FAQ
THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS
Yes! O.C. Tan 2 U Self Tan products are NOT your ordinary sunless tanning products, many years ago we formulated our solution side by side with our lab to customize the perfect self tan. Thanks to our secret ingredient (and our chemist!) our products match every skin tone. As they are applied to the skin they actually go to work, pulling out the natural undertones and pigments in your skin for a perfect match on every skin tone! Even redheads with the fairest skin will receive a natural looking tan with our products, every time!
All our self tanning products are made with 100% natural DHA. DHA is short for dihydroxyacetone. It is the active ingredient in all sunless tanning products. DHA is a colorless sugar found in beets. When applied, dihydroxyacetone reacts with dead cells in the skin's surface layer to temporarily darken the skin and simulate a tan.
Simply put, the development time! The development time for the Original is 10-12 hours. The development time for the Express is 4 hours. The Original will provide light to medium tanning results while the Express can provide medium to dark tanning results when left on for the full development time of 4 hours. The Express will provide light results when cutting the development time to 1-2 hours before rinsing off.
Development time is the length of time you want to leave the self tanner on your skin so it can fully develop before rinsing off. During the development time it is recommended to wear only loose fitting clothing and not to get wet or any moisture/liquids onto the skin. This means no sweating, bathing, swimming or spilling of any liquids onto the skin during this time. You also want to be very careful not to touch the palms of your hands to your tanned skin until after the first shower rinse. If contact occurs, wash your hands with soap immediately to prevent your palms from turning orange. Once the development time has been reached, rinse the bronzer color guide off in the shower using warm water and no soap. You may start using soaps and body washes that are spray tan friendly 24 hours after application.
The development time for the Express is 4 hours. The Express will provide lighter results when cutting the development time to 1-2 hours before rinsing off. At the same time, you can darken your self tan result with the Express by leaving it on for longer than the recommended 4 hours but not more than 12 hours. Leaving any self tanner on skin for longer than 12 hours will result in a drying effect leaving the tan to fade faster. Well moisturized skin will hold a self tan much longer than dry skin.
NOTE: When Self Tanning with the Express you will notice your color lighten quite a bit after your first rinse. Don’t worry, color results take a full 24 hours from time of application to appear. The Express is a rapid formula designed to allow showering and normal life activities to occur much sooner than with the Original. Be patient and rest assure knowing that full results will take up to 24 hours after application to appear with O.C. Tan 2 U Express Self Tanning Products.
With our Original Self Tan products, no. However, leaving either the Original or the Express self tanner on skin for longer than 12 hours will not deem darker results and will only dry out skin resulting in a quicker fading self tan. The active ingredient in all sunless tanning products, DHA is designed to be left on skin for no more than 12 hours or a drying effect will occur. The more moisturized your skin is the longer your self tan will last. Both the Original and Express are fully developed at the 12 hour mark and will not darken after 12 hours of wear. You can darken your self tan result with the Express by leaving it on for longer than the recommended 4 hours but not more than 12 hours.
Yes, ALL of our Self Tanning products contain a Bronzer which serves as a color guide to show you where self tanner has been applied during application. The Bronzer Color Guide allows you to blend your self tan for even application and will rinse off with the first shower rinse. Once you apply, your skin will instantly appear bronzed. After application you can expect your tan to appear as if it is darkening as the development time goes on. Do not fret, this is just the self tan developing under the bronzer color guide. Once you take your first shower rinse, the bronzer color guide will rinse off.
We do NOT recommend using soap or body wash during the first rinse. Shower with warm water to remove the bronzer color guide during your first rinse. You may use your hands to help remove the bronzer if necessary. For shower’s after the initial rinse you may use sunless tan friendly soaps and body washes. Shop our reccomended sunless tan friendly maintenance products in our online store. When choosing a soap or body wash it is best to use sulphate free to avoid any aggressive chemicals which may strip your tan. Be sure to not excessively rub at your skin while showering or drying off as this can exfoliate the skin, increasing the fade of your new gorgeous glow!
Do not fret! The color you see rinsing off in the shower during the first rinse is the bronzer color guide only. All of our self tan products contain a bronzer color guide to allow for even application. The bronzer color guide will rinse off in the shower allowing to reveal your self tan. When Self Tanning with The Original at the full development time and time of rinse you will have darkened quite a bit from time of application. This is because you now have the bronzer color guide on your skin AND a fully developed tan. The bronzer color guide is designed to help you achieve even results while applying and will wash off during your first rinse revealing your fully developed tan. When Self Tanning with the Express you will notice your color lighten quite a bit after your first rinse. Don’t worry, color results take a full 24 hours from time of application to appear. The Express is a rapid formula designed to allow showering and normal life activities to occur much sooner than with the Original. Be patient and rest assure knowing that full results will take up to 24 hours after application to appear with O.C. Tan 2 U Express Self Tanning Products.
