My first time airbrush tanning…

I’ve been reading about celebrities getting airbrush tans in magazines for years, I’ve seen instagram posts tagged with #airbrushtan, I’ve seen episodes of reality shows where they go to get them, but I had never known anyone that had one done themselves. It seemed really intimidating. I didn’t know what to expect and was afraid I’d do or say something wrong or embarrassing. So for years I ignored the ads for salons that offered airbrush tanning services. I decided I’d stick to tanning beds where I knew what I was doing and no one else was there to laugh at me. Until one day I read an article about how tanning booths emit the same dangerous UV Rays that the sun does. I read about all the internal damage UV Rays can cause to your skin, including cancer! I brought it up with a friend of mine and she confided in me that she does airbrush tanning instead of tanning beds. I had so many questions!!! She sat down and talked me through it and we made an appointment together with her airbrush tanning specialist.

She told me what I needed to do before the appointment, and I’m glad she did. I would’ve had no idea. The day before we went in, I shaved my legs and made sure to exfoliate in the shower. Apparently, skin cells have their own life cycles. Old ones are at the very surface and when they die and flake off, the new skin cells beneath them are exposed. You don’t want the tanning solution to be applied to old, dead skin because it will flake off and your tan won’t last as long or look as even as it should! There are many special exfoliating brushes and scrubs available, but if you don’t have any, some soap and a good rub-down with a wash cloth will work just fine.  Shaving, waxing, facials, manicure/pedicures, massages, and laser treatments should all be done before your tanning appointment because if you do them afterwards, you run the risk of ruining the skin with the fresh tan on it.

She also told me to NOT wear any deodorant, perfumes, or lotions on the day of the appointment and go in wearing loose, comfortable clothing. She said I could wear a swim suit for the actual tanning, or I could go nude if I felt comfortable with it. I wasn’t quite that brave, but the technician was super nice and really professional. She assured me that she’s seen it all and is in no way judging my body. In fact, she said she could custom tailor the tan so that it would hide some of my blemishes and make me look toned and thinner. Amazing! She sat with me and discussed my goals and how dark I want the tan to be. She knew all about the products and was confident that I wouldn’t come out looking orange or unnatural. She matched my skin tone to the perfect color for me. I really didn’t expect so much personal attention. I felt like I was really being taken care of. I was really relaxed and comfortable and the whole thing lasted about 15-20 minutes.

Afterwards, the technician told me that I should stay as dry as I can for at least 8 hours! Avoid showers, pools, and sweaty exercise while your tan sets. Once it dries, you’ll want to keep your skin moisturized. Apply moisturizer daily in the morning and evening to help keep your tan as long as possible. When your skin gets dry, it flakes off and will take your gorgeous color with it, so keep it smooth and hydrated! Avoid soaps and moisturizers that contain AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) as well as chlorine from pools/hot tubs whenever possible. Long hot showers and baths might also dull your tan, so keep ’em short if you can! You can also apply tan extender solutions that contain DHA – these will help your tan last even longer. DHA is the compound that creates the tan. It sounds like some sort of chemical, but it’s completely natural and organic. An airbrush tan doesn’t penetrate past that top layer of skin, so there is no internal damage unlike UV Rays which go deep into the inner layers and can create problems.

My tan lasted about 10 days and looked way more natural than I had expected. I was worried there would be streaks or blotches or come out too dark or orange, but none of that was the case! I was also surprised by how affordable it was. I figured it was a “luxury service” and would cost a small fortune, but it was much less than I expected.

If you’re apprehensive, I highly recommend you take the leap and give it a try. If you’re in Denver, I highly recommend Shine. They use 100% vegan, cruelty-free products and really know their stuff.

 

Full body transformation – No surgery or pills required!

Plastic surgery is BIG business. People pay thousands of dollars on surgeries, injections, lotions, potions, pills, and powders in order to make themselves look younger, slimmer, and more beautiful. What if I told you that there’s an easy way to look your best that you’re probably overlooking and it costs less than $30 and takes only a few minutes?

