Spray Tan FAQ
- reaganmackey
- Feb 19, 2016
- 7 min read
You guys have been asking a LOT of great questions about my original Suntan City post, so for everyone's convenience I thought I would compile them all here for easy reading!
Here are the most common topics I am asked about:
1. Uneven Tan
"Thank you so much for this! You were WAY more helpful then the people at STC! I was really nervous because im so pale, and i did stick with the light clear, and so far im happy with the results. The spray stuck to some areas more than others (despite my exfoliation), but overall, a success! Thank you!" -Amy M
❤ My thoughts: I sometimes still have this issue as well! If you notice it happening frequently, you might consider putting a little bit of blocker cream on your elbows, knees, and any other areas that seem to be grabbing more solution than they should. This blocker cream provides a very thin barrier, so it won't block the tan completely, it will just keep it from setting in as much. This is super helpful for hands and feet because it makes it SO much easier to rinse off later. However, if you don't rinse, the color will still develop where you put the cream, it will just be a bit lighter.
2. Suntan City Products
"I have an STC membership and was really disappointed in the associate. I'm not as well versed as you, but I had on skinny jeans and a light coloured close fitting top. She was pushing hard to get me to use points to "double dip". After asking if my clothes would be an issue, she replied no! (I was shocked!) At which point she started telling me how I *must* buy a primer lotion to do a sunless tan. I'm pretty sure I don't actually need one. Needless to say, I passed and got my vitamin D (I work nights which is why I go.) What's your take on the whole primer thing they're pushing?" -Laila C
❤ [Lots and lots of] My thoughts: I'm going to give a very roundabout answer to your question, so bear with me. Spray tans and UV tans need moisture for different reasons. When you lay in a tanning bed, the UV light from the bed activates melanin in your skin, bringing it to the surface and causing your skin to look temporarily darker. Just like being in the sun, this exposure is very dehydrating to your skin, which is why product is so crucial. Now, most of the tanning lotions they sell at the salon do actually help with this process by providing your skin with things like vitamin A. This helps your skin to hold on to moisture, produce more melanin, and hold on to your tan. That being said, the crucial thing here is hydration. You will get that from a $100 bottle of tanning lotion, and you will get that from a $4 bottle of Nivea. While I don't doubt that these salon lotions are "specially formulated" and all that crap, for me personally, it's just not worth it. Now, when it comes to the spray tans, we're talking about a different process. Instead of activating melanin in your skin, the spray tan is basically a "chemical" solution designed to darken the surface it's applied to. However, during a spray tan, hydration is just as important. Remember how I talked about exfoliating and moisturizing? Here's why. When the UV rays from a tanning bed activate melanin, it brings it from deep within your skin to the surface. In contrast, a spray tan will only penetrate the outer most layer of skin. So as soon as that layer of skin is gone, so is your tan. Every day you lose close to 1 million skin cells. (Don't worry your body is already producing trillions more.) Now the annoying thing is that different parts of your body lose skin cells much faster than others, which is why sometimes, despite your vigilant moisturizing, you still end up with patchy places a week later. The point of exfoliating is to help this process along as much as possible, by getting off as many dead skin cells as possible. That way, the tan can grab on to the new, shiny skin cells underneath, which will take longer to shed. NOW, if you have actually read through this coffee and ADD fueled rambling, I will answer your question. The lotion or "primer", simply stated, is to help your skin cells stay hydrated, and not flake off as quickly. That's pretty much it. They're still going to fall off eventually and take your beautiful tan with them. Now some of those professional primers do have some cool features like helping to "balance your skins's PH level" and stuff like that, but at the end of the day, they're just moisturizers. And let’s be clear, even the greatest primer/extender/whateverotherfancywordstheyuse is not going to add weeks to your tan. We’re talking days. Maybe just a day. (Also, I'm not completely convinced that their "studies" of those lotions are completely accurate. I have a feeling that the results of people using those primers are being compared to people who used nothing. I'd be willing to bet that it's the repeated use of moisturizer that actually made the difference, not the "special" ingredients. If someone could just whip up a blind study on this for me I’d really appreciate it.) But anyways, if you’re curious, get yourself a sample! Those little $4 packets will last you at least 2-3 sessions. And if you love it, and have 60 extra bucks lying around, awesome! Power to ya’. But if you’re like me, you might feel like it’s just not worth it. (In 30 days, all the skin cells you’re looking at will be replaced anyways!) So just be good about exfoliating before every tan, and using your moisturizer every day, and I think you’ll be just fine.
3. Breakouts
"Wow Thanks for your information! I went to Sun Tan City 2 weeks ago for my 1st spray tan with them I had only been to Total Tan a couple weeks before and that was a JOKE! The only issue I had was this past week I broke out with a couple good size face BOMBS. I haven't had that since highshool and its been 19 years now. I think it's truly because I was too afraid to use my normal face wash to ruin my tan I'm going to go again now for the 2nd spray BUT now that I ran across your blog here I think I might be fine BUT my ONLY question to you if you or anyone else can help me is: Besides the Body Shop Face Wash what else can I use I bought this nice natural face wash from Ulta called Purity. How would I know if that would strip my face tan? I will NOT use the natural baby wash on my damn face like I did the past couple weeks because I need to properly clean my face obviously. Any advice is greatly appreciated! :)" -honestntrue
❤ My thoughts: I still have issues with breakouts as well and I know it can be so frustrating. As far as the face wash goes, there are a couple things I would avoid. First, anything labeled "exfoliator" or "micro beads". Like I said, it's great to exfoliate before your tan, but afterwards it's just going to strip the color right off. Second would be products containing salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, both of which are strong acne fighters. If you avoid those, you should be safe with whatever you pick. There are a million brands that specifically make "face" wash (Aveeno, Neutrogena, etc), but personally, I would highly recommend Dove beauty bars. It's literally just white soap, but weirdly enough it has helped my skin so much in the past few months. Simplicity is key I guess!
4. Choosing a Shade
"I have gotten 4 spray tans at sun tan city and have always chosen medium clear with hydrate, but each time it has barely changed my color. I am medium skinned to begin with, but I don't understand why it is only barely changing my color. I follow your steps religiously, but am a little timid to try dark! any advice?" -Mandy
❤ My thoughts: My advice is go for it. I think because people have different base tones in their skin, the color shows up differently for many people. My skin has very yellow undertones (as opposed to more "pinkish") so I bronze VERY easily and sometimes it takes a darker color to really notice a change. If you're really concerned, don't sleep in it the first time. Let it sit for 4-6 hours and then shower, and you can decide whether or not you like the color. If you do, then next time let it develop overnight. Like I said, we're not really working with an "air brush" color here, it's really just a bronzing based on your skin tone. Having said that though, I have noticed a SLIGHT difference in the tone of these shades (referring to the light, medium and dark) so this way you can give it a test run.
5. Development Time
"So what would happen if I showered after 4-5 hours? " -Abby S
❤ My thoughts: Waiting 4-5 hours would just give you a little bit lighter color! Just like if you were laying out. The longer you wait, the darker you get. It would still look great I'm sure. I just like to sleep in it because it will continue to develop for up to 12 hours, and I want to get the absolute maximum amount of tan for my money. :)
So there you have it! I hope you find these answers useful! If you have any other questions not covered here, please feel free to reach out, and I'll try to be as helpful as possible!
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