will help!

 

[yssie]

Lg - I know, you're right! I really don't make a practice of it... it's kinda amazing how quickly I burn, actually, given my skin colour!

Aww yenny it's good to know I'm not the only one whose endeavours have missed the mark I do look totally ridiculous without sleeves at the moment. Two weeks, two weeks...

Sarah - Fingers crossed!!

 

[pregcurious]

If you're going to a special event and need a fast, temporary fix, I would find a makeup artist who can spray body makeup on you. Just be careful about what clothes you wear--make sure you can get the makeup out.

 

[GliderPoss]

bummer, I was hoping there'd be stripey pics, lol.

Ditto! I was totally ready to see zebra stripes...