How To Spray Tan Hands & Feet

In our Beauty Business Babes Facebook Group, I see a lot of artists that have struggled with spraying the tricky areas, such as the hands and feet in a way that makes them look natural! The reason there’s a term for “spray tan hands” is because if someone has a spray tan and their hands look unnatural, it’s a dead give away that their tan is not real! That’s a no good situation for your client and for you as an artist when you have people out in the world as walking advertisements for your biz. It takes practice and skill to create a flawless application on the hands and feet so that the tan blends so seamlessly no one would ever guess that their tan wasn’t from the sun! 

Let’s get your technique down to a science so that your application is flawless every single time, shall we!?

How to Spray Tan the Hands

1. Apply a thinner spray tan safe moisturizer to the tops of the hands, making sure to cover the knuckles 
2. Apply a thicker barrier cream to the palmos of the hands, inside of the wrists and fingernails
3. Have the client make “bear claws” with their hands so that their knuckles are bent and their fingers are spread apart
4. Spray in a “X” formation over top of the hands to ensure that the sides of the fingers and hands are also covered with product
5. Remove excess barrier cream from the palms and fingernails with a baby wipe
6. Take a makeup puff or the X-TAN blending brush and gently buff the solution into the hands and crease of the wrist for a seamless blend 

FYI: When spraying the hands, using a feathering technique with a “X” pattern allows there to be less product applied to the skin which creates a more natural development of color

How to Spray Tan the Feet

1. Apply a thinner spray tan safe moisturizer to the tops of the feet and back of the ankle 
2. Apply a thicker barrier cream to the sides of the feet and the toenails
3. Spray in a “X” formation over the tops of the feet standing at a further distance so that less product is applied
4. Remove excess barrier cream from the toenails and sides of the feet
5. Take your blending brush and gently buff the tops and sides of the feet

Tip: Sometimes excess solution falls on the tops of the feet while you spray the body, so if you can see that the feet already has product on it, you can skip spraying the feet all together unless you want to provide some extra color to that area. 

The reason the hands and feet can be harder to tan is because the skin texture is generally different than the rest of the body and oftentimes these are drier areas as well. Making sure to cover these areas with barrier cream and lotions that will protect and hydrate this skin. Finishing off the application with buffing in any product will help create a seamless tan that isn’t too dark or unnatural. The next time you’re spraying a client, keep in mind that using a feathering technique will help to reduce the concentration of solution applied to the skin so that a natural fade is created. Blending out these areas can also help to remove any excess solution on the skin so that it doesn't overdevelop. 

I hope this helps, babes! If you’ve had trouble with the development of the hands and feet so far in your sunless biz journey, don’t get discouraged. Continue to practice and implement these tips and tricks. Learning new techniques to elevate your skills will help you to continue to grow as an artist and, in turn, will help your business grow overall!

If you’re ready to level up your life and beauty biz, it’s time to register for the hottest sunless event of the year! Slay the Spray 2022 will be happening in September in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and we want to see you there! For more information on tickets, course options and everything that will be involved in this fun-filled weekend, head to our Slay The Spray Website!

Xoxo,

Kelly