To get a smooth and gorgeous tan, you need to prepare for your spray tan session. There are things you need to do the night before you go for a spray tan session. That’s why we came up with this article.
In addition, we have answered a few frequently asked questions about preparing for a spray tan. Some of the things we will be talking about are things to avoid while preparing for a spray tan, how your skincare routine affects your preparation, and thing to do the night before your spray tan.
We want to use this opportunity to remind you that preparation for your spray tan matters a lot. Taking a spray tan is like taking an academic examination. The results depend on your preparations. The things that you need to do before you take a spray tan are shaving, exfoliation, and moisturization.
So, without further ado, let’s get into the heart of the issues right away.
How To Prepare For A spray Tan The Night Before?
The first thing to do the night before your spray tan session is to shave the hair on your body. Hair prevents a spray tan from reacting well with the pigments of your skin. Secondly, you need to exfoliate too. It is necessary to remove all dead cells that could hinder you from getting a good tan. Exfoliation helps to make your tanner last longer and fade more gracefully.
After exfoliation, you can take a cold shower, dry your body and end the preparation by applying a moisturizer to your skin. Remember, you have to apply a moisturizer again. In fact, moisturization should be a daily affair.
What Should You Not Do Before A Spray Tan?
After talking about what you should do the night before, let’s also talk about what you should NOT do. Yes, we want you to shave your hair before a spray tan, but it is not a good idea to shave some minutes before a spray tan. It will leave your pores wide open, and the tanner will find its way into the pores.
The result of clogged pores is a dotted tan. That would be too embarrassing. Another thing you shouldn’t do is to apply any cream or lotion that has chemicals to your skin a few hours to your spray tan session. The chemical may react with the tanner and yield an unpleasant result.
One more thing- Don’t take a hot shower before a spray tan. Hot baths open up the pores. If you’ve been following this article from the beginning, you should already know what could happen when your pores are open.
Can I Do My Skincare Routine Before A Spray Tan?
Yes, you can do your skincare routine before a spray tan, especially if it includes the application of a moisturizer to your skin. However, stay away from applying a lotion or cream that has chemicals in them. Some of the chemicals may be left on your skin by the time you get tanned.
These chemicals usually react with the tanner, yielding unfavorable results. The reaction could cause uneven patches of tan on your body, and it could also make your tan fade sooner. So, you can do your skincare routine, but be careful. Don’t apply any skincare product that has chemicals.
If you’re not sure if a particular product has chemicals or not, it is smarter and safer to assume it does. Don’t apply it.
Can You Moisturize Your Skin The Night Before A Spray Tan?
Yes, yes, and yes. You can moisturize your skin the night before. You must have shaved and exfoliated your body before you moisturize your skin. However, moisturizing your skin the night before does not prevent you from moisturizing your skin again immediately before you take the tan.
Even after taking the tan, you need to apply a moisturizer again. In addition, it is necessary to keep moisturizing your body to preserve your tan and to ward skin diseases off. Moisturization also helps to make your tanner last longer. Finally, with regular moisturization, your tan will fade more gracefully.
Can I Exfoliate The Night Before A Spray Tan?
Yes, it is necessary to exfoliate the night before. Exfoliation helps to get rid of a layer of dead skin cells. These dead cells prevent tanner from penetrating the skin. Without proper penetration, your tan may fade sooner. Naturally, dead cells are expelled from the skin every 7 days. If you don’t exfoliate before you tan, the dead cells will be eliminated with part of your tan, making it fade prematurely. So, you need to exfoliate the night before.
It is also cool to exfoliate only 4 hours to your tanning session. You need to wash your skin after exfoliation. Wait for the skin to dry up before you apply a moisturizer the night before.
Should I Wash My Hair Before Or After A Spray Tan?
Whether you wash your hair or not, it has no effect on the outcome of your tanning session. So, you can wash it before or after having a spray tan. Nevertheless, it may be a better idea to wash it after your spray tan. We usually advise people to cover their heads with a shower cap before they go in for tanning.
In case a little bit of tanner mistakenly splashes on your hair, washing it will eliminate the tanner. So, it is better to wash your hair after self-tanning. However, you have to do it carefully to prevent water from running over your body. It could wash off your tanner.
Final Thoughts
As a reminder, you need to shave, exfoliate, and moisturize your body the night before you go for a spray tan. After the spray tan, you should wait for about 4 – 8 hours before you take a shower. This will allow the tan to develop completely. Finally, if you want to maintain your smooth tan, you can go for a spray tan every 9 – 12 days.
