5 Reasons Why Your Tan Is Orange

You want a nice, summer glow — not to look like a glass of juice. Yup. We get it. Getting a tan shouldn’t be that difficult and the good news is that it’s not! It’s all about finding the right tan technician and having the right information. For those who are just beginning on their journey to tan, we’ve got the (g)lowdown on why your skin might be orange and how you can fix it.

#1: There’s no such thing as too much tan, right?

WRONG. Any good tan technician will tell you that only 50ml of solution can be absorbed by the skin at a time. If you use anything more than the recommended amount, it will just sit on top of your skin and result in that familiar orange skin color we ALL remember from the Jersey Shore. Yes, a little tan can be good, but there can always be too much of a good thing.

#2: Following the instructions — sounds boring but gets the results.

The active ingredient in most sunless tanning products is the color additive dihydroxyacetone (DHA). Basically, it reacts to your skin and creates the tanning affect we love. But not everyone can use the same amount of DHA. A trusted tan technician knows just how much DHA to use with every skin type. So talk with them before you just walk in and ask for the highest levels!

#3: Timing is everything.

Think about your sunless tan through the lens of a sunbathing. At a certain point, your skin will no longer tan — it’ll just burn. It’s kind of like that with a sunless tan, except without all the risk of damaging effects to your skin and pain. You wouldn’t spend hours and hours in the sun and expect for your skin to just get increasingly tan, would you? It’s the same with self-tanner. The longer you leave it on, the greater the risk you’ll run of ending up with an orange tan. Always follow the recommended guidelines!

#4: Don’t mix and match your tanning products.

Once you have a taste of the tan life, it can be tempting to go overboard on products. Whatever you do, do not mix a spray tan with any self-tanning products. A good comparison is nail polish. You wouldn’t go home after a manicure and reapply more nail polish, would you? Take the same approach when it comes to your skin. Wait until your previous spray tan is completely gone before applying any other tanning products. Hint, hint! Use The Shady Removal Mitt to completely scrub away your tan.

#5: Exfoliate and moisturize!

This one is a real tip from the pros. Exfoliate and moisturize your skin before using any sunless tan products. Areas of dry skin (especially areas like your knees, elbows, and joints) can look orange, patchy, and weird a few days after applying sunless-tan products. That’s why we recommend fully exfoliating and moisturizing those testy areas prior to using any products. It’s all about consistency, baby!

Got any other questions? Shady Sun is happy to get you the answers. Just shoot us an email at info@theshadysun.com.