PREPARATION
What to do before the tan?
The technique of your spray tan artist is important, however prepping your skin is essential to having amazing results. You are going to want to prep at least 24 hours before your spray sesh!
If you're planning on getting other services such as manis, pedis, massages, waxing/sugaring, facials, lash extensions, do them at least 24 hours before your tan. Shower, shave and exfoliate the night before NOT right before. Skin exfoliation is essential to a flawless tan, do not use an abrasive exfoliant (like a loofah, salt or sugar scrub) because that will create little scratches on the surface of the skin. Think of it like using sandpaper on a wall before painting. However, the use of an abrasive exfoliant may be used at least 72 hours prior to any sunless tanning session, this will allow the skin enough time to heal. We believe that it is best to stick to exfoliants that dissolve dead skin cells and leave the surface smooth and even. Try our Infinity Sun pineapple enzyme exfoliant. It smells great and creates a flawless canvass for picture perfect sunless tans.
Cleanse the skin with a non oil based skin cleanser– Oil, heavy moisturizers, and perfume will prevent the activation of the sunless tanner and the color will not develop fully. Avoid applying lotion, deodorant, makeup or any other products to your skin before your session, these will create a barrier and won't allow the solution to penetrate the skin. PS...we carry a body wash specifically made for spray tanning, so be sure to snag a bottle during your visit to ensure incredible results.
Wear an old bra and underwear, a bathing suit or even your birthday suit (Men must wear bottoms). Be sure to remove all jewelry prior to your session. We recommend wearing dark, loose fitting clothes and loose shoes or flip flops after your session. Do NOT wear leggings or jeans.
CHECK OUT WHAT OUR SPRAY TAN SESSIONS LOOK LIKE
MAINTENANCE & AFTERCARE
Depending on which solution you choose, your technician will inform you when you can rinse. While your tan is developing do NOT touch your skin and avoid skin to skin contact until your first rinse. . If you sprayed at night you can wait until the following day before you shower. You should shower prior to any swimming or working out/sweating. This will enable you to achieve full activation and will keep the color vibrant, even and flawless much longer.
When rinsing, be sure to use lukewarm/cool water and NO soap. This will rinse off the cosmetic bronzer sitting on the top of your skin. Be sure to rinse all of the cosmetic bronzer off of your skin, using your hands to help remove the bronzer until the water runs clear. Be sure to remove ALL of the cosmetic bronzer. If you chose a "clear solution," you won't see any cosmetic bronzer wash away, because well...it's a clear solution. Fun Fact- with a clear solution, since there isn't a cosmetic bronzer sitting on the top layer of your skin, whatever color you see when you're ready to rinse will be the same color after your rinse! Avoid long hot showers and baths and remember to pat your skin dry after showering/bathing.
Your tan will look lighter after the cosmetic bronzer has been washed away, but the tan will deepen in color for up to 24 hours! Wait about 24 hours to shower with body wash after your appointment. Just a friendly reminder, we do carry a spray tan safe body wash to use while your glowing!
Keep the skin hydrated!- By keeping the little skin cells plumped up with moisture, you will prevent dehydration from setting in and will slow down your body’s natural shedding of skin cells. This will keep the color on the body longer. Drink plenty of water and green tea. By keeping your skin hydrated from the inside, you will keep the skin cells on the body longer. Try our Extender for an extra punch of moisture! The Extender is a water based lotion that hydrates skin cells naturally.
Touch up– When areas such as the face, hands or feet begin to fade, there is no need to do an all over body application. Pick up a Glow on the Go sunless tanning aerosol while you're at the salon to touch up on those areas.
**Before you get ready to do your next full body application; remember to remove ALL of the remnants of your previous application. The worse thing to do is layer sunless over sunless. The best way is to soak in a tub with sea salt and essential oils. Sluff off the color as gently as possible. Wait a couple of days then do your non-abrasive exfoliant and voila! You will be ready to start again!
THINGS TO REMEMBER...
Water is NOT your friend- Avoid showering, rain, sweating, drooling, crying and any exposure to water before your first shower. Ladies this means no dishes and laundry, wooohoooo!!
Avoid Jacuzzis, swimming pools and the ocean as much as possible, they will shorten the length of your tan. If you must get in one of these, just splash around for a few moments, hop out, pat yourself dry and grab a margarita.
Always remember that this is NOT a real tan, so if you're tanning for vacation in a nice tropical location, please apply SPF. The lotion kind NOT the aerosol, the alcohol in those will strip your tan faster. We recommend Sun Bum, they are spray tan friendly.
Being on vacation is always awesome but remember, the more you are doing to your skin the faster the tan will fade. This includes going in and out of the pool/ocean and toweling off, sweating, 2-3 showers a day.
Being sunburned sucks, DO NOT come to us to cover it up with a spray tan, instead go to the doctor or take a bath in aloe! On a serious note, instead of trying to spray tan over your sunburn, get a normalizing elixir treatment that's packed with aloe to help soothe your damaged skin. A spray tan WILL NOT fix your sunburn, if anything the sunburn will ruin your spray tan. Just think, when your skin starts to peel, so does your tan. So take this time to be kind to your skin, hydrate it, aloe it up, apologize to it and when your skin is all healed up THEN you can come in and have us even out your tan a bit.
Moisturize, moisturize, MOISTURIZE....hope you get the point! Well hydrated skin will hold a tan better and longer and will eliminate crocodile skin which may cause spots or a blotchy uneven tan.
If you have super dry skin around your knees and elbows, apply a light moisturizer to those areas prior to your tanning session. We recommend using our Sunless Pro Intensifier, a conditioning color developer infused with Vitamin D3, Caffeine, and Avocado Oil. Pre-Tan Intensifier works by hydrating and balancing your skin's pH levels while providing a perfectly conditioned canvas for the Sunless application. Used before each tan, Pre-Tan Intensifier will increase the depth and color of your Sunless Tan, as well as accelerate the tan's development time.
Do NOT exceed the recommended limit given to you by your technician to shower, this can lead to an over development of your tan which results in an unnatural color.