Claudia Winkleman's bizarre fake tan removal trick involves an unexpected household item

Claudia Winkleman’s fake tan removal trick is something that many of us won’t ever have considered.

With the cold weather here to stay for the foreseeable future the last thing on many people’s minds in winter might be their fake tan routine. However, this could all have changed since discovering where to watch The Traitors UK as host Claudia Winkleman has been giving us fake tan envy with her gorgeous glow throughout season 2. Her method for removing her fabulous tan, though, is something that’s a little unconventional to say the least. 

Claudia Winkleman’s fake tan removal trick involves none other than table salt - as she revealed during a very memorable appearance on the New Year episode of The Graham Norton Show. 

According to Metro, The Traitors star explained that her fake tan mantra is simply, “there is no such thing as too orange” and added that a scourer and salt are her products of choice for getting rid of her fake tan. 

"‘I love being orange but to scrub it off, I use table salt and a scourer,” she apparently declared, before confessing, “I have asked my husband to do it, but it’s not good for foreplay."

When it comes to viewing her fake fan work at home, though, she added hilariously, “And, as I don’t have mirrors in my house, I have no idea what I look like!” Claudia also shared that during her time at university she “hired a sunbed” and was “fluorescent”.

Of course, Claudia Winkleman’s fake tan removal trick is admittedly quite bizarre and when it comes to knowing how to remove fake tan Aleesha Badkar, Beauty Editor of womanandhome warns against being too "abrasive".

"I would say if you're trying to correct fake tan just be wary of how you're treating your skin. Definitely don't be too abrasive (as there is often a temptation to be when trying to weaken fake tan) and scrutinise any ingredients you're using - no checking is too much," she said.

Aleesha added, "There are lots of so-called solutions floating around out there, so try and go for a tried-and-tested product or method that has plenty of good backing and reviews behind it - just make sure you're paying attention to skin type when weighing up other people's experiences too. And more than anything, keep in mind that your most realistic (and healthy) aim will be to fade the colour, rather than to get rid of it completely."

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Ways to remove fake tan with products include using baby oil or body oil, with Michaella Bolder, St. Tropez Tanning and Skincare Expert previously explaining to womanandhome how this really works.

“Baby oil is known to soften and soothe the skin, but also as an oil, it stimulates cell turnover and is, therefore, a great option to remove fake tan,” Michaella said. “Make sure to soak the skin in baby oil for around five to 10 minutes, then jump in the shower and rinse off, using an exfoliating glove or mitt to help.”

Many people might also prefer to steer clear of Claudia Winkleman’s fake tan removal trick and choose specific fake tan remover products instead. Michaella believes the St Tropez Tan Remove Mousse to be particularly good and easy to use. 

“This is a great one that you can massage into the area that has overloaded self-tan, and wait 5 minutes before buffing with a tan remover mitt to buff the tan away,” she said.

However you choose to remove your fake tan, it’s all-too easy to find yourself wanting to feel brilliantly bronzed yourself after seeing Claudia on The Traitors season 2.

Aleesha Badkar

Aleesha is Digital Beauty Editor at woman&home, where she gets to share her expertise into all the best techniques, sharpest tools and newest products - with a particular savvy in skincare and fragrance. With years of beauty product testing experience, she always knows what to recommend.