How To Prepare For Your Spray Tan & What To Expect

Here’s a few tips and handy hints to ensure that you get an even, beautiful spray tan.

1.  Make sure you shave or wax before your appointment.

A lot of people say to do it a day or two before (so your pores close) especially as the solution is dark or has a bronzer in it.

2.  Be sure to exfoliate your skin the day before your appointment.

Based on the way self tanners work, it’s important to slough off as much dead and dry skin as possible before your spray tan.  It is all in the preparation - Prepare Exfoliating+Priming Scrub Sachet removes impurities with the finest pumice, for a gentle yet effective exfoliation. Infused with moisturising Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter, it leaves skin feeling super soft and hydrated. You’ll get a better result!

3.  It's best to turn up with no moisturiser or deodorant on and makeup and foundation-free.

You can remove your makeup at the salon as we have face wipes, but best to arrive product free.

These products contain ingredients like oils that can make it hard for the main ingredient in self tanning spray to bind to your skin. This could cause your spray tan to look streaky and blotchy.  You don’t want that!

4. While the therapist waits for you outside the room, get completely undressed.

You can keep your knickers on if you wish, but if you do, we'd recommend opting for something minimal, like a thong, as you'll be left with white patches underneath. Remove all jewellery and get to grips with the accessories provided.

5. The accessories!

You can wear our disposable pants (or a thong – in which case make sure you get it on the right way round!), which you can wear home for ease or wear your own if you wish. Next, a hair net or turban – to protect your locks (keep your ears out, no matter how silly you feel.) Finally, sticky feet for you to step onto – they help to avoid getting fake tan on your soles. Easy.

6.  Right before application, you can put a little vaseline or moisturiser on your knees, ankles, elbows, and palms.  Put some lip balm on your lips.

These are areas that can get a little darker, or weirder than the rest of your skin.  You’ll have to experiment with this, but protecting these areas from absorbing too much spray tan is generally a good idea.  You could also wipe those areas down a bit right after the spray tan is applied.

7.  Enter the tanning room (a one-person cubicle with an open front)

The therapist will usually start by applying the formula,

dispersed through a spray gun, to your face. As advised, take a deep breath and close your eyes. Be prepared as it will feel cold.

Although every therapist tans differently, they'll usually work their way down the body doing the front first and then your back when they might ask you to lean your bum out. Don't stress – it's just so there are no white patches in any 'creases'! You'll be asked to claw your hands to get between knuckle creases, too.

8. Follow the therapist's instructions on how to stand.

It might be a case of "left arm up, right arm forwards while you bend your knees" at some points, but while you may feel silly it's easy to follow. Two all-over layers is pretty standard but again, this varies.

9. All therapists seem to have an individual 'secret' technique.

Some might buff the skin with a mitt around the wrists and ankles for perfection when they're done, or others may dry you down with an air hose to ensure you're fully dry. All should wipe down the palms of your hands and cleanse your nails for you.

10. When you're dry you can get dressed.

You should ideally bring loose, dark clothing and nothing that may rub the tan off, like tight ankle boots.

11. You may smell a little bit like malty biscuits

It's nothing like as potent as fake tan used to be. Apply perfume to your clothes, not your skin, if you want to disguise it.

12. Try to keep the spray tan solution on overnight and don’t use any moisturiser until the next day.

That means no showering, using soap, or any moisturiser for at least 8 hours. You could shrink that time down a little, but you won’t get the best results if you do.  The colour starts to develop within an hour or two and really kicks in within 3-5 hours. Sleep with some old sheets or pile on the towels to avoid too much of a mess!

Whatever you decide, a spray tan can be a great way to get a beautiful, lasting tan.