A great spray tan is as much about what you do before and after as the treatment itself. The skin you arrive with decides how even the colour turns out, and the aftercare decides how long the result lasts.
This guide applies both if you book a salon treatment and if you do your spray tan at home with your own machine.
Before your spray tan – prep the skin
Exfoliate your whole body around 24 hours before your spray tan. Pay extra attention to dry areas such as elbows, knees, ankles and hands – otherwise they absorb more colour than the rest of your skin.
Shave or wax at least 24 hours before, so the skin has time to settle. Freshly shaved skin with open pores can absorb more product and create small dark dots.
Old uneven colour from a previous tan? Exfoliate it away first. New colour on top of old patchy colour rarely gives an even result.
On the day – arrive with clean, bare skin
Shower before the treatment, but skip oily shower products and body lotion. Your skin should be clean, dry and completely free from moisturiser, oil, deodorant, perfume and makeup.
Creams and deodorant form a barrier that stops the colour developing evenly – deodorant can also react with the colour and leave a greenish tone in the underarms.
Plan your day so you can avoid water, sweat and exercise for the whole development time after the treatment.
Right after – clothing and drying time
Let the colour dry properly for a few minutes before getting dressed. Choose dark, loose clothing and ideally sandals or loose shoes – tight items such as bra straps, leggings and socks can leave marks in the colour.
The colour develops over the following hours, usually within 2–12 hours depending on product and shade. The tone you see straight after the treatment is the guide colour – you see the final result after your first shower.
Avoid rubbing or scratching your skin, sitting with crossed legs for long or leaning on your arms during the development time.
Showering after a spray tan – when and how
Rinse off for the first time after 6–8 hours, or according to the instructions for your specific shade. Some express variants can be rinsed off earlier – ask your salon or check the product.
Use lukewarm water and skip scrubs, exfoliating mitts and oily shower products for the first shower. Brown water is completely normal – it is only the guide colour rinsing off; the colour in the outermost layer of your skin stays put.
Pat your skin dry with the towel instead of rubbing.
The days after – aftercare that extends the colour
Moisturise your whole body daily with a fragrance-free, alcohol-free moisturiser. Well-hydrated skin keeps the colour longer and fades more evenly.
Keep showers short and lukewarm. Long hot baths, saunas and chlorinated water speed up fading.
Do not exfoliate for the first 2–3 days. Once the colour starts to fade, exfoliate gently instead for an even fade – and to prep your skin for the next application.
If you want to top up your glow between treatments, a gradual mist is an easy way to maintain the colour.
Doing your spray tan at home?
The same before-and-after advice applies when you spray tan at home with your own machine, for example Spraytan Mini with our 150 ml spray tan solutions.
The advantage at home is that you control the development time – rinse earlier for a lighter tone, or let the colour develop longer within the product's recommendation for more depth.
Between spray tan sessions you can maintain the colour with a gradual mist or mousse instead of using the machine every time.
The checklist – before and after your spray tan
- 1Exfoliate and shave or wax around 24 hours before.
- 2Arrive with clean, dry skin – no cream, oil, deodorant, perfume or makeup.
- 3Wear dark, loose clothing after the treatment.
- 4Avoid water, sweat and exercise during the development time.
- 5Rinse off after 6–8 hours with lukewarm water, no scrubs.
- 6Moisturise daily and wait 2–3 days before exfoliating.