I’m talking about an airbrush tan! You probably think a tan is just a little color, but with a custom airbrush tan, it’s way more than that. Skilled technicians personalize each tan and can contour the application to make you look thinner, have bigger cleavage, and even have more toned muscles. It’s incredible what some well-placed color can do.  It also makes you look healthier and more youthful. The color helps to hide and diminish blemishes such as varicose veins, age spots and cellulite.  An airbrush tan can even your skin tone without any foundation and will look amazing even after you wash your face at night.

Spray tans have gotten a bad rep in the past for looking orange or streaky. That’s because spray tans USED to use dyes to stain the skin. An airbrush tan today doesn’t need all that artificial color! We use a safe, organic compound called DHA which works on the very top layer of your skin and doesn’t penetrate or damage deeper skin cells the way that tanning beds can. It creates a tan in a natural way and is approved by the FDA. The risks of cancer and skin damage associated with UV rays in tanning beds and the sun are not found with airbrush tans. And forget about those streaks! Your tanning technician is specially trained and will apply this formula evenly over your body to create a tan so natural that no one will know it isn’t real.

An airbrush tan won’t last forever sadly, but if you exfoliate before your appointment, avoid showering or swimming right after it, and then keep your skin nice and moisturized for the next week, you can prolong your tan up to 10 days, sometimes even longer!  It’s great to do all year round, especially for special occasions or big events. You’ll look like a whole new, healthier version of yourself.

Time to see what an amazing make-over it can be – Make an appointment today!

Fall Fashion – Tan is IN

The temperature is falling, but that doesn’t mean you have to give in to pale skin for the next few months. Keep your summer glow all year round with an airbrush tan!

How it works:

When you get an airbrush tan, a technician uses as specialized tool to evenly spray a solution on your skin. The solution we’re referring to contains Dihydroxyacetone or “DHA” – I know it sounds kind of scary, but DHA isn’t some sort of toxic chemical. In fact, it’s a completely NON-toxic, organic compound often derived from plant sources such as sugar beets and sugar cane, and by the fermentation of glycerin. DHA-based sunless tanning has been recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation, American Academy of Dermatology Association, Canadian Dermatology Association and the American Medical Association as a safer alternative to sun-bathing. When you get a tan from laying out in the sun, UV Rays are penetrating deep into the inner layers of your skin where they can cause serious skin damage, even cancer! But DHA works only in the outermost layer of your skin and changes your skin tone in a safe, natural way.

How long does it last?

On average an airbrush tan lasts 6-10 days. But there are steps you can take to make sure it lasts as long as possible. Be sure you exfoliate before your appointment. The night before, take a shower and scrub, scrub, scrub! We are constantly growing new skin cells and old ones flake off to reveal fresh new skin below. We want to be sure we are spraying the new, healthy skin and not old, dead skin on the surface! Be sure to shave before you come in, too. And don’t wear any lotions or perfumes on the day of your appointment. We want to be sure that the solution doesn’t encounter any obstacles and can be applied directly and evenly to your fresh new, smooth, clean skin! After your tan, avoid showering, working out, swimming, or anything requiring you to get wet for the first few hours. Let it really soak in and give it time to be absorbed. Avoid tight-fitting clothes when you come in for your appointment for the same reason – you don’t want the solution to be rubbed, washed, or smudged away before it has a chance to set into your skin. After those first few hours, break out the lotion! Keep your skin nice a moisturized for the duration of your tan. If you can avoid letting your skin dry out and fake off, your tan will last longer.

The benefits

You might be wondering why anyone really feels like they need a tan in winter to begin with… well, you’d be surprised what a little bit of color can do! It’s been shown that an airbrush tan, when properly applied, can make you look thinner, younger, and healthier. The color can help to mask age spots, cellulite, and blemishes, too. Your airbrush tan technician isn’t going to let you look orange, either. We know the nuances of our solutions and how to create a natural looking skin tone for each unique customer. In the dead of winter, you don’t want to look like you spent all night sleeping in a tanning booth, you just want a touch of color to make you glow and we can get you that perfect shade. It only takes a few minutes and costs less than you might think!  Give us a call to see for yourself!  🙂

Keep your airbrush tan longer!

 

Don’t you wish summer could last forever? Unfortunately, we can’t help with that, but we CAN give you a few tips to keep your airbrush tan looking stunning for longer!

