How To Maintain Your Tan – Spray Tanning
If you’re looking for a rayless tanning option, spray tanning is your solution. This tanning method offers immediate, natural-looking results that can help you maintain your summer tan all year.
If you want your authentic-looking tan to stick, follow these steps:
Prep the Skin
For a spray tan that will last, getting a clean and smooth base is important. Some steps to achieving that are:
- Showering
- Shaving
- Exfoliating
- Using a primer
Here is a breakdown of all of these steps.
1. Showering
You want to keep your skin clean and sweat-free before attending your spray tan session. Washing away impurities, dirt, and oil helps the spray tan to stick better. In fact, the best time to get a spray tan is right after you shower. Your skin will absorb the tan more quickly if it’s hydrated.
2. Shaving
If you plan on shaving, it is best to shave at least 24 hours before spraying. The reason behind this is to avoid open pores from shaving that the spray tan will sink into, leaving polka dot tan spots.
3. Exfoliating
Choosing an oil-free exfoliator helps remove dead skin without leaving a barrier on the skin resulting in lighter, uneven results.
4. Priming
A primer can be a helpful tool for maintaining your tan. Applying this product to the skin before getting a spray tan can help it to stick, even out, and last longer.
Things to Avoid
On the day of your spray tan, avoid waxing your body as this can leave a waxy residue resulting in uneven results. It’s also best to avoid waxing after your spray tan because it could strip off the tan.
Avoid tight clothes immediately after your spray tan. Instead, wear loose-fitting, dark-colored clothing or garments. These can help prevent the color from rubbing away before it has time to set in.
Another thing to avoid is getting a facial beforehand. Just like waxing, facials can leave a film on the skin and open up your pores to dirt.
How To Maintain Your Tan – UV Bed Tanning
Tanning in a tanning bed can be a great way to relax for downtime. Laying down in a warm bed listening to music is a comforting feeling that many enjoy. It’s also an excellent option to maintain your summer tan when sunning outside isn’t an option.
Exposure to UV light stimulates your body’s vitamin D production, many use this in the winter, and to combat seasonal affective disorder.
Tan Often
Just as your golden summer glow fades away without laying out, a bed tan will also begin to fade without regular use.
Use Professional Skin Care Tanning Products
Tanning lotions are not all created equal, and outdoor tanning lotions and oils are different from professional skin care lines of tanning products.
Tanning lotions are also made with high end skin care ingredients designed to hydrate the skin and improve appearance. These great ingredients can break down when exposed to high temperatures, such as being left in the car. When you’re not using your products, store it in a cool place, such as in a cabinet or a drawer.
Tanning lotions designed for bed tanning are made with Tyrosine, which is found in our skin naturally and initiates the tanning process, helping the skin tan faster and darker.
There are many lotion options with bronzers, intensifiers, tingle lotions, and moisture-enriching lotions. Tingle lotions can leave the skin feeling a bit itchy, but this and being flush for a few hours is normal.
Hydrate
The body is made up of 60 percent water, and the skin is 64 percent water. When using proper skincare, hydration is essential for healthy skin to hold a beautiful tan color.
Hydration also helps the skin to heal when it is damaged and you’ve experienced over-exposure. To avoid over-exposure, start at a lower time for tanning and gradually increase with time. Opting for a higher-level bed can also help with lower percentages of UVB rays.
How much water each person should drink a day depends on different factors. For example, if you weigh 120 pounds, drinking between 60 to 120 ounces of water a day should be enough. A good rule of thumb to follow is half an ounce to one ounce of water per pound you weigh.
Cool Showers
A hot shower after a long day seems like an excellent way to end the day, but did you know the heat can affect your tan?
A hot shower may feel good, but it can actually make the skin dry by peeling. When the skin is dry, it will crack and leave a tan looking uneven. A cool shower will leave the skin more refreshed and extend the life of your tan.
Moisturize
When tanning by a spray booth or tanning bed, moisturizing plays a large role in keeping the skin from drying out and cracking.
Daily moisturizing keeps the skin full of moisture for a long-lasting tan. A moisturizer with a bronzer can give the appearance of a darker tan in between tan sessions. Be sure to use professional tan extenders, packed with high end skincare and provide optimal results.
For a tanning salon in MN, $5 Tan has different tanning packages to suit many tanning needs. Give us a call today or come in to find a VIP Membership Package.