Stinky Self-Tanner? 6 Quick Fixes to Banish the Smell

Spray tans have become an important part of our beauty routine. We all love to get that perfect glowing bronzed look without spending hours under the sun. and the spray tans help us to do so.
 
Although spray tanning is vital in helping us get tan, like all other cosmetic products, it has some drawbacks.
 
The smell of a spray tan is quite unpleasant. Therefore, the odor left behind on your clothes, room, and skin can irritate you.

Being a tanning expert, it is my job to help you out with all the smallest things related to tanning. So, here I will discuss with you some useful ways to get rid of the self-tanner smell.

Fake Tan Smells. Why?

As you all know, DHA (dihydroxyacetone) is an active ingredient present in all self-tanners.
 
DHA makes your skin darker when it reacts with the upper layer of your skin. This DHA is obtained from many natural sources like sugarcane and red beets to make your skin brown.
 

 
The smell of your self-tanning product becomes unpleasant and nasty when the DHA reacts with the amino acids in your skin.
 
But if you smell the bottle of the self-tanner, you will notice there is no bad smell coming out. The nasty smell comes out only after applying the tanner.

Can I Choose a Self-Tanner Without DHA?

Using a DHA-free self-tanner is the best option for those with sensitive and allergy-prone skin.

how to apply self-tanner without a mitt

 However, there are very limited products available on the market without DHA. Using a DHA-free tanner will not give you that darkest glowing tan.
 

 
So, you can try out fake tanners with lower DHA levels or those containing natural DHA. Using products that contain DHA helps you achieve a long-lasting, glowing color.
 
Some of the best self-tanners, like the bronzing face drops and sunny honey Bali bronzing foam, contain hydrating hyaluronic acid and a smell of mangoes to give you a long-lasting, sunkissed look with a pleasant smell.

 How to Cover Up the Smell of a Self-tanner?

Here are some effective tips to cover up the nasty smell of the fake tanner after use.

Tips to Cover Up the Nasty Smell of Self-tanner
Body Washes
Body washes with vanilla and citrus scents work effectively in covering up yeasty smells after a shower.
Apply Perfume
Applying perfume to your skin after getting tan can ruin your tan. So, you can just spray some perfume into the air and walk through it. This will make your full body smell good.
Mask the Smell
of the Fake Tan
You can use perfumes, powders, and body lotions with normal scents to mask the smell of the fake tan and make you feel fresh.
Use a Mitt
You can use some scented moisturizer 30 minutes after applying the tan. This will somewhat cover up the unpleasant scent of your self-tanning product. Always use a mitt or a glove while applying the moisturizer as the tanner may stain your hands.

How to Get Rid of the Self-tanner Smell?

Here are some easy and effective ways to help you get rid of the bad smell of your self-tanner after application. 

Apply Baby Powder

Baby powder can limit and absorb excess odor, so using it on your whole body, mainly areas like armpits and elbows can help you avoid the nasty smell of the tanner. Always use it after applying your self-tanning product.

Take a shower!

You should always go for a cool shower using citrus or flower-smelling body wash after your self-tanner has developed. This will leave your body with a pleasant smell.

Try Different Products

Although different sunless tanning products work the same way, they are made by following different formulations.

So, it becomes difficult to tell how a product will react to your skin. You need to try out different blends to identify the right product that suits your skin and has less odor.

Use Perfumes and Other Scented Products

Using perfume can help you to cover up the unpleasant smell for some time. Apply some perfume to your skin after your self-tanner has dried.

The woman has long hair and a golden tan. She is posing indoors for a photo shoot.

As mentioned above, it is also a good idea to spray some perfume in the air and walk through it.

Using perfume directly on tanned skin can turn it white. If the perfume has a bad smell, spray it on your clothes, bedding, or hair.
 
You can also use other scented products, like scented body wash. Use cold water to take a shower using body wash with the pleasant smell of flowers or lemon.
 

 
To prevent your tan from getting washed away, do not use very hot water while taking a shower.
 

Go for Scented Self-tanners

It is beneficial to use self-tanners with pleasant scents or fragrances. Several fake tanners are available in the market that smell good, covering up the nasty smell of your sunless tanner.

But the good smell of these products gets washed off as soon as you take a shower. Besides, a product with artificial fragrance can irritate people with sensitive skin. So, always choose the right product that suits your skin.

Exfoliate

Exfoliating your skin before using the fake tanner can somewhat help to stop the tanner odor.
 
But it cannot get rid of the fake tan smell itself. Even if you have normal or dead skin, the DHA present in the self-tanning products will make your skin smelly when absorbed by it.
 
So, you should not scrub your skin too harshly before getting tan, as it can leave your skin with patches after tanning.
 
Always exfoliate your skin lightly while taking a shower after the tanning process to get rid of the smell caused by DHA.

How to Remove the Fake Tan Smell From a Room?

Applying a fake tanner at home can leave your room, furniture, or clothes with an unpleasant smell. This mostly happens if you have spilled some excess spray.

Here are some amazing tips to help you get rid of the fake tan smell from your room.

Use Disinfectant

The fake tanner particles that stick to your carpet while applying can make your whole room smell bad. So, clean the floor with a disinfectant to remove the smell to some extent.

Place the items outside

You can just leave the household objects outside so that it gets fresh air and the unpleasant smell of the tanner goes away.

Spray Your Favorite Scent

Spray some scent with the citrus smell all over the room and fabrics to mask up the nasty smell.

Use Soap

The tiny particles of the tanner left behind on your furniture can make the room smelly. Use some soap to wipe all the surfaces.

Put Baking Soda

Using baking soda or vinegar on your mattresses can be a good idea to get rid of the offensive smell.
 
Rub the vinegar solution or baking soda on the stained parts to remove the unwanted patches along with the nasty smell.

Final Thought

It is always a good idea to use self-tanning products to get tan instead of burning your skin under UV rays.
 
Although self-tanning products cause an unpleasant smell when reacting with the skin, they can help you get that long-lasting, golden-tanned look that you have always wanted.
 
The tips shared above can help you get rid of the nasty smell to some extent. But to get that desired result, compromising the smell can be worth it.
 
So, try out your favorite self-tanner without worrying about the smell and make yourself gorgeous always.

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