guide to: prepping & maintaining an a+ spray tan

Brought to you by Bright Bar.

Nicollette Petersen @nicollettepetersen

This week, I'm all about CONFIDENCE! I'm focusing on believing in myself and doing all that I can to be the most confident version of myself. High on my list of confidence boosters are SPRAY TANS! While I'm a big advocate for do-it-yourself tanning (helpful hints here), I've found something very special in Boston's newest spray tan boutique Bright Bar. Alex Post and her group of spray tan experts do an amazing job at customizing your glow just for you, and take the time with each client to make sure your spray meets your needs - once, Alex even sent me home with a bottle of tan eraser (for months of orange buildup) the day before a tan to ensure my tan the next day was flawless. 

Alex provides each clients with tips and tricks for prepping and maintaining a flawless spray tan for weeks. I'm excited to share them with you today!

preparing for a spray tan

The Night Before:

• Take a shower the night before your appointment, or morning of if your appointment is not until the evening, and utilize an exfoliator to scrub away dead skin. Shave everything because you won't want to shave for as long as possible after. Following your shower, feel free to use a moisturizer if you are prone to dry skin, but make sure it is OIL FREE. 

Going to your appointment:

• Wear baggy clothes - sweats, loose T-shirts, for ladies, no bra. The less friction you have against your skin for the next 5-8 hours following the appointment, the better your result is going to be.
  
• If you have to dress nicely following your appointment we suggest for ladies: rompers or jumpsuits, loose blouses, dresses, flare pants etc. For men: loose pants, joggers, shorts, loose t-shirts. 

post spray tan

• Following your appointment, wait the correct amount of time as directed before taking a shower and be sure to avoid overly hot showers. Hot showers dry out the skin and speed up the process of skin regrowth. 
  
• Use mild cleaners that do not contain sulfates, parabens, lactic acid or exfoliants! You want to keep that top layer of skin from shedding off because it is holding in your precious golden color.
  
• Moisturize! A spray tan fades as the top layer of your skin naturally exfoliates. Moisturizing twice a day aids in keeping your skin from naturally sloughing off and therefore will extend the life of your tan! (YAY) When moisturizing, stick to oil-free lotions without anti-aging retinols or AHAs (Glycolic, Lactic, Malic, Citric and Tartaric acids). Oils are not your friend when it comes to maintaining a spray tan!!
  
• Avoid chlorine/salt water pools and especially hot tubs. Hot water and chlorine are a recipe for fading (or even completely destroying) a perfect tan! If you are like me and can't resist the urge for a dip make sure to apply a layer of waterproof sunscreen before! This can act as a barrier between your skin and the chlorine/salt water. ​
  
• Always wear sunscreen! Now that you have the perfect tan, no need to put your skin through harmful sun damage! The sun also depletes your skin’s natural moisture so it is always a good idea to protect it.