Spray Tan Care

Follow our Spray Tan Care guide which takes you through your preparation and post care to ensure the best application and lifetime of your sunless TTT tan.

Steps to Prep

1

Hair Removal

If you are going to shave or wax, hair removal should be your first step to prep and is best completed at least 48 hours prior to your tan. This suggested timing allows for your pores to recover, avoiding any gathering of product or increased sensitivity of skin prior to your appointment.
2

Exfoliation and Hydration

This step is the most important step of your spray tan preparation. Be sure to exfoliate and moisturise at least 24 hours before your tan. We recommend using our TTT Exfoliating Mitt. Keeping your body moisturised, especially after bathing and in particularly dry areas of the body will enable a soft, subtle and even base. You may find that using a heavier moisturising cream on those areas (eg. elbows, knees, ankles) in the days leading up to your appointment can make a big difference.
Leaving moisturising to the day often leads to a less even application as your pre-tan shower can erase any of that hydration work. You also want to avoid moisturising just before your tan as the rate of absorption may lead to irregularity in evenness of the application.
3

Avoid perfume, deodorant or body moisturisers

On the day of your tan, be sure not to wear any perfume, deodorant or body moisturisers (especially those containing glycolic acid or AHA’s). If you like having your face sprayed during your application, the same goes for avoiding any makeup or skincare products.
4

Wear loose clothing

We have done our best to pick fast drying and non transferring tans so you will walk out feeling dry however there are some considerations when planning your post-tan outfit. For your own comfort and to avoid any damage to your spray tan, please wear loose, dark clothing to your appointment. The bronzing layer of the tan may transfer to your clothing (don’t worry, this won’t affect your tan unless there is pressure applied) so we recommend dark clothing, or something you don’t mind getting a bit of colour on.

Post Spray Care

So you’ve just stepped off The Tan Truck with a fresh, glowy layer of tan, but what comes next?

It’s now up to you to nourish and look after it. Don’t worry, it’s easy and we have provided the below tips to simplify the experience and enhance your tan’s longevity.

At The Tan Truck, we carry a number of solutions to ensure we can give you your desired result. On board The Tan Truck we have a variety of Moroccan Tan sunless tanning solutions to provide you with your perfect tan colour. As part of your appointment consultation we will advise you on how long you should be leaving your tan to develop before rinsing off in the shower.

1

After your tan develops

After allowing your tan to develop for the recommended time (we will advise the best amount of time during your consultation), shower in warm water for only ONE minute. It is important that you shower quickly, using only your hands to lightly rinse any loose bronzer off. Avoid using any shower products, body products or mitts/loafers during the first 24 hours of your tan. These will strip the colour from your tan.

A lukewarm shower may not sound that appealing, but hot water will stop the development of your tan and therefore the colour is unlikely to deepen after your shower.
After you rinse, gently pat down your skin with a towel, avoid rubbing the skin or using any stroking/circular motions.
Don’t panic if you feel as if you have lost colour after your rinse. At this point you have only removed the bronzers added to spray tan solutions. Your tan has already absorbed into the top layer of your skin and will continue to develop for 24 hours. You will wake up a deeper colour than you rinsed off and this where the importance of timing your shower comes into play!

2

After 24 hours

After the first 24 hour window (having showered once), you can return to your normal showering regime. We do still recommend avoiding products containing soap, glycolic acids, AHA’s and of course, exfoliation. This will assist in the longevity of your tan, stop your skin drying out and minimise the chances of irregularities in coverage. Your tan is expected to last anywhere between 5 to 10 days based on your pre and post care.
3

After 48 hours

Beyond the first 48hrs, it is important to moisturise daily to continue providing your skin the moisture it needs to retain the colour. It is to be expected that your skin cells will turnover during the period of your tan, and this may affect longevity but you can manage how your tan fades by giving your skin as much love as you can during this time. We recommend using our Luminous Lotion to prolong your tan.
As you did in the prep phase, don’t forget to give some extra hydration to those ‘problem’ areas like elbows, ankles and knees.
4

Removing your tan

Once you are ready to remove your tan, we suggest a gentle exfoliation to help turnover your colour. Our TTT Exfoliation Mitt is the ultimate go-to for skin prep and tan removal. We recommend ensuring that any previous tans are completely removed before your next application to achieve the most even result possible. Remnants of an older tan can gather in pores and result in irregularity of application.

How long does a spray tan last?

If you’re wondering how long a spray tan lasts then you should know it lies in the care you give to your skin before and after the application. If you follow our pre & post care steps then you can expect your tan to last between 5-10 days. As your skin cells turnover, you will notice your tan start to fade and because everyone’s skin cell turnover rates are different, it’s difficult to predict exactly how long your tan will last. By following our care steps, you can keep your tan looking beautiful for as long as possible.

For more tanning questions, refer to our FAQs.

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