Step 1: Exfoliating!  The solution in airbrush tans doesn’t penetrate into deeper layers of your skin; it stays on the top, outermost layer. This makes it safer, but it also means it won’t last forever. We are always losing skin. The top layer of skin dies and falls off or gets rubbed away by clothes, showers, etc. To make sure you’re not applying your tanning solution to a layer of dead skin that is just about the fall off, you should exfoliate the day before your tanning session so that the fresh skin underneath is the skin that gets tanned.  There are tons of exfoliating scrubs, sponges, and gloves on the market that can help you with this task. You can even make your own natural sugar scrub if you’re handy like that! There are tons of great recipes out there. Whatever you choose to use, make sure you do it the day before your appointment. You want to rid yourself of the old skin, and let your bright new skin get treated.

Also be sure you shave (or wax) the day before your appointment. When you remove hair, you can remove a bit of that top layer of skin as well. If you wait until after your airbrush tan, you’ll be removing a layer of the newly tanned skin with your hair, and that will reduce the time you get to spend with that glow. Plus, if you have hair on your body, the tanning solution will get on the hair and it can block the solution from getting to your skin and working it’s magic.

Step 2: Keep it bare. On the day of your appointment, don’t put on any creams, sprays, perfumes, or lotions. A layer of lotion can block the tanning solution from absorbing into your skin. Choose your outfit carefully before you leave the house, too.  Skinny jeans are great, but don’t wear them to your airbrush tanning appointment. The tanning solution dries pretty quickly, but it’s still a good idea to avoid tight-fitting clothes that will rub against your skin and potentially rub your solution off before it has a chance to fully penetrate and give you the best possible tan.

After you’ve gotten your treatment, avoid water for a few hours if you can. It takes about 6-8 hours for the solution to completely settle in and do it’s job. Until then, avoid showers, baths, saunas, and heavy work-outs since sweating opens pores and washes away the solution just as much as a shower can.

Step 4: Moisturize! Once your tan has settled in (after that initial 6-8 hours) then be sure you keep your skin moist to lock that skin in. You know how your skin gets flaky when it’s dry? Those flakes are dead skin shedding off. Your hydrated skin will stay healthier longer. Once your skin is nice and tan, we want to keep it! Keeping your skin moisturized will ensure that you keep that tan as long as possible. We recommend moisturizing at least twice a day. If you can find a moisturizer that has SPF sun protection built-in, even better! It will help protect your skin from those damaging UV Rays we mentioned earlier!

When your skin is nice and tan, it’s best to limit your time in chlorinated pools. Chlorine dries your skin out and sometimes can even have a bleaching effect. So it’s best to avoid chlorine altogether if possible, but if not – be sure to shower it off as soon as you can when you get out of the pool and keep that moisturizer flowing!

Following these tips can ensure that your tan lasts as long as possible.

Are spray tans safe?

I’m sure you’ve seen the research showing how dangerous sun exposure can be. We’ve learned that the UV rays in the sun that damage our skin are also found in tanning beds. This naturally might lead you to be concerned about the safety of spray tans as well. It’s a healthy concern! Let’s talk a little about airbrush tanning.

Let’s start with the basics … what is it and how does it work?

When you get an airbrush tan, a technician uses as specialized tool to evenly spray a solution on your skin. The solution we’re referring to contains Dihydroxyacetone or “DHA” – I know it sounds kind of scary, but DHA isn’t some sort of toxic chemical. In fact, it’s a completely NON-toxic, organic compound and it creates a reaction with the amino acids in the very outermost layer of your skin. This reaction is completely natural, it’s similar to the one that changes the color of an apple turn when you leave a slice on the table. In contrast, when you tan outdoors or in a tanning bed, the color change happens in the deepest layer of your skin, called the basal layer. UV Rays from the sun or the bed penetrate deeply into your body to initiate the color change, but it can also cause serious skin damage and even cancer. Your sun tan might be temporary, but those UV Rays have broken down the DNA in your skin cells permanently. However, with DHA, nothing penetrates that deeply. The DHA stays on the surface of the skin and the reaction doesn’t affect anything below that first outer layer. We are always shedding and re-growing skin. When that top skin flakes off, the color from your airbrush tan leaves with it. Nothing is permanent with an airbrush tan. They can last 7-10 days on average.

