How To Prep For A Spray Tan

Spray tan prep - a crucial step in the spray tan process if we are looking to achieve a long lasting, natural looking glow. Which is, of course, always the goal! One of the things that makes getting a drop dead flawless spray tan difficult for artists, is the fact that this is a 50/50 game. We HAVE to rely on clients to follow instructions for them to get the best sunless glow possible. You may have noticed, one of the first questions clients ask before booking their appointment is: “how long does a spray tan last?” We know that on average, a spray tan will last 7-10 days with proper prep and care! We also know, we can only control so much of what impacts the quality and duration of the tan. If only we could be there to make sure every client follows all the instructions we give to them, ammiright!? If you haven’t quite started your sunless business journey or taken a course yet, you may not even be totally clear on what good spray tan prep looks like from the client’s side. This is the breakdown on how clients should go about doing their half of skin prep before their appointment:

The Week Prior 

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! This is especially important during the cold months when the air is more dry or if the client has naturally dry skin. We want the skin to be well hydrated and moisturized so that DHA can develop evenly and naturally without the possibility of pulling orange. This means, the week prior to the spray tan appointment, the client should be moisturizing 1-2 times a day. Although they shouldn’t be arriving with anything on their skin, moisturizing the skin the days following up to their appointment will allow a much more natural result to occur. 

The Night Before

The night before a spray tan appointment, the client will have specific instructions to follow to ensure the skin is prepped and ready to go.This prepping of the skin involves shaving, showering and exfoliating. Doing these steps too close to the appointment time can cause the tan to develop improperly. Exfoliating is especially important during spray tan prep because it ensures that the top layer of dead skin cells is sloughed off to create a nice even canvas for the tan to develop on, which also allows the tan to last longer! In addition to this, it’s important to mention that the spray tan appointment should be the last one on the list of beauty services a client plans to get. What we mean by that, is all waxing, manis and pedis, facials, massages, etc., should be done at least 24-48 hours before the client comes to you for their spray tan. 

The Day-of

It’s a misconception that the skin should be moisturized the day of a spray tan appointment for best results. In order to get a tan that develops fully in color and evenly, the client should show up to the appointment with skin that is free of all the things! This means, lotions, perfumes, makeup and deodorant should never be present on the skin before you start spraying. Anything that is present on the skin can cause a barrier between the skin and the spray tan solution, which means that the client may experience a tan that doesn’t last as long, doesn’t get as dark as they were hoping for or just looks uneven and blotchy. All of those outcomes are obviously not ideal! 

Getting the best possible result for every one of your clients means appointment prep is VERY important, as you can see! Although we can't be in complete control of what the client does to prep leading up to the appointment, as the artist, you can do a few things to prep the skin before you start spraying that will make all the difference in the outcome. 

• Use pH Prep Spray to equalize the skin’s pH level. Prep spray also creates a clean canvas by removing any leftover dirt and debris, while also adding extra hydration to the skin for a long lasting glow.
• Use barrier cream on dry areas, such as hands, feet, ankles, wrists and elbows to ensure the spray tan solution does not over saturate these areas causing an orange tint.
• Check in with the client to make sure their skin is free of makeup and deodorant. If the client does show up with makeup or deodorant on, provide a baby wipe to remove all products before spraying.

Communicating the prep process to your clients well in advance of their appointment will allow them to get the best results and trust you as the professional that knows what she’s talking about! To make the process of transmitting this information to each client at booking more simple and streamlined, check your booking system for an automation that you can set up. Putting a system in place that automatically sends instructions to clients allows you to make sure that each client is aware of their prep process and removes the risk of you forgetting to manually send them out!

 Knowledge is power when it comes to providing beauty services. That's why our Spray Tan Certification Courses are packed with education about spray tan technique, sunless science and business practices that will help you build a 6 figure beauty biz. If you’re ready to level up your business, now is the time to get certified by one of internationally accredited certification courses! Make sure to visit our Spray Tan Class website for more information and to register for your in-person or online course.

Xoxo,

Kelly