Maybe you have heard people say that beauty is confidence won on your face a million times. Everyone wants to feel good about their appearance.
And when you feel good about yourself, you walk head up, confidently and determined to get what you want.
That's the way to go, girl.
With the ozone layer getting damaged every day, the UV rays are getting harsher. Thus, your face is prone to sunburns.
Does that mean you can no longer suntan by basking in the sun? Probably yes, but there is a better alternative, spray tanning.
Since the invention of spray tanning in the 1960s, it has undergone tremendous improvements and has also significantly been the go-to product for tanning.
The spray tanning process involves the technician spraying your body with a misty liquid that contains dihydroxyacetone, abbreviated as DHA.
Do you want to know more about these products, keep reading along.
How does spray tanning work?
Spray tans contain DHA, an ingredient certified to be skin safe.
This ingredient causes a chemical reaction with amino acids found on the dead layer of the skin located on the skin surface.
This reaction leads to a color change. The skin looks darker and glows even more.
how long does spray tan last?
The color effects are not permanent. In most cases, it lasts for 3 to 10 days.
However, visiting the technician one more time will not cause any harm.
Also, the longevity of the color effect depends on how you take care of your skin.
Simply, there are dos and don'ts after you have done spray tanning.
Here are the world's branded skin tanning products with their lasting period and features for help you to select the perfect match for your skin.
| Product Name | How Long It Lasts | Special Features |
|---|---|---|
| St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Mousse | Up to 5 days | 100% natural tanning agent, vegan and cruelty-free |
| Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam | Up to 7 days | Infused with Aloe Vera and Coconut, easy to apply and dries quickly |
| Fake Bake Flawless Self-Tan Liquid | Up to 7 days | Contains a color guide for easy application, paraben-free |
| Jergens Natural Glow self tanner Moisturizer | Gradual build-up to a natural-looking tan over several days | Contains a blend of antioxidants and vitamin E for skin nourishment |
| Vita Liberata Body Blur Instant HD Skin Finish | Up to 3 days | Creates a flawless, radiant finish, paraben-free and vegan-friendly |
What happens if you get a pedicure after a spray tan?
Pedicure involves a lot of things. For instance, you will get your feet soaked, steamed, and scrubbed.
Also, the technician might have to use nail polish, drying agents, and lotions.
Let's assume that you have just done a spray tan and visited a pedicure salon. The scrubbing and soaking will remove the spray tan in those areas.
Besides, the use of the drying agents may inhibit the DHA reaction hence stopping the color change as expected.
In other words, getting your nails done after coming from a spray tanning session guarantees that the tan will be removed, stripped, or faded in those particular areas.
As a result, the results of the spray tan will not be as you expected, which might make you a sad girl.
Advice!
Always schedule your pedicure a few hours, if not days earlier, before going for spray tanning.
Can I have a spray tan and nail done on the same day?
After a manicure or pedicure, having a spray tan session will have no adverse effects. However, the vice versa is not valid.
Making your nails after a spray tan will remove the tan in those areas.
The scrubbing, exfoliation, hot towels, and much more will wash away the tan spray on your body before it reacts with the amino acids on your skin surface.
As a result, it will stop the working of the tan, hence inhibiting the color change expectation.
Thus, if you want to do the nails and the spray tan on the same day, you should do the nails hours before the spray tan.
Simply there is no harm in doing the spray tan and nails on the same day as long as you follow the correct order.
Nails before the spray tan.
Will a foot massage ruin a spray tan?
Nothing in this world feels good and reinvigorating like a good foot massage, especially after a long day running millions of errands.
However, foot massage involves the use of different beauty products.
And as you can quickly tell, not all beauty products mix well.
For instance, some massage oils are known to fade a spray tan, ruining the tan on applied areas.
Worse, some of the massage oils are quite aggressive such that they not only fade but remove the tan, stopping further reactions.
In short
Using massage oils on after a spray tan session, the oils will destroy the tan, stopping its work.
