This year before heading to Hawaii I decided to try a spray tan. Someone told me that they always got a spray tan before they did a beach vacation. She said that way she could have the suntan look without spending the time in the sun getting skin cancer.
Since I do not want skin cancer, I thought I’d give it a try!
Having never been to a spray tan salon, I was a little bit hesitant as I was fearful I would get the dreaded orange tone that is sometimes seen. I found a local salon just by searching Yelp and finding good reviews. I then talked to the lady about what my goal was – a natural looking tan. I was brave and went with the “medium” tone.
You strip down to a level of comfort – wearing less is better because then you have less tan lines. I just wore my panties, but suggest wearing whatever you feel most comfortable in.
Below left is the before. Below right is the after. I can’t see too much of a difference in these pictures but it was noticeable in person. It is the same lighting conditions.
This is the tan line that it produced. I think you can see quite the difference below here. After the tan, you are not supposed to shower, sweat (so no working out!), swim or bathe for 8 hours. The reason is because there is a bronzer placed on the skin too which develops over time, so if you doing any of the things above you’ll end up with streaks!
I recommend getting your tan in the morning, so that way you can shower before you go to bed. The first shower you will notice the bronzer washing off – that is okay, do not panic! The tan will still be there. The first shower you also do not use soap – it is basically just a quick rinse with warm but not super hot water.
Below is my tan 4 days after I had the spray tan, plus 1 day sun exposure in Hawaii.
Would I do it again? Yes, I think so. It was $45 for the session where I went. Next I’ll try the St. Tropez Self Tanning Mousse at home.
A Few Spray Tan Pointers based off a basic rule – the spray tan sits on the outer layer of skin. So anything you do that will cause the outer layer of skin to slough off will then cause your spray tan to slough off and last a shorter duration.
- Shave and wax the day before the appointment.
- Manicures and pedicures should done the day before the appointment as well.
- Exfoliate the day of!
- Do not shower, sweat, exercise, swim or bathe for at least 8 hours after your appointment to let your bronzer set in
- The spray tan takes about 24 hrs to develop, so get it a day before your event
- If you have never had one before and are getting it for say, a wedding, I would do a test run to make sure the color works on you and you don’t get an orange glow!
- Wear dark loose fitting clothing to and from the appointment – if you wear tight clothes your tan will rub off! I work black. My underwear got spray-tanned, so it was ruined – wear whatever clothes you don’t care about.
- For your first shower, do not use soap or super hot water.
- If you WANT your tan to come off ASAP, exfoliate, shave and sit in a hot tub.
