With the right spray tan you’re going to look and feel like a million dollars – and it’s much more safe and convenient than letting yourself crisp in the natural sunshine for hours on end hoping to get the balance right between a warm glow and burnt red. 

A good spray tan is an investment, it’s an investment in your personal beauty, your wellbeing, and your confidence – but all good investments need a little maintenance to give the best returns. 

Here are some things that you can do to help maximise the life of your spray tan. 

1. Arrive Prepared

The preparation for the perfect spray tan begins before you even arrive at the salon. Think about when you paint – you don’t just slap the paint on the wall willy-nilly, you have to prepare the wall properly if you’re going to get the right results. Your skin is no different, it needs the correct preparation. 

Have a good shower before you arrive to make sure your skin is cleared from as many imperfections as possible. It’s also a good idea to begin a program of regular exfoliation several days before your appointment is due – this will help your tan to apply evenly. 

2. Loose Clothing

It sounds obvious, but it’s something many people forget. So many people have walked out of the salon feeling phenomenal, only to realise by the time they've walked ten paces that their bra-strap has cut a nice line into the beautiful bronzing around your shoulder, and there’s some suspicious stains on the arms of their top. 

The looser and more comfortable the better, ideally a loose fitting casual dress which affords the minimum skin-to-material contact that you can get away with. 

3. Your First Shower

Ask your beauty therapist for any specifics about the self tan solution that’s being used on you – but generally, the advice is sound to avoid hot showers. Use lukewarm water and avoid any shower gels that are overly abrasive – stick to natural, gentle products as much as you can. 

Always ask at the salon if you’re unsure of anything – it’s better to ask than to guess.