The importance of preparing for a Spray Tan
Preparing for an amazing Spray Tan does take some forethought!
“Spray tanning is 50% on the spray tan artist and 50% on the client’s prep and aftercare.”
Achieving a beautiful flawless safe Tan is easy when your skin is prepared correctly before the treatment. Your spray tan appointment is super quick and can be done from start to finish in as little as 30 minutes. This allows you the freedom to prep your skin to suit your schedule. Preparations can be done in advance to smooth out the skin to give the best base for your spray tan. Prep will help it last beyond its lifespan and fade with a natural result. To help you ahead of your appointment, here’s the definitive run-down of the top ten preparation hacks recommended by myself and other Sienna X spray tanning professionals.
HAVE A PATCH TEST Are you a first-time tanner? A patch test is always recommended to ensure the formula is suitable for your skin. This should be done at least 24-48 hours ahead of your appointment. The patch test is really quick to do- I will simply pop a dot of tanning solution behind your ear and on your arm using a cotton bud. It is a great chance to have a chat through the colour results you want to and decide which tanning solution to use.
BUFF AWAY DRY SKIN
I honestly can’t stress this enough!! Say goodbye to your any dead skin with your favourite gentle natural exfoliator. Simply buff your skin all over, concentrating on some of your slightly drier areas. Exfoliation helps to reveal a fresh new layer of smooth skin, helping your tan to last much longer. If possible, undergo this process at least 24 hours before your treatment to allow the skin’s pores to close fully. This prevents tan from building up in any unclosed pores.
WAX OR SHAVE AHEAD OF YOUR TREATMENT
Just like buffing away dry skin, be sure to factor in some time to wax or shave any unwanted hairs at least 48 hours before your treatment. This way, your pores have plenty of time to close so that any solution doesn’t cling and create unwanted dark patches giving a dotted ‘strawberry effect’.
MOISTURISE GENEROUSLY THE DAY BEFORE
To reduce dry areas take some time to moisturise. For best results, we recommend doing so overnight with an oil-free formula – this will help to provide the perfect tanning base for your solution. Oils can stay on your skin and act as a barrier meaning your tan may not be even or will fade quicker and unevenly.
RINSE OFF ANY PRODUCTS BEFORE
Ahead of your treatment, be sure to say goodbye to any products such as deodorant, perfume, oils, moisturisers, and makeup before attending your spray tanning appointment. This way, the solution won’t cling to them and leave you with any white patches. Products such as these actually tend to act like a barrier and won’t allow your beautiful tan to take effect- and your tan certainly won’t last as long as it could!
BE SURE TO SCHEDULE ANY OTHER GLAM APPOINTMENTS OVER 24 HOURS BEFORE YOUR SPRAY TAN APPOINTMENT
OPT FOR DARK, LOOSE COTTON AND JERSEY FABRICS
We all know the frustration of staining your favourite clothes, especially with things that can be slightly harder to remove! To save your worry, we recommend that you opt for dark and loose clothing made from cotton or jersey fabrics. This way, your clothes won’t cling to your freshly applied spray tan as it develops and leave you with patches or uneven tan. Especially as some of the guide colour can be easily removed by tighter-fitting clothing options. With this in mind, also opt for underwear/bikinis that you don’t mind getting any solution on that are made of a similar fabric. This way, you can opt for these each time without any worry of trying to find more suitable options.
BE READY TO TIE YOUR HAIR UP
We will need to make sure all your hair is away from your face and your neck so will tie it up and out of the way. And pop a hair net on to keep it in place. You’re guaranteed a complete and professional finish, as well as not having to spend the evening washing solution out of your hair.
APPLY NAIL VARNISH TO YOUR FINGERNAILS AND TOES BEFORE
Just like with your clothing, spray tan solution can also stain your nails, leaving an unfinished and unprofessional look after your treatment. Be sure to coat your nails, both hands and feet with some nail varnish – even a clear coat will do! By doing so will help to protect your nails from any discolouration and create a naturally sunkissed result that your friends will be envious of!
IF YOU HAVE TO RUN ANY ERRANDS AFTER YOUR SPRAY TAN, DON’T WORRY!
In an ideal world you will be able to spend your development time in a very relaxed way! However, we’re all busy, so i totally understand that you’ll have a few things to do on your list once you’ve had your treatment. To help you feel a little more yourself, you can take deodorant to apply afterwards once your solution has dried and begun to develop. We promise that you won’t go the whole day feeling like you’re only smelling of solution (even though the Sienna X range smells pretty good if we do say so ourselves!)