What to do before and after your spray tan

Ahhh Thursday's. A day that is typically mislabelled as somewhat gruelling. However, Thursday's are in fact my favourite day of the week, and I'll tell you why. By the backend of the week, I'll be the first to admit, I'm looking a little drab. My hair needs a wash, my brows usually need a tint, and most importantly, my tan is starting to fade off. I look forward to my Thursday night spray tans like no other. It's a confidence boost in a bottle, that gives the illusion of looking so much healthier and alive. Although a perfect spray tan does heavily rely on a talented therapist (I may happen to know the perfect place *wink*), it also comes down to the preparation and maintenance. Lucky for you, I'm about to walk you through the most effective way to prep and maintain your tan. 

 

STEP ONE - OUT WITH THE OLD 

24 hours before your tan appointment, you're going to want to remove all the dead skin, so that your new tan has the perfect base to be applied onto. To do this, I take an exfoliating mitt (can be purchased from any chemist or supermarket), run a warm bath or shower and gently start working the mitt into the skin and rubbing off any old tan. I like to do this towards the end of my bath/shower so that my skin has had time to soak - you'll find the dead skin comes off much easier this way. If you're going to shave any part of your body, now is the time to do so. We always recommend exfoliating and shaving 24 hours before your spray tan, so that your pores have time to close up, and your skin time to rest before the tan is applied.

 

STEP TWO - IN WITH THE NEW

Now it's time to tan! We offer a range of different tans at KFE. You and your therapist can decide on one depending on your skin tone, and when you want to shower if off. Ensure you have no deodorant on (as this can cause a green stain under the arms if mixed with tan - no thank you!) and no moisturiser on either. Your therapist will provide sticky feet, an optional g-string and cap, so that your tan will apply to all the right areas. You'll be walked through the tan, step-by-step, so stand back and let your therapist do all the hard work!

 

STEP THREE - MAINTAIN

Your therapist will instruct you on when to shower, depending on the tan they used on you. Typically, the longer you leave the tan on, the darker you will become.  Your first shower should be a quick, 10 second rinse, without using any soap or body wash. Make sure you stop the shower once the water starts to run clear. Pat yourself dry, without rubbing the skin and ensure you don't apply any moisturiser on the body yet. 

If you're looking at your tan after the first shower, wishing you went a bit darker, don't stress, your tan will still continue to develop over the next day. This is also why we recommend avoiding body creams and moisturisers until the following day.

Your second shower can be as long as you like, which is when you can wash your hair and apply as many creams as you wish. For best results, moisturise your body head-to-toe every day. This will keep the skin hydrated and help your tan last longer, and fade off evenly. 

 

Voilà, you're all done. Now go you good thing, go about your day looking like you’ve just landed from your month long vacay in the Tuscan sun. 

To book in a spray tan appointment, click here, or give us a call on (02) 9328 0756.