Summer is here, and what announces that better than people flaunting their gorgeous tanned skin? There are many ways to get a tan, and you need to find one that works best for you, and voila! You will be ready to dazzle with your bronze glow.

But first, here is What to do before getting a spray tan. Some great spray tan tips will get you the perfect spray tan.

1. Why Not Real Tan?

The reason why people prefer getting a fake tan instead of a real one, and so should you, is because the sun is extremely damaging to the skin. The kind of sun exposure you get when you sit out in the sun, especially if you’re not wearing sunscreen from head to toe, can give you wrinkles, age spots, and skin cancer. Also, not everyone tans easily. Some people with very pale skin burn red instead of turning bronzy gold. Therefore, sunless tanning is so much better and healthier for us.

2. Types of Sunless Tanners

There are so many ways in which you can get your desired tan results nowadays, without having to bake under the sun. The most used options are Spray tan, Tanning bed, and self-tanners. Although the methods are different, what you need to do before a spray tanning session is almost the same. Here is what you need to do before your spray tanning appointment.

3. Tips

3.1. Shower

Before a spray tan, if you are doing a self-tan session, you can take a shower right before you are about to put your tan product on. Shower the night before your spray tan appointment if you’re getting a spray tan. Make sure you use a free-of-oil body wash. Taking a shower before you get a tan is crucial because you need to wash off any dirt, grime, or excess oil you might have on your body before starting the process. The tanner wouldn’t adhere well to your skin if it is not completely clean. But make sure you do it a few hours before your appointment.

3.2. Exfoliate

You should exfoliate your body while you’re in the shower itself. You need to exfoliate so that you can get rid of any dead skin cells sticking to the surface of your body. Before a spray tan, avoid using a chemical exfoliator and go for the physical ones. Using an exfoliating mitt is a great way to exfoliate without being too harsh on your skin. The exfoliating mitt takes away all the dead skin cells and makes sure you will get the most seamless tan. If you’re using an exfoliating scrub, make sure it is oil-free. Oil will prevent the spray tan from settling on your skin.

3.3. Body Hair Removal

Removing body hair before putting on your tan is very important to prevent an uneven tan. The more body hair you have, the less the tan will stick to your skin and blend properly. If you use waxing for body hair removal, get it done a few days before your appointment because wax doesn’t let the tan settle on the skin. If you have even a little bit of wax on your body, the tan will not develop properly. If you like to shave your body hair, you can shave the day before in the shower.

3.4. Close Pores

After body washes, the last step in your bath routine should be rinsing with cold water so all the pores can be closed. Warm water leaves the pores open, and putting on spray tan or any other kind, can jeopardize all your efforts. Avoid harsh soaps, tan tends to settle into open pores, which leads to unflattering brown dots or dark dots all over your skin. To prevent this b a spray tan, make sure you close your pores before getting a spray tan.

3.5. Avoid Deodorant

On the day you are supposed to get your spray tan, do not wear deodorant and perfume. The deodorant will create a barrier between your skin and the spray tanning solution. This will lead to a patchy spot on your underarms where the tan wouldn’t develop. The same is the case with perfume. If you spray perfume directly on your body, the perfume oil will stick to your skin and create a barrier between the tan and your skin. This will lead to patchy, uneven results.

3.6. Body Lotion

This is a complicated one. You need to have minimal products on the areas you will tan because products, even lotion, act as a barrier. You need to apply a thin layer of lotion to the drier areas than normal, also remember lip balm. Apply lotion to areas with folds and creases, such as the elbows, knees, knuckles, etc. There are no dry patches because the solution will cling to them and look patchy (avoid drugstore lotions). Also, I’m sounding like a broken record right now, but your lotions should be oil-free, before a spray tan since it acts as a barrier cream.

3.7. Wear Loose, Dark Clothing

Whether you are doing self-tan or going and getting a spray tan appointment, you should wear dark clothing. The spray tan stains a lot. If you have on lighter shade clothes, your tan will ruin them. Therefore, it is always advised to wear either an all-black outfit or something where the stains would not be visible. Also, wear loose clothes because tight clothing will keep rubbing off the top layer of the spray tan hence wear loose fitting clothes. Use disposable underwear, since it might get all the tanning products in it.

4. Getting a Spray Tan

The steps mentioned above are the spray tan prep or the pre-tan prep that you should do before any tanning session. What happens after this varies based on the fake tan method you use.

If you’re the spray tan type, you will do the mentioned steps a few hours before your appointment. When you reach the spray tan salon, the employee usually tells you everything you need to know about the procedure.

They provide you with lotions you are supposed to apply to your nails, the palms of your hand, and the souls of your feet. They also provide you with plastic caps to put on your head so your hair doesn’t get spray tan, it is advised to wear a protective hair cap, carry more hair caps if needed.

They then would take you to the tanning booth, where a professional will be putting the spray tan on you. You get to choose the spray tan color and the level of darkness when you’re booking your appointment.

