The ULTIMATE Suntan City Spray Tan Guide

As a long time patron of Suntan City, I have become well versed in the inner-most workings of this company, their services and their products. Over the years I slowly but surely began transitioning from the lay-down UV beds, to the spray tan booths, both for the convenience and the health concerns, and last year I quit using the UV beds all together. Now that I spray every week, I've had at least 100 test runs to perfect the experience to produce the best possible results. Besides tent spray tans for special events, I have only ever used Suntan City because I always get great results. I have many friends who have never spray tanned ask me on a daily basis if I have any advice for them, so I decided to compile it all here as a handy guide for anyone who might be interested.

Here goes.

So you might be wondering about the

COST:

1. There are a few different spray tan options at Suntan City. If you already have a basic package, the best time to spray is the weekends. It’s half prices upgrades, so it will only be around $12 for a spray tan. (Normally around $23 I think.) And they often run specials (like right now for example.) For all of August it’s only $10!

2. If you spray every week like I do, you can pay for the unlimited spray tan package which is the best deal. However, I honestly can’t remember exactly how much I pay, but I want to say around $40/month.

3. If you don’t have any type of package, no worries. There will be a little bit of paperwork involved, but you can walk right in off the street and pay for a single visit. Of course it will cost you a little bit more, but if you only want to try it once that’s your best bet.

Now that we’ve covered the cost, first things first. Here are some things to keep in mind before you run out to get a spray tan.

BASICS:

1. It will take a minimum of 6 hours for your spray tan to develop, and the color will continue to develop for up to 12 hours. Do not plan on spraying an hour before you have to be somewhere. The best plan is to spray right before bed and shower first thing in the morning.

2. You will reek. Just putting it out there. This is another reason to spray before bed. Just suck it up and plan on changing the sheets tomorrow. Because if you spray during the day (like I did today,) you’re going to want to be isolated from society for at least the next 7 hours. (Hints why I have the time to sit down and write this entire blog post.)

3. Water is your enemy. Any type of moisture will deactivate your tanning solution. Try to spray on a sunny day, but if you absolutely must spray on a rainy day, you better cover every inch of skin and carry a bucket umbrella.

Ok. Now that you have the basics, here are some tips on

PREPARATION:

1. To prep your skin for a spray tan, you need to do two things. Exfoliate and moisturize. The lovely ladies at the Suntan City counter get a commission if you buy their exfoliator and moisturizer in the beautiful, expensive bottles, but really any brand will work. Exfoliate to get the dead skin off, moisturize to help your skin hold on to the tan. (DO NOT use moisturizer with bronzer in it, including Jergins Glow. It will resist the tanning solution.) Do both of these things and you’ll add at least an extra 24 hours to the life of your tan. It also helps it to prevent peeling and help your tan fade more evenly. Make sure you do this at least an hour before your spray.

2. Besides moisturizer, don’t put anything on your body. No deodorant, no perfume and definitely no makeup. (Are you now understanding why I only do this under the cover of darkness?)

3. Wear clothes you won’t need soon. Because of the smell, anything touching your body will need to be washed as soon as you take them off. So if you hate laundry, don’t dress cute. Also make sure you wear loose clothing. (Here’s your excuse to skip the bra, ladies!) When you put your clothes back on after you spray, you need to be very careful not to rub your skin. Pick something that’s easy to get off and on.

Now we’re prepped! Here’s how it’s gonna go down.

THE OPTIONS:

1. The spray tan equipment at Suntan City is called Versa Spa. The Versa spray tan solution comes in 2 types and 3 shades. Light, medium and dark, in either a clear, or a “tinted” solution.

2. LISTEN TO ME. You will always, always ask for clear. The “tinted” has temporary bronzer in it which is suppose to make you look “tan” without waiting the 7 hours for the developer. You will not look tan. You will look orange. And your orange will rub off on EVERYTHING you touch. You. Want. Clear.

3. As far as the color goes, you cannot go wrong with the medium. “But I’m so pale!” you say. Trust me, it will be fine. Don’t think of it as “coloring in your skin” with a brown airbrush. It’s like the Almay makeup that changes color with your skin…it’s more of a “bronzing” situation. Whatever base color you start with, that will determine the final color you end up with. And worst case scenario, if you think you’re getting too dark, just shower! Voila! But if you’re really super paranoid, and it would make you feel better, go ahead and start with the light. You’ll still get color I promise. After you start spraying regularly (to the point where you maintain your tan all the time) you might consider trying a dark solution in the summer if you feel like you’re not looking any darker with the medium. I have pretty dark skin to begin with..so sometimes I do dark just to get a really deep color. Be careful though, it’s much easier to look orange with the dark solution.

4. The last option is something called “hydrate.” If you are paying for an individual package, it will cost you $5 extra. And in my opinion, it is worth every penny. The hydrate formula is like a liquid “moisture” spray at the end of your spray tan. It adds a layer of protection to your tan and cuts the smell dramatically. I would definitely recommend it but it’s up to you.

THE SPRAY TAN:

1. Firstly, go pee. You can’t get wet after this, remember? That means no hand washing, which means no peeing for a while. Remember what your mother told you. Even if you don’t have to, try.

2. When the lady at the counter asks you “What do you want to do today?” Tell her you want to spray. When she asks you what color, your response will be, “medium clear with hydrate.” She’ll send you back to a room and if you’ve never sprayed before offer to give you a tutorial. (But hopefully by the time you finish reading this you won’t even need a tutorial!)

