SUNLESS TANNING FAQ
How long does a spray tan last?
The color you get from a spray tan won’t fade away, but it will disappear as your body naturally sloughs off dead skin cells. Only your top layer of skin cells receive color; these skin cells are already dead, which means it is only a matter of time before they slough off. After about 5 to 7 days, nearly all of these cells will be gone and you will return to your normal color.
How should I prepare for a spray tan?
There are two big must-do spray tan tips that you should follow before you spray tan: Exfoliate and moisturize.
The night before you spray tan, take a good exfoliant and loofah sponge with you into the shower and scrub off all those dead skin cells. Spray tan only colors your outermost layer of skin, so why waste your tan on skin cells that are about to slough off? Scrubbing down to that new layer of skin will help ensure that your color lasts for a full 5 to 7 days.
Moisturizing your skin a few hours before your spray tan will help your skin absorb the tanning solution. The trick is to use a water-based moisturizer instead of an oil-based one. (Oil-based products will coat the skin and keep the tanning solution from seeping in.) Also, dry skin sloughs off faster than moist skin, so this is just one more step that will improve the longevity of your tan. Pay special attention to your elbows and knees, which tend to be drier than the rest of the body.
Are there any risks associated with using a spray tan?
DHA, the active ingredient in spray tans and other sunless tanning products, is perfectly safe for external use.
How does a spray tan work?
The ingredient that tans your skin is dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a colorless sugar that interacts with dead skin cells to create the tanned color. The DHA causes a chemical reaction with the proteins in the outer most layers of the skin, which causes the color of the skin to change, producing a beautiful natural tan. A spray tan does not dye the skin; the immediate color you see when your tan is applied is a color guide or bronzer that helps the technician not miss any sections and allows you to instantly see your tan. The DHA starts to react with the skin within 1 hours of the tan application and continues to do so for a total of 8 hours.
A spray gun is used to spray a combination of air and tanning solution directly onto the skin, which dries almost immediately. In less than 30 minutes with custom spraying you can have a flawless tan that will develop over the next 8 hours.
How soon will I see the tanning result?
You will receive an immediate, all natural looking tan as our product has a built in bronzer. Your tan will continue to develop over the 8 hours.
How long should I wait after a tanning session before showering, swimming or exercising?
To give your spray tan enough time to fully develop, it is recommended waiting a minimum of 8 hours after your spray tan (unless otherwise instructed). Showering, swimming or exercising sooner may diminish the intensity of the tan.
Will swimming affect my spray tan?
Swimming in chlorinated water or salt water will fade your tan and could cause possible streaking. When swimming try to only go for short dips and rinse off in fresh water afterwards. Remember to reapply your sunscreen.
Should I shave or wax before or after I get my spray tan?
Whether you shave or wax is completely up to you, both should be done before the application of the tan. Ideally shaving should be done 8 hours before and waxing at least the day before. When waxing ensures that all wax is removed otherwise the tan will stick to the wax and will appear very dark where the wax has not been removed. Shaving after the application will take off some of your tan, so shave on days when you really need to and ensure that your blade is sharp. You will be sprayed with the solution containing bronzer so it is best to shave or wax one day before, as the bronzer gets into the newly created pores and can give you "spotty" look.
What should I wear?
You may wear whatever you feel comfortable in whether you wear nothing, underwear, thong bottoms or a swim suit, it iscompletely up to you. Our solution washes out of your clothing so their is no need to worry. You may also want to take into account clothing that you will be wearing over the next few days. Think about the styles of clothing that you will be wearing for your special occasion or your vacation to determine where you do or don't want tan lines.
After your tan, wear loose, dark and preferably cotton clothing. Your tan will be dry but there may be residue on your body(the hairs on your arms for example) It is best to wear clothes and shoes as loose as possible, to make sure nothing rubs off. Ensure any clothing that is worn immediately after the application of the tan is dark in color to prevent the risk of staining it. Our solution is water soluable so any residue will wash out of your clothing.
What else can I do to extend and beautify my new tan?
Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!! Avoid shaving your legs with a heavy hand, pat your skin dry instead of rubbing, stay away from creams with AHA and try to avoid chorine. We offer a wide range of products that will help you prolong your new tan., including custom self tanning moisturizers to use throughout the week after your session. These product helps to maintain your tan's intensity for a longer period. Our suggestion is to use your high spf sunscreen by day and your self tanner at night while you are out for dinner and sleeping. It's like reversing your tanning while saving your skin!! You will look great your whole vacation!
How long will it take to get my spray tan?
The actual custom spray tanning process only takes about 15 minutes. You can expect to be at our salon for approximately 30 minutes, including filling out our client profile (first time clients) undressing, having the spray tan applied, drying, and re-dressing.