Eight Things To Know About Spray Tanning

They say you can't predict the weather, but that means you also can't predict when - or even whether - you'll be able to get a natural tan. This is one of the reasons spray tans are becoming so popular. Otherwise known as a 'sunless tan', they allow you to be a bronzed beauty any time of year, whatever the weather. Here are eight things to know about spray tanning.

Exfoliating is vital
When it comes to spray tanning, it is very important that you exfoliate your skin properly. This is to remove the dead layers of skin so that you are essentially starting from a blank, fresh canvas. This will give your spray tan the best start in life and will also remove any makeup or perfume from your skin, which is vital as these can act as a barrier to the tan.

It works for any skin type
Particularly if you have very fair skin, you will no doubt know the frustration of never tanning at all - or worse, burning at the first sign of summer. Luckily, getting a spray tan is a good alternative as it works on everyone. People's skin might develop the tan to different extents, but having a pale complexion is no barrier to spray tanning.

The active ingredient
The active ingredient in spray tan is known as dihydroxyacetone (or DHA for short). This reacts with the amino acids in your skin to develop the tan over a period of twelve hours. This means you should avoid showering for the first twelve hours after getting your tan done to give it time to develop on your skin.

It's safe
Spray tanning is popular because it removes the vast majority of the safety hazards associated with sun tanning. DHA is a natural chemical that has been used in cosmetics for over thirty years and it is very safe. Only a tiny number of people are allergic to it so you will more than likely be fine with it, but if you are worried then you can do a small skin test first to make sure.

Longevity
Depending on how well you exfoliated your skin and how your skin normally behaves, your spray tan should last between five and ten days. You can make it last as long as possible by moisturising your skin on a daily basis so it and your tan will stay in good condition for as long as possible.

Types of application
There are two main types of spray tan application. You can choose to go to a technician who will manually spray on the tan for you, or to a salon where they use an automated machine to do it. Obviously, your preference will affect which one of these you decide to go for.

Very effective
It is estimated that one spray tanning session is the rough equivalent to around six sessions on a sunbed, making it a very effective form of tanning as you will get the colour you are after much more quickly.

They look great
Finally, this can't be said enough. Spray tans look great. They give you a healthy colour and mean that you can have a safe tan all year round, so if you are after a bit of an image change, you should definitely give spray tanning a go.