What is spray tanning? How does it work?
Spray tanning involves applying an active ingredient, dihydroxyacetone, or DHA, to your skin using a specialist low pressure spraying machine. DHA is a colorless sugar. It interacts with the proteins and amino acids in the outer layer of your skin to produce a golden brown color.
Most spray tans contain an instant cosmetic bronzer that gives you a color guide and instant color when you are first sprayed. These instant cosmetic bronzers will wash away after your first shower and have no impact on the end result for your tan. It’s not the amount of cosmetic bronzers that make the individual solutions darker from one another; it’s the amount of DHA in the solution that creates varying results.
The spray tan will contain various amounts of DHA depending on the solution you choose. The DHA starts to activate immediately, 60%
of this process is complete after the first hour yet the actual tan will continue to develop over the next 24 hours. All the cosmetic instant bronzers will wash off when showering. Your therapist will tell you how long to wait until you can bathe or shower depending on your skin color and how dark you want your tan. The longer you leave it on, will result in a deeper darker tan.
Is it safe?
YES. It is MUCH safer than exposing your skin to the sun’s rays, and you still get that great tanned look. DHA has been approved by the FDA for use in the personal care industry for over 30 years.
How long does my spray tan last?
Your spray tan will last approximately 5-10 days depending on your daily skin care regime and lifestyle. A spray tan fades just like a tan from the sun. As your skin sheds dead cells, your tan will fade.
What do I need to prepare for my tanning session?
To get the best results from your spray tan, you need to remove your dead skin cells by exfoliating 24 hours prior to your treatment. This means the DHA solution can get straight to work on new skin cells, and give you a longer lasting tan. Make-up and deodorant can also effect development and should be removed before tanning. Do not use moisturizers 24 hours prior to your treatment as they act as a barrier to the spray tan solution as well and can cause uneven, streaky effects.
What should I wear after my tan?
Wear loose fitting, dark colored clothing and flip-flops as some of the bronzer can rub off on your clothing. Shoes can cause your feet to perspire, affecting the final results. Natural fibers like 100% cotton t-shirts are the best. Any color that does rub off on your clothes can usually be washed out during a normal wash cycle.
Can I swim with tan on?
It is advisable to allow 4 hours development of your tan before swimming. Once your tan has developed you can swim. However swimming will strip your skin of essential oils and cause your tan to fade faster than normal.
Can I use your products to cover stretch marks, scars, bruises or tattoos?
A spray tan can help to reduce the appearance of all the above,
it is usually not an entire cover; however it will reduce the prominent areas of concern. Typically, the darker your tan, the more coverage you will get
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