Spray Tan Prep: 4 Things to Keep in Mind

You know that nothing can beat the bronzy glow a fresh spray tan can give you. The only problem is, you did an at-home treatment that one time and showed up to work the next day with orange palms, a pale hairline, and your left leg looked like it was melting.

This is why you’ve booked an appointment at a professional tanning salon – but, perfect results don’t begin and end with your service alone. While a professional sunless tan requires minimal participation on your part during the application process, it’s important to properly prepare your skin beforehand so you leave looking like the flawless, beach babe you are.

So, what should you do if you want the best, most natural-looking result possible? Don’t worry – follow these four simple spray tan prep steps to spray tan perfection and bask in the radiance of your sun-kissed looking skin.

Spray Tan Prep The Night Before

Take a shower, shave, and lightly exfoliate your skin with a gentle body scrub or soft loofah – concentrating on rougher spots like your knees, ankles, and elbows. Showering and exfoliating will remove surface oils and impurities as well as accumulations of dead skin cells which all impede an even result from your spray tan. You don’t want to over-exfoliate and irritate your skin, however, so don’t go too hard! A soft scrub is all you need.

Hold The Lotion

You’ll want to apply a thin coat of moisturizer to your skin after your shower the night before, being sure to hit those rough spots that you took so much care in smoothing out, but then put the lotion back on the shelf and forget about it until at least 6 hours after your service. Lotions and other topical preparations – like body butter, creams, and deodorant – can create a thin barrier over your skin that the spray tan may not be able to penetrate, potentially compromising your sunless tan result and longevity.

Wear Dark, Loose Clothing

Your tan should be dry enough when you leave that you won’t have to worry about it rubbing off on everything you touch, but tight clothing can certainly pick up some pigment if it’s in constant contact with your freshly tanned skin. This can stain your clothes and affect the evenness of the tan in the area the clothing came into contact with. Wearing something dark and loose helps ensure that your tan stays intact and that any incidental contact doesn’t result in you ruining your favorite pair of white undergarments.

Don’t Forget Loose Footwear Too!

You wouldn’t want to wear jeggings post tan, so wearing Uggs isn’t the best plan either. Socks, boots and other closed-toe footwear run the risk of rubbing continuously on your foot and ankle before your tan has the time to properly absorb into your skin. A light pair of sandals or flip flops will minimize contact with your foot and spare your ankles the embarrassment.

For even more detail on spray tan prep as well as post-tan tidbits, check out this article on sheknows.com and our blog for comprehensive articles about everything sunless tanning – then contact us for your next appointment. Your skin will thank you!