We all want that beautiful, healthy glow and a custom spray tan is the best way to get it. While spray tans can leave your skin looking and feeling amazing, there are a few spray tan tips to help you make the most out of your tan.
Making the most of your spray tan means taking time to prepare before your session and being mindful of spray tan care in the days following. And of course, always making sure you take good care of your skin with or without a spray tan.
Let’s look at spray tan aftercare tips to make sure your skin stays beautiful from the moment you leave the studio to your next tan.
Spray Tan Aftercare: 24 Hours After Your Tan
The first 24 hours after your spray tan can make or break how it looks, so it’s important to know what to do after a spray tan. With proper care, your spray tan will keep that stellar glow. Here are some of our favorite tips:
1. WEAR LOOSE-FITTING CLOTHING
After your tan, you should wear loose-fitting clothing so your tan doesn’t rub off or look uneven. The perfect outfit is a long, black t-shirt dress and sandals. You’ll want to avoid wearing anything tight, like jeans, leggings, yoga pants, socks, or sneakers.
2. GO COMMANDO
It might sound silly but try to avoid wearing a bra or undies directly after your spray tan. If you do want to wear underwear, choose a loose, dark pair as the spray tan solution could stain nylon or Lycra (it washes out of most fabrics, though). If you want to wear a bra, choose a strapless or bandeau style.
3. STAY DRY
To help your tan develop, you’ll want to avoid all moisture for at least 4-5 hours after you get a spray tan. This includes showering, workouts, hot yoga, lotions, liquid foundation, etc. Staying dry will help the spray tan solution adhere to your skin.
4. WAIT TO SHOWER
We recommend showering no sooner than 4 hours after your spray tan, but no longer than 24 hours after. When you do shower, be gentle and only use oil-free cleansers. Avoid any exfoliants and just use the palm of your hand to gently rinse off the surface bronzer. Avoid harsh scrubbing, hot water, drying soaps, and other chemicals. Pat yourself dry instead of rubbing.
5. MOISTURIZE AFTER THE SHOWER
After your shower, moisturize with an oil-free moisturizer. Hydrated skin maintains a tan longer than dry, thirsty skin. Remember the previous spray tan aftercare tip to stay dry and make sure that any moisturizing occurs at least 4 hours after the spray tan.
These spray tan aftercare tips will help you navigate the first 24 hours after your tan, but having a great tan also involves good skincare between appointments to keep you fresh and glowing.
6. AVOID MAKEUP
Many people wonder “can you put makeup over a fresh spray tan?”. However, like any moisture, you want to try and avoid applying any makeup for at least 6 to 8 hours after a spray tan. Applying makeup or any other types of moisturizer can alter the color of a fresh spray tan or cause blotches.
Spray Tan Aftercare: 1 Week After Your Tan
Your spray tan will last anywhere between 5-10 days, depending on your skin complexion and how you care for your tan. Taking good care of your skin and your tan in the week after a spray tan is super important, so try these tips:
1. MOISTURIZE DAILY
Make sure to moisturize in the morning and evening to keep your skin looking healthy. Look for an oil-free, natural moisturizer like Lubriderm or Cerave.
2. AVOID SWIMMING
Avoiding swimming, long showers, baths, steam rooms, saunas, or any other activity that exposes your skin to being wet for long periods of time.
3. AVOID CHEMICALS AND ADHESIVES
Avoid harsh chemicals such as chlorine, products containing acids, massages, fashion tape, bandages, and anything else that may strip your tan.
4. TRY NOT TO TOUCH YOUR SKIN
Keep your hands off your skin as much as possible to avoid discoloration. This includes crossing your legs and arms for long periods of time.
Preparing for Your Next Spray Tan
In continuing with our list of spray tan aftercare tips, we also want to share some tips on how to prepare your skin for the next spray tan.
1. PROPERLY EXFOLIATE YOUR SKIN
To best prepare for your next appointment, start by exfoliating your skin to help remove a spray tan. Exfoliants help get rid of the top layer of your skin and make it more receptive to the spray tan solution.
Prepare for your appointment by exfoliating at least 4 hours before. This gives your pores time to close up, which helps avoid discoloration. It will also leave you with a fresh new layer of skin to tan. Make sure your exfoliant is oil-free and made from organic and natural ingredients. You can also use an exfoliating mitt to help remove dead skin and old spray tan.
2. REMOVE LOTION AND MAKEUP
Be sure to clean off any lotions or makeup before coming to your next tanning appointment. Hydrated skin is beautiful skin, but lotions make it harder for the tanning solution to adhere to your skin.
3. GET BEAUTY SERVICES BEFORE SPRAY TAN
Get all of your beauty services, like nails, waxing, or a massage before your spray tan to avoid the potential of rubbing off a fresh spray tan. Make sure to wax at least 24 hours before a spray tan to make sure any leftover wax is cleaned off.
4. SHAVE BEFORE APPOINTMENT
If you need to shave, do so 4 to 12 hours before your spray tan to avoid irritation.
Spray Tan Aftercare: Good Skincare
Spray tan aftercare goes far beyond just what you wear in and out of the studio. To make the most out of your tan, take good care of your skin at all times. These tips will help you focus on the long-term health of your skin:
1. ALWAYS WEAR SPF
We can’t deny the beauty of bronzed skin, but that doesn’t mean you should sit out in the sun to tan. Harmful UV rays can cause skin damage like wrinkles and age spots, and may increase your risk for skin cancer. Always apply at least an SPF 15 sunscreen, even if you don’t plan on spending a lot of time outside. Even a little sun here and there can impact your skin’s health.
2. BE GENTLE
With all the things we put our skin through, from shaving and showering to trying new beauty products, it’s no wonder that it gets tired. To help your skin recover and adhere to good spray tan aftercare, try these tips:
Take shorter, cooler showers instead of long, hot ones
Avoid strong soaps that have stripping chemicals
Use shaving cream when shaving to lubricate your skin
Pat yourself dry instead of rubbing your skin
Moisturize daily
3. EAT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES
Your diet plays an important role in your skin health and can help you look and feel your best. Eat plenty of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins. Try supplements like fish oil to nourish skin and avoid unhealthy fats and processed or refined carbohydrates.
4. HYDRATE
Drinking lots of water not only helps your skin, but it helps your body as a whole. One recommendation is to drink eight, 8 oz. glasses of water a day (64 ounces). Another suggestion is to divide your body weight in half and drink that many ounces. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you would drink 75 ounces.
While these spray tan aftercare tips don’t have to do with your actual spray tan, they do promote healthy skin, which is the key to getting a glowing tan.
Experience the Be Bronze Difference
At Be Bronze Studio, we believe that beautiful skin begins with exceptional skincare like knowing what to do after a spray tan. Our tans nourish and improve your skin while giving you a mesmerizing glow and our custom airbrush spray tan solution is loaded with skin-perfecting ingredients, anti-aging botanicals, and other repairing ingredients to support your skin health.
You can even enhance your tan with our Be Bronze spray tanning mousse to keep that glow even when you can’t make it to the studio.
These spray tan aftercare tips will help increase the longevity of your tan and leave your skin feeling healthy and refreshed at all times.