3. In the spray tan room, you’ll see a huge spray booth, and there will be a little table with a towel and a hairnet. Strip down (don’t forget jewelry,) put your hair up, and put on the hairnet (making sure your ears are exposed!)

4. There will also be a shelf in there with a bunch of extra towels. Grab one of them and spread it out on the black mat by the booth.

5. On the wall there will be a pump that looks like a soap dispenser full of lotion. This is blocker cream and it helps keep the spray tan from clinging to your hands and feet. Take two pumps of lotion and rub it in all over your hands, in between your fingers and in your nail beds. Blend it down towards your wrists slightly also.

6. Then take 2 more pumps of lotion in your hand and step into the booth. Very carefully rub it all over your feet, on the bottoms, tops, and in between your toes, blending it up towards your ankles slightly. If there is still some on your hands don’t worry about it. You’ll wipe it off as soon as you’re done.

7. In front of you there will be a flashing green button, which will start your spray tan. When you hit this button, a moving nozzle will move from the top of the booth down (and then back up again) spraying the tanning solution. It will move up and down a total of 4 times while you stand in 4 different positions. Which brings me to the tanning positions. Don’t listen to the positions they tell you to stand in. They are stupid. Read the following.

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POSITIONS:

1) Front - Instead of putting your hands down by your side for position 1, put them over your head like this, with your palms touching. But instead of pointing your fingers straight up like this lady, point them behind you. The first time I sprayed with my hands by my side like the consultant told me to, I literally had a white stripe down both sides of my body, all the way up to my arm pits because the solution didn’t even touch this area. Putting your arms up makes sure every part of your upper body gets sprayed. Spread your feet a couple feet apart so your get an even coat. Also, it’s VERY important to make a conscious effort to keep your face relaxed. Your instinct will be to flinch with this ice cold liquid comes spraying at your eye balls, but don’t. Keep your face and body relaxed so you don’t get weird lines.

2) Side - Turn to the right, and put your arms in a “jogging” pose, with your right arm bent up in front of you, and your left arm bent up behind you. Again, feet spread, but this time straighten your back leg and try to pop your right knee a little bit so your thigh gets sprayed. (Sorry this picture is terrible but it’s the best I could do.)

3) Side - Do the same thing to the left.

4) Back - Face the back, and repeat pose 1.

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8. After these 4 sprays, you’ll get 4 “dry passes” of just air to dry the solution. DON’T TOUCH YOUR SKIN until it’s dry.

9. After the dry passes, if you chose to add hydrate the green button will light up again. When you’re ready, face the front again in position 1, and hit the button. It’s only 2 sprays. Face the front for one, face the back for one. Then you do the dry passes again.

*** NOTE: I know this sounds like a lot of pressure, but I promise it’s not as stressful as it sounds. The machine talks you through the whole process telling you exactly what to do (gotta love technology) and you will have plenty of time to change positions. There are also “beeps” in between each spray so you know when you can open your eyes. It’s very user friendly! ***

10. After your last dry pass, step out of the booth VERY carefully onto the towel. Very gently dab (don’t wipe!) any remaining wet spots on your skin, and wipe all the lotion off of your hands and feet. Throw your hairnet in the garbage and get dressed. There is a bin to drop your towels in on the way out.

Ta-da!!! You just spray tanned.

AFTER CARE:

1. Like I said before, stay away from water for at least 6 hours. The longer you wait to shower, the better your color will develop.

2. The only exception to this no water rule is your hands and feet. After 2 hours, wash your hands and rinse off your feet to stop the color from developing and keep your palms and the soles of your feet from turning gross orange. If you give the color 2 hours to develop first, it won’t leave a “tan line” on your wrists and ankles, it will fade perfectly. Promise.

3. If you look a little darker than you expected, don’t panic. After you shower the color will rinse off slightly and also look much more even. Also, the smell will linger after your first shower, but after the 2nd it will disappear completely. Slather on some scented lotion to mask the smell.

4. Stay moisturized. I've found that putting on lotion immediately after spraying makes me feel really sticky and gross, so I recommend waiting until after you shower. But after that point, put on lotion every day, especially in areas prone to peeling like your face and chest.

5. Avoid exfoliator in the shower (unless you have some unevenly tanned areas you’re trying to smooth) as it will fade your color faster.

OK let’s wrap it up.

PROBLEMS:

1. “I LOOK ORANGE!” –Unless you blatantly disregarded all of my instructions here, you won’t look orange. However, a very common issue is orange/brown palms and feet. If this happens don’t panic. Use a homemade scrub of sugar and lemon juice all over your hands and feet and it should come right off. (I’ve also heard that in extreme circumstances letting baby oil soak in your skin for 20 minutes removes tan completely.)

2. “I’M PEELING!” – Unfortunately, it happens. Especially in summer. That’s why it’s so important to prep your skin and stay constantly moisturized. If you start peeling really badly, or in an obvious area, exfoliate and moisturize over and over until your skin stops peeling. Then all you can really do to fix the color is spray again.

TIPS AND OTHER INFO:

1. Your face will be the first to fade because of how often it’s washed. Face wash (especially anti-acne) is designed with chemicals to exfoliate and clean deep down in your pores. (Which is normally a great thing if you’re not trying to preserve a tan.) I recommend using something natural (I love Body Shop Tea Tree face wash) to wash in the early stages of your spray tan. It will clean just as well but without all the chemicals that strip your tan so quickly.

2. Using Jergins Glow moisturizer (especially the kind for your face) will help your tan last a little bit longer and is well worth stocking up on.

Good luck!