I’m having surgery tomorrow. It’s a near repeat of one I had about two months ago. For about two weeks after my first surgery I just felt so blah…extra out of shape and bloated. So this time I thought, I’m gonna ask Kit to spray tan me! Every time I’ve had a spray tan, I always feel about five pounds lighter. We’ve all been sprayed at least twice since we brought on this service at Body Tonic. And the comments are all the same: we all feel so much thinner afterwards! Not that we all need to be, but it just makes us feel a little bit better, underneath it all!
The tanning we offer now is airbrush tanning, not the stand in the booth automated tanning. The color is custom, based on your skin tone and desired results. If you’ve never had an airbrush spray tan, here’s what you can expect. You and Kit, our aesthetician who is doing the tanning, will discuss what result you are hoping for and what color will work best with your skin. She will then leave you in private so you can get undressed to your desired comfort level. Some people may wear a bikini, bikini bottoms, or nothing at all. We do have disposable thongs available for you. Kit will then come in and spray you. The spray is cold, so be ready! The whole process lasts about 10 minutes. When you are done, you’re gonna look pretty sexy! I’m certain that I’m not the only woman with body image issues, so I’m sure at least some of you will understand that looking in the mirror after the spray tan is way more awesome than before! And your tan should last about 7-10 days.
How do you make that tan last as long as possible? Exfoliating the night before is imperative. You can use a loofah, washcloth or body scrub. A homemade scrub of coconut oil and brown sugar will work perfectly. Shaving the night before is also recommended. Be sure to wash off your scrub with soap to remove the oil. Do not apply moisturizer after your shower.
Arrive for your appointment without makeup or deodorant on, as the tan will not evenly penetrate through these products. Wear loose fitting, dark clothing. Plan to not wear a bra afterwards as it will leave marks where it touches your skin. The spray tan will need to stay on your skin for about 8 hours, so plan to not perspire heavily for the rest of the day (no working out). If you want to schedule your tanning appointment closer to the evening, you can sleep in it and wash it off in the morning, but keep in mind the longer you leave it on, the more it will develop.
Although the tan may rub off on clothes or sheets, it does wash right out. I’ve been airbrush tanning for several years and have not had an instance where my sheets or clothing were stained from the tanning solution. I won’t, however, sit on my cream colored sectional from Four Hands Home until AFTER I’ve washed the tan off! (Better safe than sorry).
Don’t be alarmed when it’s time to wash your tan off and you see the shower water turning brown. You aren’t washing your tan off. That’s completely normal, and it’s just the superficial color coming off. Using a moisturizer afterwards, and each day, will help your color last longer.