Found: a Baking Soda Hack to Get Rid of Your Self-Tanner Streaks Once and for All

Photo: Stocksy/Kayla Johnson
While you have the ability to hide winter pastiness under cozy layers of clothing, it's now the season of summer dresses and bicycle shorts—which means chasing that perfect glow from head to toe is #goals for the next 99 days of summer. One way to do this is to whip out last year's almost-empty bottle of self-tanner and slather it on from head to toe.

But if you're greeted with streaks galore once the formula dries, fear not! Even the most skilled self-tanning applicators sometimes gets those pesky marks. Because let's be real, reaching your back, smoothing the formula over elbows, knees, and ankles, and blending it all seamlessly together isn't exactly a cake walk. And all of this pales in comparison to the fact that it's so hard to correct mistakes or get the stuff off once it's bronzed your skin.

Thankfully, there's an easy hack for removing said streaks (which totally give away the fact that your tan isn't from a week spent in Tulum), and no, you don't have to douse your skin in Windex à la Ashley Graham. All you need are two ingredients, which you probably already have in your kitchen: coconut oil and baking soda. Or in other words the high priest and priestess of DIY.

"A mix of baking soda and coconut oil is an easy, gentle way to exfoliate away your leftover self-tanner or spray tan without having to work too hard or strip away the skin’s natural moisture," says Jenny Patinkin, makeup artist, beauty expert, and author of Lazy PerfectionUnlike your typical body scrubs or simply going ham with your loofah or sponge, these two all-natural options are gentler on your complexion—and the bubbly mix of baking soda helps remove the self-tanner while the coconut oil keeps your skin nice and moisturized.

Don't be surprised if you start making streaks on purpose just so you can perform this magic trick for your friends (just me?).

Aside from SOS moments like self-tanner streaks, this is why you should be using baking soda on your skin. And this is a DIY pedicure hack using baking soda (it's such a magical ingredient!). 

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