The professional sprays you with an airbrush machine. The first layer is called the Bronzer, which is the layer that gets washed off. After this layer, they airbrush the actual spray tan solution, called the DHA (Dihydroxyacetone). That’s why this method is also called Airbrush tan.

DHA is a plant-derived active ingredient that interacts with the amino acids in our skin’s dead skin cells and causes the chemical reaction that causes the skin to darken. This is the main ingredient in every spray tanning and over-the-counter product.

After DHA has been sprayed, they dry your body with a blow-drying machine, and you are good to go. Some booths have the sprayers built into them, which means you only need to go inside and listen to the instructions the machine gives you regarding the way you have to position your body. The machine will put the spray tan on you and dry you. You have to turn your body to the back, front, and sides so that you don’t have weird tan lines.

5. Self-Tanner

Unlike spray tan, which needs to be done at the salon, you can apply self-tan at home. You can do it whenever you want, and you don’t have to book a spray tan appointment with anybody. Just purchase the self-tanner of your choice and a tanner mitt; that’s all you need.

6. Right Color

Spray tans come in different colors and undertones. Some brands have a red undertone to their products. These would look good on people who are fair but tan quite naturally. Before a spray tan, depending on your skin tone and its undertone, you will need to choose the perfect shade of spray tan.

Olive or green-leaning spray tans look amazing on people who have a neutral undertone with many green hues on their skin. Caramel-brown spray tans work wonders for people who have a naturally golden tone with a golden glow with warm undertones.

If you notice a spray tan looks mainly orange on you or too green or too brown, it’s probably because the color of that particular product is clashing with the skin tone that you naturally have.

7. Mirror & Natural Light

Make sure you apply your product to your skin in a natural light place. This is a good tan tip. Natural light is best to apply tan or makeup. You will be able to see every part of your skin very clearly, and this will help you blend the product seamlessly throughout the skin.

Also, see that you have a mirror in front of you, preferably a full-sized one, so you can see yourself from head to toe. This helps you see what spots you may have missed or not appropriately blended when self-tanning. Do the application process in a cool area, and you must avoid sweating (use baby powder); otherwise, there will be sweat lines on your skin when your spray tan develops.

8. Blending It In

Spray the self-tanner on your mitt or disposable gloves, whichever you prefer, and start applying it on your thighs. Avoid putting the product on your knees until you’ve applied it to the rest of your legs.

Now, take the leftover tanner on your mitt and rub it onto your knees. This way, your knees will not look streaky and patchy. Since they have so many creases and drier skin compared to the rest of the body, they need less product.

Put the product on your hands and chest and rub the leftover tan on your elbows. Do the same with your hands. When it comes to your hands, you need to be even more careful not to put too much product there.

Hands are notorious for getting uneven tan very fast. That’s why you need minimal product on your hands and feet. If the mitts don’t offer much control, you can use a foundation brush to blend the tan on your hands and feet. A good tan tip, make sure you bend your curl your fingers inwards so the tan can get into your knuckles.

9. Second Layer

If you feel like the product is not dark enough, you can apply a second layer of tan to your skin. Some people have skin that doesn’t adhere well to self-tanner.

They would notice that the tan doesn’t quite stick to their skin and tends to fade prematurely. If you are one of these people, putting your tan in layers can be very helpful. Just don’t pile on the excess product in dry areas.

10. Let It Develop

Once you have done the application process, it is time to let the tan sit and develop on your skin. Avoid wearing tight clothes. Tighter clothes will rub off the tan, and the product will stain lighter clothes. So, loose, black clothes, it is.

If you have light furniture, you might want to lay a dark towel down before sitting or lying on your couch or bed. Depending on the product you use, their developing time differs. Take a look at your product, and they would have mentioned how long you need to keep the product on before you can wash it off.

Usually, people leave their product on for 7 hours if they want a medium-deep tan. For a lighter tan, wash it off in 4 hours and if you want a darker tan, sleep with it on and wash it off in the morning. The tan would have had time to develop by then fully.

11. Aftercare

Just because you are using a sunless tan, it doesn’t mean you don’t need to apply sunscreen. Make sure you put on an adequate amount of sunscreen when you step out of the house to keep your skin protected against the sun.

Keep your skin hydrated and moisturize daily after you have had your tan. Here’s a great tan tip for you, to prolong your spray tan results, you need to keep your skin moisturized. Dry skin flakes off, and it will flake the tan off.

Spa treatments are not recommended after airbrush tan. If you have skin conditions, use products specifically formulated for sensitive skin. There are so many good ones in the market. Pat dry your skin after every bath instead of rubbing yourself with your towel. Aggressive rubbing will make the tan fade faster.

Enjoy your new glow this summer. I hope you enjoyed all these spray tan tips! I’d love to know if you have a tan tip that wasn’t mentioned in this article. Don’t forget to check out articles similar to the top you just read about: What should you do before a spray tan.

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