Ok, but how do I know that DHA is safe?

The FDA has done extensive research and deemed DHA safe to use. You should not ingest the solution and you should not get it into your eyes, nose, or mouth. So, when you get an airbrush tan, keep your eyes and mouth closed. Some people prefer to use nose clips as well, just to be safe. There are some people who have been known to have an allergic reaction to spray tans, but that’s usually due to other ingredients in the solutions used and not the DHA itself. If you’re sensitive and have many skin allergies, you might want to test a small area to see how it reacts before you do your whole body. Airbrush tanning does NOT carry the risk of skin cancer or photo-aging that the sun or tanning beds do.

There have been issues reported with other tanning products that are sometimes called tan enhancers, accelerators, promoters, or amplifiers. Many of these products interact with the sun to create an even deeper color, so they are actually accentuating the damage done to the skin by the sun itself. There are also oral pills, which are banned commercially in the U.S. and for good reason. They contain the carotenoid chemical (the same pigment found in carrots), and have been associated with a variety or disorders including hepatitis and hives.  Airbrush tanning contains NONE of these risks either. It won’t protect you from the dangers of the sun, though. So when you leave the house, you’re always encouraged to wear sunscreen with an appropriate SPF number to minimize your risk of damage from the sun.

So airbrush tanning is basically the safest way we’ve found to get a tan! It’s also the fastest. You can get a full body tan in about 15 minutes as opposed to laying in the sun for hours!  I bet you’ll be surprised to learn that it’s also quite affordable. Some salons, like Shine in Denver, even offer an option to do a mobile tanning session, where they bring the equipment to your house for you and tan you in the comfort of your own home! Give it a try and see for yourself. It’s fast, cheap, and SAFE! Why not?

All About Sunscreen!

I’m sure you’ve heard that too much exposure to sunlight can cause skin cancer. It’s true! The sun emits ultraviolet or “UV” rays which can penetrate your skin and damage skin cells. They are like invisible laser beams that zap into your skin and do some real damage. The damage you’re likely most familiar with is sun burn. But there are bigger problems that can come from sun damage, such as cancer. That sounds scary, and it is, but the good news is that there are steps you can take to minimize your risk. The best thing you can do is use sunscreen, but be sure you’re using it properly! Below are a few tips and facts to help you better protect your largest organ: your skin!

Make sure you pick the RIGHT sunscreen.

Many sunscreens only protect you from the sun’s UVB rays, and not UVA rays. Both types of UV rays can cause skin cancer according to the American Cancer Society. UVB rays are mostly responsible for sun burns on the top layers of your skin, but just because you didn’t burn, doesn’t mean that UVA rays didn’t penetrate deeper and cause damage.

The ACS, CDC, and FDA all recommend that you use sunscreens that are SPF 15 or higher and have “broad spectrum” written on the label. Broad Spectrum means that it protects against both UVB and UVA rays.

SPF 30 isn’t “twice the protection” as SPF 15.  The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of your sunscreen is the fraction of rays that reach your skin, so SPF 15 means only 1/15 of UVB rays will reach the skin. SPF 30 can filter out 97 percent of UVB rays, whereas SPF 50 filters out 98 percent. There’s no evidence supporting that SPF values higher than 50 provide any additional protection.

There’s no such thing as “waterproof” sunscreen. Recent FDA regulations prevent companies from claiming sunscreen is “waterproof” anymore. Products can still claim to be “water resistant” for either 40 or 80 minutes of swimming or sweating. However, it is still recommending that you reapply sunscreen after getting wet.

You DO need sunscreen on a cloudy day! And more than just a little dab. 

Even if it’s cold or cloudy outside, you still need to wear sunscreen. Up to 40 percent of the sun’s UV rays reach the earth on a completely cloudy day. That’s more than enough to cause skin damage. According to studies, most people apply only 1/4 of the needed amount of sunscreen. We should be using one ounce of sunscreen to cover our arms, legs, neck and face. More if your back/stomach is exposed! One ounce is about a shot glass worth to put it in perspective.  Also note that sunscreen can and does wear off, so you need to reapply the same amount every two hours or after swimming or a work out that makes you sweat. Don’t skimp!

Applying sunscreen while you’re outside is already too late.

