Tips for Making Your Spray Tan Last

I will be the first to tell you that I love sunshine. It makes me happy, it keeps me warm, and let’s face facts…when you’re a curvy girl like I am, those curves look better when they’re tan! Ha! But…since I know straight-up sunshine on the skin isn’t the healthiest thing, I’ve had to find some alternatives to my need for sun.

Winter time can hit me like a ton of bricks. Like I said, I need that sunshine in my soul! During the summer, I’m outside a lot…even sitting pool-side quite frequently. I’ve gotten so much better about putting sunscreen on, but I’m still not as good about it as I should be. A lot times, I’ve even just done it out of vanity—to avoid getting dark spots on my face. Duh…I mean, that’s important, but my whole body needs protection. While I’m still working on that aspect of my skin care, I have pretty much kicked my habit of visiting tanning beds.

I started out in high school…wanting to be golden brown for dances and other silly things. I didn’t go a ton, but enough… After that, I mostly just went before vacation, so I wouldn’t be the whitest thing on the beach. I would try to trick myself into feeling better about it by saying it was so I wouldn’t get so burned on vacation, but we all know the truth. Fast forward to me being in my late 20’s and early 30’s—the winter blues were hitting me bad. I felt like all I did was get up in the morning in the dark, go freeze at my job all day, and then go home in the dark. I NEEDED SUNSHINE! Enter my tanning bed membership. Oh man, I was literally walking on sunshine. I could go every day and just soak up that warm goodness!

A couple of years into my winter tanning extravaganza, I started having very noticeable dark spots on my face. Now, I’m not some crazy person about skin care, but I did not like the looks of these spots. No matter how infrequently I started tanning, they didn’t go away, so I decided maybe this wasn’t the best solution to my winter blues.

Breaking up with tanning was super sad. I missed my daily, or every other day, warm naptime, badly. But…I like not having skin cancer more. I had to find some alternatives, though, to ward-off the winter blues. You can read more about that HERE. Still the matter of being tan…I need that little confidence boost sometimes!

After I gave up the tanning beds, I had to have some way to get my tan fix. Enter the spray tan. Now, mention spray tan to literally almost anyone, and they are going to bring up the fateful Friends episode when Ross gets sprayed so many times that he turns orange. No idea what I’m talking about, you can find it HERE. It’s a classic…so good. I’ve had spray tans by a machine that you stand up in—both good and bad experiences. Now, though, because I want a little more customization, I have someone spray it on. It sounds scary (hello, naked in front of someone, much?), but it really doesn’t have to be!

My friend Dee at Dee & Co. has her own spray tan studio and I recently got to have one done by her for the first time! I had a lot of questions about the experience, so I thought it would be a great way to take away some of the fear of getting a spray tan!

First things, first, don’t be nervous about getting undressed in front of someone! They are professionals, and literally do this every day. You’re not the first body they’ve seen undressed and won’t be the last. When I got my first spray tan from someone, I wore my underwear. I was so sad afterward because the lines were so crazy, and I hated it. After that, I decided to just go commando. We’re all adults here and there’s no reason to be scared or feel embarrassed!

Okay, so here are my tips for making your spray tan last:

-Before you go in to get sprayed, take a shower and exfoliate! You don’t want any flaky skin, because then, when it sloughs off, so will your spray tan.

-Don’t put on any lotion after you shower. Be as clean as you can, so that the spray will go directly onto your skin.

-Be sure to wear dark loose-fitting clothes to the spray tan. I’ve never had the tanning liquid stain anything, but it has rubbed off on my clothes before. Better safe than sorry! I usually don’t wear a bra home either, because it seems like anywhere my clothes are tight can become a little darker than other areas.

-I try to not shower for 24 hours after my spray tan. It’s not a must, but why risk it? When I do shower that first time, I only wash the necessary parts and I don’t use my loofah for the duration of the tan. Once day one is through, I do use soap all over my body, but I don’t want to use anything that is going to exfoliate my skin—thus scrubbing off the spray tan.

-After your shower, be sure to lather up with some lotion! It helps keep your skin from drying out and losing that top layer of skin and just makes the tan look so much better!

-If you end up with any spots that seem a little dark for your taste, I’ve had really good luck with putting some lemon essential oil on a cotton ball and rubbing it over the dark area. I really haven’t had too much of an issue with this, though, so I don’t think you will either!

-If you’re getting a spray tan for vacation, if you’re going anywhere with a pool or salt water, be sure to apply lots of lotion. I would put it on before I get in and after! Anything to help keep a barrier between your skin and whatever’s in the water.

When I follow these tips, my spray tans last between 4-6 days. I know it’s not as amazing as having an actual tan from the sun, but it’s so much safer!

I’m super excited to not only share these tips with you, but also to let you know that Dee is offering an exclusive deal to my followers! If you contact her to book an appointment, mention my name and you’ll get your spray tan for $25!! Regular price is $32, so that’s a deal! The special is running 1.15.19-2.14.19 (would be great for Valentine’s Day!). You can find Dee on Facebook HERE and on Instagram HERE!