Dear beach goddesses, how many of you are sporting a white bikini while in your birthday suit? Face it, we all love summer for the warm weather and the beautiful glow that comes with it, but tan lines are not sexy.

I am currently sporting a flip flop tan line from spending the day outside. Seriously, do you know how bad it looks when I am wearing strappy dress sandals? It is atrocious!

The cure isn’t always going back into the sun. Remember, while the sun is our friend, it may also be our foe. The sun is powerful and we often forget how damaging it can be to our sensitive skin. (Check out our post Practice Safe Sun) If not tanning, then how do we remove the tan lines?

Spray Tan: No sun, just Dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which is a chemical that interacts with your skin’s natural chemistry to give you an artificial tan. The FDA has approved DHA for external use, so don’t worry, it is safe. Typically, it is in the form of a mist that is sprayed by a machine or a professional.

Spray Tan Virgin Guidelines:

• Prep your skin:
  • Remove hair a couple of days prior to your appointment. Ladies & Gents, you cannot shave or wax after your tan. Hair removal is a form of exfoliation. Tip: Schedule your sugaring (best form to exfoliate) at the beginning of the week. This will remove your hair and leave your skin ready for the spray tan.
  • Exfoliate. Remove dead skin cells the day of or before your spray tan. Tip: Schedule a microdermabrasion to remove the dead skin on your face. Also, this facial will help soften fine lines, reduce wrinkles, smooth coarse skin, and decrease the size/appearance of pores. Win—win situation!
  • Avoid wearing moisturizer, makeup, and deodorant before you spray tan.
  • Do you have scars? Avoid an odd looking scar by rubbing Vaseline on top of it before you head in to your spray tan.
  • Grease yourself up—well, put some Vaseline on your knees, ankles, elbows, and palms. These areas are typically a different tone, so experiment with how much you should use. Tip: Skip the Vaseline and wipe the areas down a bit afterward if they look too dark or the same color as everywhere else.
  • Wear a shower cap. Just avoid having dyed hair.
  • Wear lip balm.
  • Wear loose and dark clothing.
• Do not inhale or get the DHA in your eyes.
• Double check the spray tan. Make sure everything looks even and isn’t dripping.
• Avoid showering for the day…and all water for that fact. Remember the teen that cried after tanning? No?

Spray tans typically last for 7-10 days, but your face and hands fade faster. Opt for a self-tanner for those areas.

How to make it last:

• The first shower after your tan should be lukewarm. Avoid any soap that may leave a residue on your skin—think of the Dove commercials.
• Avoid heavy moisturizers that may degrade your tan.
  • Opt for a basic lotion that isn’t oil based.
• Spray tans typically last for 7-10 days, but your face and hands fade faster. Opt for a self-tanner for those areas.
• Skip the gym. Consider it your resting day! Heavy exercise that leads to sweating can deplete the life of your tan.
• Avoid the pool. Chlorine will destroy your tan.
• Start light exfoliation to ensure that the tan fades gradually and discreetly.

Now get out there and strut those long, tan legs of yours!

Book an appointment today to start your spray tan prep! We look forward to making you feel relaxed and beautiful!