Spray Tan Tips: How to Get The Most Out of Your Bronze
If you’ve been following me for awhile, you have probably heard me talk about my favorite way to tan, Two Bronzed Babes sprays! TBB is a group of trained spray tan professionals who come to your house (or you go to theirs) for organic ingredient-based, natural looking spray tans. Why do I love spray tans so much you ask? Well, this past March I had to get my first mole removed, and also get melasma in the sun. I am also trying to prolong the aging process (naturally) as long as possible, and we all already know how damaging the sun can be for our skin. For these reasons, I’ve pretty much not gotten a (real) suntan or burn in 2 years. However! I enjoy looking tan, which is why I LOVE fake tanning!
I’ve always used fake tan lotions, and got occasional sprays in college, but since meeting Rachael at TBB, I am HOOKED on having someone spray me. Having someone physically spray you takes the hassle out of applying fake tan lotions/creams and takes the worry out of messing it up or missing a spot unintentionally. Before Rachael had her second baby, she would come to my house, set up a tan tent, and spray! It gave me the ability to wear super loose clothing afterwards (or just a robe) and ensure the tan dries/doesn’t get messed up from my clothes. I can’t wait for her to offer mobile tanning again soon! It is THE BEST (especially in the winter!).
So since my friend Ashley requested TWICE I share my spray tan tips, here we are! These seem pretty basic to me, but I realized some people maybe haven’t ever gotten a spray, so hopefully these will be useful to you!
Pre-Tan Tips:
Exfoliate! I cannot emphasize this enough. Exfoliation is the KEY to ensuring your tan stays for as long as possible, and also helps keep your tan from going scaly. It will slough off any dead, dry skin, and provide a fresh layer of skin for the tan to lay upon.
Shave Before. This seems rather straight forward to me, but if you shave your legs, you definitely want to shave before your spray. I like to shave my legs the day of my spray tan. Shaving after basically guarantees removing some of the tan.
DO NOT apply moisturizer after your shower. If you’re like me, you slather lotion and moisturizer all over your body immediately after showering. Normally, this makes sense. However, before a spray tan you don’t want anything to act as a barrier between your skin and the tan solution. The moisturizer will prevent the tan from fully adhering to your skin.
Lotion up those rough areas JUST before. If the spray tan pro offers you lotion as a barrier, I apply it liberally to my hands (mainly between the fingers where tan can get trapped), wrists, elbows, ankles and knees. I do this right when I arrive to Rachael’s, not before. Gently wipe off the excess post-spray.
Post-Tan Tips:
The more you shower, the shorter your tans lifespan. Pretty self explanatory. Also don’t take a bath for the first 24 hours after a spray tan.
Use a dark towel for a couple days. I can’t emphasize this enough. If your spray tan has a instant bronzer in it, it will transfer to light clothing, sheets and towels (at least it always does for me). I swap my nice white towels for older dark towels while for the first few days of having a tan. You’ll thank me when your expensive monogrammed white towels aren’t bronze by the end of the week.
MOISTURIZE!! The key to keeping a tan around as long as possible is moisturization (is that a word?). Keep your skin hydrated by applying lotion right after your shower to prolong your tan.
