3 tanning experts explain how to get fake tan off your nails

Every tanning buff knows that dry skin is fake tan’s kryptonite. It loves nothing more than to suck in all that pigment and hang on to it for dear life.

This means areas with lots of dry skin, such as your nail beds and cuticles, are easily stained after a self tan session. Patchy tan on your elbows and knees is one thing (these areas can be disguised quite easily), but stained fingers, and nails in particular, are on show most of the time.

There’s an ‘ick’ about fingernails that are stained by even the best self tan; they look a bit grubby and uncouth, not to mention it’s double the inconvenience if you’ve just had a gel manicure. Still, it’s easily done – most tan fans have been there at some point – so let’s get up to speed on the art of how to remove fake tan from your nails…

All the experts we spoke to had the same response to staining your nails with fake tan: prevention. Tanning aficionado Jules Von Hep explains: “The key is to ensure you moisturise the hands and feet before tan application, that way there will be no tan-over.” For the uninitiated, “tan-over” is Jule’s nickname for the morning after realisation you’ve made a tanning boo-boo.

Sophie Evans, St. Tropez ambassador, agrees with this method, especially to avoid stained fingernails: “Pay special attention to your nail bed and cuticles to prevent the tan ‘sticking’ to that area too much.” Remember immediately after application to wipe your palms and between your fingers, buff your knuckles and use a cotton bud along the nail edges and underneath the nail tip to remove excess pigment.

Another idea to prevent staining the nails with fake tan is to rub a barrier cream, like bBold Tanning Barrier Balm (or Vaseline works just as well), over your nails before tan application. The tanning product won’t be absorbed, and it will therefore be unable to stain your nails.

2. Get a tan remover in your kit

If you find that tan has stained your nails, tan removal products with a combination of oils and glycolic acid, combined with a little manual exfoliation will help to lift the stain. First use a cuticle trimmer to cut any stained skin away from the base, then wipe the tan remover over nails.

“Try and look for mistakes during the first eight hours while the tan is developing, it’s easier to correct early on,” says Eloise Maryam, AKA @thetanexpert.

3. Perform a peel

Chemical exfoliation – aka a peel – is a good orange-tinge fixer as it breaks down DHA (the colour element) in fake tan and helps to dissolve dead skin cells. ​​Look for solutions that contain BHA, like salicylic acid, and wipe on the surface of your nails, followed by a baby wipe or damp cleansing cloth. “It may not fully strip the tan stain off, but will help it to diminish quicker,” says Eloise.

4. Oil up

Another idea is to apply a little coconut or baby oil over the nail bed, massage in and let it sit for a few minutes. Oil helps to break down the DHA in self-tanning products. Then take an (old!) kids toothbrush to buff away the stain.

5. Try toothpaste

Not just for your pearly whites, toothpaste can be a shrewd fix for small, stubborn areas of fake tan. The gentle abrasives help to buff away the stain, making it a convenient choice when you need to focus on specific areas, like your nails. After using toothpaste on your nails, follow with a nourishing hand cream to restore moisture.

6. Mix up a recipe for success

Nothing else worked? For an affordable and natural alternative to shop-bought tan removers – and let’s be honest, a bit of a last resort – add two tablespoons of baking soda to some water and mix to create a paste.

Rub this mixture into your stained nails, and it should help dissolve the stain. “It works by gently exfoliating and neutralising the tanning agents,” Eloise explains.