Self-tanning is the safest and most popular alternative to traditional tanning. With a good quality self-tanning product, you can achieve a golden glow throughout every season of the year. But with this type of endless summer tan comes a few common challenges. One such challenge that every novice sunless tanner user faces is the transfer of color onto bedsheets. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to eventually see traces of self-tanner on your bedsheets, but there are ways to prevent this from occurring.

To prevent self-tanner from transferring onto your bed sheets, it's helpful to understand the composition of self-tanning products. Self-tanners typically contain an active ingredient called DHA (dihydroxyacetone), a sugar-based compound that reacts with the amino acids in dead skin cells to produce a golden color. This reaction takes several hours to complete, and during this time, the skin is more susceptible to transferring color onto other surfaces. DHA transfer is why you will probably eventually see traces of self-tanner on your bedsheets. So now that we know about DHA, how do we prevent it from transferring onto our sheets?

Cover Your Skin Before Getting into Bed

Self-tanner can transfer onto sheets in several ways. One common way is simply rubbing your skin against the fabric, which can cause the self-tanner to transfer onto the fabric fibers. This can occur when you're getting into bed, sitting on a couch, or even simply getting dressed. To protect your bedsheets, cover your skin with loose-fitting clothing. In addition, because self-tanner can also transfer to clothing, it can be helpful to designate one particular set of pajamas to use on the nights you apply tanner. This will protect your other clothes and give you one less thing to worry about if transfer does occur.

Allow Time for Your Self-Tanner to Dry Before Getting into Bed

Color transfer from friction is hard to prevent because you obviously can’t avoid your skin touching your sheets. But you can reduce the amount of transfer that occurs by waiting for your tanner to dry completely before getting into bed. Most self-tanners dry within 20 minutes after application. Once your self-tanner has dried, it is harder for the DHA to transfer onto your sheets. If you are a sweaty sleeper, you may consider using a fan or turning down your thermostat on the nights you apply self-tanner. Even if your tanner dried before you went to bed, the increased moisture from perspiring can cause the tanner to transfer onto your bedding.

Use a Self-Tanner with Natural Ingredients

Another factor that can contribute to self-tanner transfer is the type of self-tanning product being used. Some self-tanners contain ingredients that can make the product more prone to transferring onto other surfaces, such as oils and fragrances. These ingredients can make the self-tanner more slippery, increasing the transfer risk. Our Flawless Finish Bronzing Mousse and Flawless Finish Bronzing Drops are made with gentle, natural ingredients specifically formulated to dry quickly, reducing the chances of color transfer onto clothes and sheets.

Apply Your Self-Tanner Thin Even Layers

Even application of self-tanner is not only essential for a natural-looking, streak-free tan, but it lessens the chances of excess tanner transferring onto your sheets. The best way to ensure you’ve applied your self-tanner evenly is to use a self-tanning mitt and apply the self-tanner in thin layers. A quality self-tanning mitt, like our Glow by Skalla Bronzing Mitt, provides the perfect surface and texture for optimal blending and smooth application. 

Invest in Dark Colored Bedsheets

One of the most straightforward solutions for protecting your bedsheets from color transfer is to invest in dark-colored bedsheets. This is quick, easy, and you won’t have to spend extra time spot-treating your white sheets. You can also place a dark blanket over your bottom sheet on the nights you apply self-tanner and sleep on the blanket rather than directly on your sheets.

If you follow all these preventative steps and still end up with self-tanner on your bedsheets, don't worry – with the proper techniques, you can easily remove self-tanner from your sheets and restore them to their original condition.

First, act quickly. The longer the stain sits on the fabric, the harder it will be to remove. As soon as you notice the stain, it's essential to start treating it.

Second, use a stain remover. There are many stain removers on the market, and most of them will work well on self-tanner stains. Apply the stain remover to the affected area, let it sit for a few minutes, and then wash the sheet as you normally would.

Third, use laundry detergent. If you don't have a stain remover on hand, you can try using laundry detergent to remove the self-tanner stain. Apply a small amount of detergent to the stain and rub it in gently. Let the detergent sit on the stain for a few minutes, and then wash the sheets in the washing machine as you usually would. You can also try mixing the detergent with water and letting your sheets soak before running them through a wash cycle.

Fourth, if the self-tanner stain is particularly stubborn, you may need to soak the sheet in a mixture of water and white vinegar. Mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a bowl or sink, and then soak the affected area of the sheet in the mixture for 30 minutes to an hour. After soaking, wash the sheet in the washing machine as you usually would. You may want to use a little extra detergent to remove the vinegar smell from your sheets. Most people find vinegar to have a strong, unpleasant odor.

Be sure to avoid using hot water when washing sheets that have self-tanner stains. Hot water can set the stain, making it much harder to remove. Instead, use cool or lukewarm water to wash the sheets.

It’s also a good idea to wash the sheets separately from other items to prevent the self-tanner from spreading to other fabrics. In addition, this will ensure that the stain remover or laundry detergent can work on the stain without interference from other fabrics.

Removing self-tanner from your sheets is a simple process that can be accomplished with a few everyday household items. But preventing the transfer of color to begin with is even simpler. As easy as it is to avoid self-tanning mishaps like color transfer, it’s no wonder many people turn to self-tanners to achieve a gorgeous glowing tan year-round!