5 Tips for the Best Looking Spray Tan

An important fact to remember when spray tanning is that the life of a sunless tan is dictated by the speed with which you shed dead skin cells. This cycle can be anything from 5 to 10 days. The longer your client’s spray tan lasts, the happier they will be and more likely to return. However, it is important to educate your clients when it comes to guaranteeing them a fabulous tan without the sun. Follow these steps for the longest lasting, most natural looking spray tan.
1) Tell clients to exfoliate before their spray tan. Exfoliation prior to having a spray tan is vital, as it means you are removing all the loose dead skin cells so the DHA will adhere to your skin better and the tan will then also last longer. This also reduces the likelihood of a tan becoming patchy as it fades due to the fact you are starting with an even surface. Unfortunately, many exfoliators contain moisturizers or oils that act as a barrier and prevent the DHA from adhering to your skin. It is important that you use an exfoliator that has been specifically designed for use in the sunless tanning process.
2) Determine the right amount of DHA to spray on each client. You should choose a solution with the right amount of DHA for each client’s skin type. If you use the same solution on everyone and just spray more or less of that liquid depending on their skin color, their resulting tan may be too light or may cause your client to turn orange. For example, if your customer has fair skin and is sprayed with a 12% DHA solution and should only be tanned with an 8% DHA solution, you risk them turning orange. The flip side is also true—if your client has olive skin and tans easily in the sun and is sprayed with an 8% DHA solution, the resulting tan may be too light for them and less noticeable.
3) Inform your clients to wait the appropriate time before showering or working out. Tell your customers that the spray tan needs time on the skin to develop and recommended they wait 8 hours before showering, working out or doing any activity that would cause them to sweat. If they want to shower earlier, you may want to offer an “express” spray tan service like Aviva Labs City Tan™ Collection that allows clients to shower in as little as 30 minutes after their service. I recommend charging $10-$15 more for an express spray tan.
4) Tell clients to shower with only water for the first shower after a spray tan.This may sound “yucky” to you but it will prevent them from removing any of their spray tan prematurely. They can use a washcloth daily but using a loofah will scrub off the tan.
5) Encourage clients to moisturize daily after a spray tan. Moisturizing the skin extends the tan up to 3 days because it slows down the skin’s shedding process. Advise them to use a moisturizer specifically designed for spray tanning. Regular moisturizers may not protect their tan because their ingredients can actually degrade the color and cause it to fade faster.