It’s tempting to save some time by grabbing the sunscreen and taking it with you to the beach to put it on there, but sunscreen takes about 30 minutes to be absorbed into your skin, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Be sure to apply it before going outside. And having a “base tan” won’t protect you from radiation. UV rays can penetrate a tan. Your darker pigment only protects up to an equivalent of SPF 3 at most and usually that number is less. You still need to apply sunscreen.

What you wear can help.

You can help combat sun exposure by wearing clothes, hats and sunglasses that advertise UV protection. Not all glasses provide this protection, so be sure to check for it specifically. Watch your clothing, though. Loose, thin materials don’t offer total protection. A typical t-shirt offers protection of roughly SPF 15. If you’re going to spend a whole day outdoors in direct sunlight, you might want to consider putting on a layer of sunscreen even under a thin shirt!

9. Get an airbrush tan if you want some color.

Tanning beds use UV rays to give you a tan. These are the same types of harmful rays in the sun. If you want a tan, FDA-approved airbrush tanning is the way to go. It’s not a dye or stain, the organic compound DHA in airbrush tanning formulas reacts naturally with the top layer of your skin to create a tan that only affects this top layer and doesn’t damage your skin. These tans last 7-10 days and are the safest option for those who desire tan skin but don’t want to risk the permanent damage that UV radiation can cause.

 

It’s May! Sunshine facts and tips for summer

Take a long, deep breath. Feel that? It’s MAY! We made it through the winter! Before summer hits us full-on, let’s talk a little bit about sun exposure.

There are some real dangers associated with too much time in the sun. Sunburn is the most common problem we face. It’s not just a minor annoyance, sun burn is actually the result of deep cellular damage to your skin cells. Sure, that burn might go away in a week or so, but over time, this cellular damage becomes noticeable in other ways. It can give the skin a “leathery” look. It’s more wrinkly, flaky, and discolored that healthy skin. It is also weakened and will bruise more easily, even though it appears to be thicker.

There are bigger worries than unattractive skin, however. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer found today, and many doctors believe that limiting over-exposure to the sun can help prevent it. Certain skin cancers, such as melanoma, can also spread to other areas of the body if not treated in time. This can be life-threatening. So please take sun exposure seriously if you have shrugged it off in the past.

Staying out of direct sunlight is the best way to protect yourself, but chances are, you aren’t completely nocturnal, so you’re going to have to go outdoors! When you do, these tips will help minimize the damage:

• Wear sunscreen! Always. Every day. Even in winter. Be sure to look at the SPF number on your sunscreen. The larger the SPF number, the greater the amount of protection. Everyone should use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. If you have had  skin cancer or precancer, you should use a sunscreen with an even higher SPF. Many of the new sunscreens have SPFs of 30, 45, or even higher.
• Wear sunglasses that filter UV light. Many brands make stylish shades that also offer this protection. UV Rays can damage your eyes as well.
• Wear protective clothing to help shield your skin. Invest in a good hat! The top of your head is usually a tough spot to lather on the sunscreen, but your hair doesn’t cover your scalp the way a hat does.
• Avoid the mid-day sun. The UV rays that damage your skin are most powerful between 10am to 3pm.

Sunshine isn’t evil, though! In fact, if you don’t get enough sunshine in your life, you can potentially get what is known as SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder.  When exposed to less-than-usual sunlight (like during the winter months when sunlight is more scarce) your body produces more melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone that makes you feel sleepy.  Your brain also begins producing lower levels of serotonin — the neurotransmitter that affects mood, appetite, sleep, and sexual desire. Simply put, SAD can make you feel sad. Catching a few rays can lift your spirits. Your body also absorbs vitamin D from the sun. The sun isn’t the only place you can get vitamin D, many foods are manufactured to be fortified with Vitamin D, but a little natural vitamin D outside is free and fun!

The sun makes you feel good. And then of course, there’s the way the sun makes you look. Indeed, a tan can make you look younger, healthier, and reduce the appearance of cellulite and age spots. But is vanity worth the risk of skin cancer? No, it certainly isn’t! Many women lay out in direct sunlight for hours to get that perfect tan, but even with sunscreen on, UV rays can penetrate your skin and cause damage. Tanning beds, even though they aren’t real sunlight, carry the same risks because they use the same dangerous rays.

