This is a question I get asked A LOT and I am happy to have a in depth blog post for you!
First things first, what is exfoliating and why is it important? Exfoliating a process where you rub your skin with some kind of scrub, loofah or rag to remove old skin (dead skin cells). Exfoliating PRIOR to a spray tan is important because you are guaranteeing your spray tan the longest life span. 5-7 days.
The spray tan solution should be applied to fresh clean exfoliated skin. As your skin cells cycle, the tan will shed off with your dead skin naturally. Sometimes clients and myself will experience times where our spray tan may stick to certain parts of our body. This happens mostly when we have had spray tans back to back and our skin is telling us to take a week off to fully remove all old tan (which is actually dead skin that you can only see because of the tan.) This is where I hope my personal exfoliation process comes in handy for anyone experiencing a stubborn spray tan.
Let’s talk about my personal exfoliating process. I must admit, when your done you will feel like you just left the spa, except you did all the hard work! Follow this up with a nap and then you will feel like you left the spa. I start the exfoliation process of my skin usually on day 5-6 of my tan. This way I can spray again right away for any upcoming events. I begin with either a hot bath or shower. The bath will offer better end results but a shower can get the job done too. (The bath is highly recommended if you are trying to remove spray tans from past 4-6 weeks). I start with filling the tub up with hot water, about as hot as I can stand it. Some may think this sounds unpleasant but once you soak in the hot water for about 5 minutes you are so relaxed, muscles and brain. Soaking in hot water will also open up your pores which is exactly what you want to exfoliate. I add in some type of bath salt. My skin care products are always rotating but my top two favorites right now are Epsom Salt Milk & Honey scent, this smell really helps me feel relaxed. The other product is a Fizzy Bath Dust from the company Lather Me Up. I discovered Lather me up at the Chimney Rock Market, they are a small local business that makes bath soaps, bombs, fizzy dust and more. (Fizzy dust is just like a bath bomb but not molded into a ball and cheaper than a bath bomb!) you can find these products at www.lathermeup.com
After I have soaked in a hot bath with some type of bath salt I grab my handy dandy wash rag. (I recommend a white one so you can see the tan you are removing and using an older one is better because they are coarser.) I recommend starting at your feet and working your way up, use the rag and scrub your skin up and down and then in circular motions where the tan is proving to be difficult. Once you have scrubbed your skin toe to head then we start our shaving process. Grab your favorite razor (mine are the Bic standard razors) and shaving cream or gel and begin to shave everywhere desired.
Once you have soaked, scrubbed and shaved go ahead and look over your skin to make sure all of the tan looks like it is removed. I recommend focusing behind your knees on your armpits, neck, ankles, back of the arms and under the breast. If you see any stubborn spots remaining take your wash rag and scrub a tad more. (You could even use a sugar scrub of some kind after shaving to really pamper yourself. Tree Hut is a brand sold in Ulta and grocery stores, etc. that offers sugar scrubs I like in all different scents.) If this doesn’t budge then grab yourself a pumice. I love my pumice and use it specifically on my feet, wrists, hands and palms. By the end of this 4-step process you should not have any spray tan left on you. For your back you can have your husband/partner scrub your back or you can pick up a back scrubber from CVS or local beauty store.
When I have completed the steps above I jump in the shower to wash my hair and body then I step out and make sure to moisturize. I will go over moisturizers in another blog later this month. Please remember to moisturize your skin after doing this deep scrub. This will help your skin feel its most soft!
That is my exfoliation process, I really hope you enjoyed this read and got some tips to try out in the future.
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