Spray Tanning - the Do's and Don'ts

A big shout out to the brains who brought us spray tanning. As every beauty therapist knows, this is one of THE most popular treatments on the menu in any beauty salon or day spa.

Perfectly tanned skin is a must for any social occasion from weddings to birthday bashes.

But, as every beautician in the trade can attest to, there is a list of golden rules that must be followed in order to achieve that beautiful bronzed glow.

We’ve put together a list of spray tanning do’s and don’ts that you can share with clients to avoid any tanning mishaps:

Before the spray tanning session, make sure clients:

DO exfoliate their skin 24 hours prior to getting a spray tan. This will remove the dead skin cells, help to achieve an even application and pro-long the length of time the tan will last for.

DO remove hair beforehand. It’s important that clients know to shave/wax legs and underarms the day before they are due to get their spray tan and do not attempt this after tan application as this will lead to a patchy end-result.

DON’T put on moisturiser, perfume, deodorant or any other beauty products before the appointment as the chemicals in these products can react adversely with the tan.

DO a patch test if this is the client’s first visit to the salon - no beauty therapist wants to be held responsible for the outbreak of a nasty rash!

After the spray tanning session, remind clients to:

DON’T wear tight-fitted clothing, a bra or socks. Flip flops, loose tops and baggy bottoms are ideal for throwing on after the application to prevent strap lines or patches appearing.

DON’T (with big flashing red lights) even dream of taking a shower, going for a swim and chilling out in a sauna for the first 12 hours after getting all tanned up!

DON’T engage in any intensive exercise (oh no, we hear you say!) as sweat is not your friend while your spray tan develops to optimum levels of brown.

DON’T scrub your skin when you do shower the following day as this will totally ruin the effort of it all.

DO moisturise, moisturise, moisturise! This is the secret to keeping your tan looking great for longer.

We hope our round-up of tanning rules will help you keep the clients happy and coming back for more. Feel free to print off and stick it up for all tan-addicts to gaze upon.

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