Spray Tan Prep with Sun Tan City

If you’ve been following along, you know I am obsessed with my spray tans. I get one once a week, and I always go to Sun Tan City. And in honor of FREE SPRAY TAN WEEK, I am sharing all my secrets for my pre-spray tan routine.

Shower

The first thing I do to prep for a spray tan is shower. You can shower hours before, or immediately prior. You just cannot shower or by near any water 4-6 hours after getting your spray tan. So, to prepare for this, I often shower right before I go. Because I usually tan at the last hours of the night, I am to get all freshened up, removing any natural oils my skin and hair product, allowing for a fresh canvas for the tan. This provides my tan a good 8+ hours of setting. The longer the wait to shower after, the better, so showering right beforehand is beneficial.

Exfoliate

One of the most important steps to my pre-spray tan routine is exfoliation. In order to make for an even tan, you have to remove all the dead skin (and prior spray tan if you tan often). It will make your skin smooth and prevent blotching and an uneven tan. I like to call this a “dirty” tan. Dirty is bad. Clean is good- so exfoliate!

I highly recommend using a sugar scrub with a loofa when you shower beforehand. I use the brand Tree Hut from Target (found HERE). They have many scents, my favorites being the Original Shea and Tropical Mango. It makes for a healthy scrub without damaging your skin, all while nourishing it at the same time with the shea.

Shaving

Because of my deep European roots, I have very dark hair. Therefore, I shave every single day. So, this extra step in the pre-spray tan routine is not inconvenient for me. Nevertheless, I highly recommend shaving beforehand. This provides for a smooth surface for the tan to adhere to, and will also add an additional sense of exfoliation to your skin as well. I use Suave Coconut conditioner as my shaving cream. As weird as it seems, it works much better than foamy shaving cream, leaving my skin smooth and nourished, plus the bottle goes a longer way with a much cheaper price.

Lotion

Because of my eczema, I have very dry skin, and therefore, apply lotion to my entire body after every shower. However, the only exclusion to is right before a spray tan. In order to prevent any barrier to your skin, you cannot apply any lotion prior to spray tanning. This provides for a clean surface for the tan to adhere without any interference. However, I do recommend moisturizing after your tan (after your first post-tan shower). This will help the skin from drying, which can cause the spray tan to flake. Lotion will help lengthen the spray tan and keep your skin healthy.

Primer

There is an exception to the lotion rule: and that is priming lotion. Sun Tan City offers several options to pre-spray tan primer to help prepare your skin for the spray. They assist with lengthening the life of your tan, keeping your skin nourished and healthy. My favorite: the Designer Skin CC Sunless Primer. It helps with eleminating the odor that often comes with a spray tan, intensifies the bronzing elements of the spray tan (and UV bronzers if you double dip), and tightens skin for longer-lasting tans. You can purchase at your local Sun Tan City (found HERE).

Barrier Cream

Another exception to the lotion rule is barrier cream. At each Sun Tan City, you have access to complementary barrier cream in each spray tan room. The name says it all- it provides a barrier when applied to any part of your body that you do not want the spray tan to adhere to. I apply this to my hand, nails, bottom of feet, and sometimes ankles, elbows, and knees. Essentially, any place of your body that acts as an extreme magnet for the tan and that you want to PREVENT from tanning.

So head over to your local Sun Tan City to take part in FREE SPRAY TAN WEEK (Monday, Sept. 24th through Sunday, Sept. 30th). Get a FREE spray tan in any of the spray tan booths, get weekend pricing for add-ons (double pass of legs, hydration), join any spray tan membership for free (no one-time membership fee), and so much more! See further details of this amazing promotion HERE.

Happy tanning!!

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*This is a sponsored post brought to you by Sun Tan City. The opinions are completely my own and based on my experience.*