We are happy you asked! Follow our recommended Tan Care Prep and Maintenance instructions that may be found on our Tan Care Page to get the most out of your self tan. Visit our Tan Care Page by copy and pasting the following link into your web browser or by simply selecting the Tan Care tab under the menu navigation of our site: https://www.shopoctan2u.com/tan-care
Generally, yes and many of us do. Simply, apply 2 coats of the product during initial application. If you have not used our products before and are unsure what depth results to expect we suggest waiting a full 24 hours after initial application before applying a 2nd coat to allow for full results to appear.
When following our prep and maintenance instructions located on our Tan Care page, results will last 7-14 days. Visit our Tan Care Page by copy and pasting the following link into your web browswer or by simply selecting the Tan Care tab under the menu navigation on our site: https://www.shopoctan2u.com/tan-care
It's completely up to you! When you have decided to re-tan, we recommend removing all of the previous tans and thoroughly exfoliating to get the best results. However, some may reapply the self tan the next day if results are not as dark as desired. Be sure to wait a full 24 hours after application to see full results before reapplying. Tanning at least once a week will ensure you are bronzed beautifully all year round!
For the best results, we do NOT recommend submerging in any kind of water until after the full development time has been achieved to allow the self tan to fully develop.
Once you are happy with your color and have enjoyed the results, go ahead and jump in, but note that salt water and chlorinated swimming pools and spas will cause your gorgeous tan to fade much faster. For this very reason we developed our Moisture Seal Treatment which will help protect your self tan from fading as quickly in swimming water and is available for purchase through our online store. If you will be swimming we highly reccomend using our Moisture Seal Treatment immediately after applying your self tan application to prevent fading.
Our Moisture Seal Treatment is the only one of it's kind. We deveolped it specifically, to lock in sunless tanning color results and prevent any sunless tan from fading as quickly in swimming water. The Moisture Seal treatment will allow your self tan to last 2-5 days longer, prevent the tan from fading in salt water or chlorine pools as quickly and moisturize skin. This product can be applied immediately after the initial self tan application and daily to maintain self tan results. When applied after initial application the Moisture Seal Treatment will not only lock in color results but also allow for a less sticky feel, leaving skin dry and happy. Using this product daily will help maintain and add moisture to skin.
That’s easy, exfoliate! To properly exfoliate we recommend using exfoliating gloves (we carry these in our online store) or plain old brown sugar. When using Exfoliating Gloves - Simply put gloves on your hands in the shower, apply your regular bar soap or body wash and SCRUB! When using Brown Sugar - Apply a cupful of brown sugar to the entire body and rub in circular motions scrubbing from head to toe. Skin should be pink, or even slightly red, after proper exfoliation.
Due to our products only containing the highest quality naturally derived ingredients, including 100% DHA, our products can be used on skin disorders such as eczema, however if you’re prone to skin sensitivity we always recommend doing a patch test on the skin first. For skin conditions that cause skin to be drier than normal we reccomend adding our Moisture Seal Treatment product as part of your self tan application to dramatically increase moisture properties in the skin. This product can be found in our online store.
Generally speaking, all self tan products are safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding (we suggest avoiding the breast area if you’re lactating). We do however, recommend consulting with your doctor or doing a spot test to ensure you don't have any reactions due to an increase of hormones during this time.
Simple answer, hormone levels! Hormone levels affect the skin’s natural pH balance. When Hormone levels are too high a light tan or no tan can result. Certain medications, pregnancy and nursing can all affect hormone levels. Wait a week and try self tanning again. Since as females most of our hormone levels are ever changing as our bodies go through it’s natural cycle. One light or nonexistent result will not always be the case. If hormone levels are not the issue and you are looking for DARK color results we highly recommend our Express Self Tanning products as they can achieve much darker results than our Original formula. Leaving the Express Self Tanner on skin for longer than the suggested 4 hour development time will equal darker results. We do not recommend leaving any of our self tanning products on the skin for longer than 12 hours before your first shower rinse as they are fully developed at this time and will only result in skin drying when left on longer than this period.
Products like perfumes, deodorants, and makeups might react with our product, and can lead to a green pigmentation during initial application. These sections might turn green when tanned. It is advisable to rinse your body thoroughly before starting your self tan application to prevent such a reaction but if you have such a reaction due to these products not being properly removed prior to application, no worries the green tint will rinse off with your first shower rinse.