You do not want that, right? Then, you should schedule a foot massage hours before you go for a spray tan.
Will my spray tan fade if I go swimming?
The short answer is yes. Let me explain!
Chlorine is added to swimming pools to kill germs.
This disinfectant has acidic properties making it slightly corrosive.
Thus, if you go swimming in a pool, the added chlorine will bleach the tan, making it fade.
However, swimming in the ocean is okay. Ocean water is only salty, and that will not affect the tan.
However, you should be careful about the sand, which might get into your feet, causing the tan on your feet to fade.
Is my spray tan going to rub off my clothes?
A spray tan is in liquid form, which quickly gets absorbed by your dead skin. In addition, it is soluble in water.
Consequently, if it rubs off your clothes, it will quickly dissolve in water when washing the clothes, making them easy to wash.
Apart from that, it doesn't have bleaching effects meaning it will not cause your garment to fade.
Can I work out after getting a spray tan?
Tan with Kare brand doesn't advise working out immediately after sunless tanning.
Working out will result in profuse sweating, body heating, and it might force you to wear tight clothes.
As a result, you will need a long shower afterward, which might wipe away all the tan.
If you have to work out, it is recommended that you wear dark workout clothes.
Similarly, it would help if you used a powder to lower the body's perspiration rate.
Can I get a spray tan when pregnant?
Pregnancy comes with many things, and you can't afford to do anything that might put your health and the child at risk.
I don't mean that you can't have a spray tan when pregnant, but it would be wise if you consulted with your doctor first.
How do I take care of my spray tan?
Sunless tanning leaves your skin glowing, but you should remember that it is only for a few days.
We advise you to do your nails earlier and avoid swimming in pools because such activities may cause them to fade no sooner than later.
What more can you do to ensure that the tan lasts for a few more days?
1. Wear loose-fitting
Even though the tan is soluble in water and can easily wash it away, you shouldn't wear tight clothing immediately after the session.
The clothing will rub off the spray, resulting in uneven effects on the screen.
In other words, some parts of your body will be darker than other areas.
That is not what you want, right? Thus, wear loose clothes after a spray tan.
2. Stay dry
For the next 4 to 5 hours after the sunless tanning, you should stay dry to give the tan ample time to develop.
Avoid hot yoga, showering, workouts, liquid foundations, and anything else that may remove the tan if you want good results.
3. Wait to shower
As we have previously said, you should not shower until 4 hours are over.
After the 4 hours, you can shower but not any longer than 24 hours after.
Additionally, when showering, you should ensure that the cleansers are oil-free.
You should also avoid exfoliants, hot water, harsh scrubbing, or any harsh chemical.
4. Moisturize after shower
Use a oil-free moisturizer after the 4 hours of the dry period
One more thing, moisturized skin retains spray tan longer than dry skin.
However, it would help moisturize after the 4 hours of the dry period.
Also, you should ensure that the moisturizer is oil-free.
5. Avoid makeup
Your time to shine and be glamorous will come, but not now.
You should not put makeup on a fresh spray tan.
If you do apply concealer, foundation, or any other makeup, it will alter the spray tan, causing an uneven effect leading to blotches.
So, it is up to you to decide.
Final words
A spray tan is a type of sunless tanning. Hence, you don't have to take hours sun-basking to tan your skin.
In this type of skin treatment, the technician sprays a liquid substance on your body, which takes a few hours to dry and react with your skin.
As a result, you should avoid getting in contact with water after tanning until 4 hours have elapsed.
Similarly, you should be warned against going for a pedicure after tanning.
The pedicure session involves moisturizers, hot water, and there might be hard scrubbing.
All these activities will cause the tan to fade if not remove it.
As a result, if you go for a pedicure after tanning, the affected areas will have patches, and the color effect of tanning will not be good.
However, you can schedule a pedicure session and spray tanning on the same day.
One thing to take care of in such a situation is that you should have your nails done first.
