Spray tan advice?

Jul 2, 2015

Jessica D.

I've never spray tanned before, and I'm interested. I don't want to damage my skin anymore with the rays, but I like the way I look with a darker tone than "paper."

What is the process like? What should I expect? And my big question... Do I wear underwear? Lmao. Or goggles? Will the spray tan "dye" stain my clothes? And finally, how do I get the most out of it?

Any and all advice welcome! Thank you, lovelies :)

Jul 2, 2015

Justine S.

You should definitely ask Sarah N. She's the spray tan expert and she can give you all of this information better than most people can.

Jul 2, 2015

Roz X.

I had it done twice in a booth that was automated...some pay to be sprayed by a person, which is pretty intimate, but they can highlight abs, leg muscles, etc.
I had to put lotion on the bottoms of my feet and palms..along with my fingernails (it stains polish in the booth) and wear a cap. Other than that, I was nude...and alone. They gave me a demonstration of how to stand...and quarter turn each time the machine told me to...and then, I hit a button. They have stickers that you can put on for fun (these were in a basket in the booth) so that if you wanted a heart on your skin, you would place it and it would remain white against your tan skin, which I thought was fun. They offered a few kinds of tans...in varying shades. I went light. They also had 2 choices..either immediate color showing or one that gave just a sheen and the color deepened as the day progressed. (this option means you won't see results right away..and I think you need to because if some spots didn't hit right...they need to address them..such as the hairline.) I'd wear clothes that, if the color transfers for some reason, you won't be broken hearted. I'd also let myself air dry for a few minutes before putting my clothes back on.

Truthfully, I bought a 3 time package and only went twice. I didn't like it. I thought I had a more even, natural tan from my gradual self-tanner...and for much less. This year, so far, I'm embracing the pale..lol

Shower and exfoliate either the night before or a few hours before you go, but don't apply body lotion or oil to your skin. I would, however, exfoliate and lotion my body leading UP to the spray...as in the entire week before, but I do that anyway. This ensures a more even tan without color spotting. No showering afterward for me until the FOLLOWING DAY, as suggested by the staff. It washes away with any further exfoliation and slowly with each shower, although keeping lotioned up with extend your tan..and they probably sell tan extender at the spray spot. Don't panic when the color doesn't look even from a booth. I woke up even darker than when I went to bed...despite the color was still light. It looked splotchy until I took my shower and then applied lotion. Poof....then, it was all even and I felt relieved. I was freaking out soooo yeah....lol

Honestly, the most compliments I ever got was when I used Jergens mousse and their self-tanning face products..and I had the pricey St. Tropez and all that jazz. Everyone's skin is different. I can't see myself ever doing it again, but ya never know. I just feel more like myself pale.

It's best to go in and begin light...and work toward building a darker tan than to straight up walk in and have them spray you dark. This way you can find your shade. Check Yelp and Foursquare for reviews and photos...or seek out a reputable place with friends and family. A strong indicator are the OTHER guests and employees. If they have great tans, you stand a better chance of getting one. If you are comfortable enough, I'd suggest having someone spray you rather than a booth, but I wasn't feeling it and felt it was overpriced as I'd rather splurge on craft beer and my hair. ;)

Elle did an article on "How to get a natural looking tan when you're pale" that explains the process, with pictures, in detail.
Hope that helps!
http://www.elle.com/beauty/makeup-skin-care/news/a14938/pale-girls-guide-to-spray-tan/

Jul 2, 2015

Jessica D.

Oh my gosh, so helpful! Thanks so much! :)

Who is this Sarah N and how would I get a hold of her? Lol

Jul 2, 2015

Justine S.

She's on here. I'm pretty sure you can look up her profile but I'm pretty sure she works at a tanning salon or did.

Jul 2, 2015

Sarah N.

I highly suggest not going into a booth. A booth cannot see where your face is, hands, feet, etc. With too much solution on those areas it can look very fake and uneven. As an airbrush tech, I spend time with my clients prior to the airbrush tan to discuss what they want to achieve, their skin type, what they've done to prep, what products they use at home, if this is any special occasion.. etc. This cannot be done in a booth and even workers where the booth is are usually not trained in airbrush tans and even though they may pretend to know what they're talking about, they usually don't. I've been in booths before and was baffled by some responses I got from the workers and even more baffled from the results, it was horrible.
*To prep, it's best to shave and exfoliate about 12 to 24 hours prior to your appointment. This will result in a more even tan and plus I don't like to shave the day after my tan so it helps with that as well. I have dry skin so I like to moisturize about 2 hours before my tan, but not with anything thick like a body butter. A lot of places say to arrive with no products on your skin and to wash off any moisturizer but if I were to do that my tan would not look it's best so I don't agree with that. You may wear whatever you're comfortable in. Trust me, we see it all. All the girls who do airbrush tans at my job are licensed estheticians which I feel is nice since we can really talk with you and help you with a great prep process for the future as well as suggest aftercare to keep your tan looking best. You don't need to wear goggles, again all my responses are for custom airbrush tans. Some places have you apply globs of barrier cream on your hands and feet and nails inside the room since those areas are dry and with too much solution it can look unnatural. At my place, we do not have our clients do this, it is unnecessary because we are all trained on how to spray correctly to ensure there's not extra solution or none at all in those areas. We have a great light moisturizer in the room to apply a tiny amount and blend in around the hands and feet where they're dry but it's still natural, where as with globs of barrier cream, the solution doesn't develop at all in those areas which isn't good of course.

the solution we use, the bronzers may rub off on your clothes afterwards but it doesn't stain. We suggest coming in dark loose fitting clothing because tight clothes can rub off your tan a little bit but it will all wash off in the laundry. Depending on the solution you want to wait about 8 hours to shower, at this point the bronzers will wash off (don't worry its not your tan!) it's best to stand in the shower and let all your bronzers wash off before using any bath products but still avoid exfoliants and loofahs. After your first shower you want to keep your skin moisturized, this will help your tan last MUCH longer and fade evenly once it gets to that point. Don't use oil based products on your tan. Most places sell aftercare products, they're usually not a gimmick, honestly most I've tried have made a huge difference on how long my tan lasts. You can always buy these products on amazon as well. I've even noticed that most places are charging the same amount for a booth as a custom airbrush tan so not to be so redundant but I'd definitely suggest doing your research on where to go and find a place that does custom airbrush tans, I promise you won't regret it! I used to be a tan a holic & as I studied esthetics, I realized I couldn't damage my skin like this anymore so I airbrush once a week, but I also have a machine at my house so that helps. I had a client yesterday not believe me that my tan was real and she texted me this morning saying how much she loved it and now believes mine wasn't real and was actually an airbrush lol so as many bad experiences people can have, which I'm not denying there are definitely people who don't know what they're doing out there but it can be done beautifully. Sorry to ramble I tend to do that, and if you have any other questions let me know!

Jul 2, 2015

Sarah N.

And Justine, yes I worked at a tanning salon then started a mobile business but only for high profile clients & still have my movie business as well as work at a med spa & spa that offers airbrush tans. Even though I have the machine at my house, I do go out sometimes to places other than my job for a tan just for research to see how other people do it.

Jul 2, 2015

Justine S.

I just consider you the tan expert and I know that you'll always have the answer.

Jul 3, 2015

Sarah N.

Lol no I appreciate it, definitely don't consider myself an expert but I try :) You have a good memory, I feel bad I forget things about a lot of people on here sometimes

Jul 6, 2015

Jessica D.

Thank you so much for all the info :)