There’s good news, though – there are SAFE tanning products that you can use to bronze your skin without actually using the sun or tanning beds!

Airbrush tanning uses an all natural compound called DHA. DHA isn’t a dye, paint, or stain. It’s actually a non-toxic, organic compound that creates a chemical reaction with the amino acids in the outermost layer of your skin.  This reaction does not involve the underlying skin pigmentation, nor does it require exposure to ultraviolet light to initiate the change in color. DHA is approved by the FDA, and does not carry the serious risks that tanning outdoors or using a tanning bed does. It is a vegan, organic, and safe alternative. It’s also much cheaper and quicker than you might think. Don’t be shy, give it a try this summer!

What IS a tan, anyway?

It’s one of those things you probably wonder about for a minute and then never bother to think about again…  What IS a tan? How does your body change color like that?

Well, wonder no longer! There are a few different ways your body can tan naturally. The most obvious is, of course, from the sun! Light from the sun reaches earth in three forms: visible light, ultraviolet light, and infrared. That second type, ultraviolet light, is classified into three categories:

1. UVC, which doesn’t affect us because it’s filtered out by the atmosphere before it can get to our skin.

2. UVB, which typically causes damage in the form of sunburn.

3.  UVA or black light, which causes tanning.

The problems we associate with sun exposure, such as skin cancer, wrinkles, etc. are mostly caused by harmful UVB rays. Research suggests UVA might have an increasing hand in these things as well, however. Most of the sun’s UV radiation at sea level is of the UVA variety.
UVA can be reflected off of snow or water. Snow actually reflects roughly 90% of UV light, which is why you can get severe sun burns while skiing. Sand reflects up to 20% of UVB too, so at the beach, you’re getting more UV exposure than you would sitting in your backyard. It’s hitting you from above and below! There are certain surfaces that can absorb UV radiation rather than reflect it, such as certain types of glass.

Ultraviolet light in the sun stimulates the production of melanin in our skin. This pigment absorbs UV light, protecting cells from damage. Imagine you put a sponge on top of a piece of paper and slowly dropped beads of water onto it. The sponge would soak the water up before it can ruin the paper. That’s sort of what your melanin does to UV rays. Over time, this protective pigment makes your skin look darker, hence: a tan! Caucasians typically have the least amount of melanin in their skin on a day-to-day basis, but in many other races, there is a continuous melanin production, which causes the skin to remain pigmented and also offers more protection against UV rays on a daily basis.

It’s important to note that all UV rays are potentially dangerous. If you keep dropping water onto that sponge, eventually, it will soak through and damage the paper. That’s fine when we’re talking about metaphorical paper, but not so great when we’re talking about your skin! UV rays can cause deep damage to your cells, which results in painful sunburn at best and fatal skin cancer at worst. It’s important to protect yourself from skin damage by wearing sunscreen when you’re outside. Avoiding direct sunlight is the best way to protect yourself. This really ruins your chance at a tan, though.

There’s one more way that you can get naturally darker skin, however. That’s through DHA.  DHA is a non-toxic, organic compound that creates a chemical reaction within the amino acids in the outermost layer of your skin. This reaction does not involve the underlying skin pigmentation, nor does it require exposure to ultraviolet light to initiate the change in color. It is similar to the maillard reaction which occurs in food. It’s a natural, temporary color that looks just like a tan that occurs from melanin. The active ingredient in airbrush tanning is DHA. The color produced in an airbrush tan typically lasts 7-10 days, but it is much safer than roasting yourself in the sun or using a tanning bed.

Look great in ‘1-8!

Happy New Year, Denver! We’ve made it through 2017 and as we embark on this fresh year full of adventures, milestones, challenges, and changes, let’s not forget to stop and spend some time rewarding ourselves.

Year after year, one of the most popular New Years Resolutions is to get back into (or start fresh at) the gym. This is an excellent goal for your body and mind! When you’re thinking about working out, I bet you aren’t thinking about a tan, but you know the old saying “fake it ’til you make it?” Well, it applies here! An airbrush tan is surprisingly slimming. You will not only look healthier with a little color, a good tan will also hide small imperfections such as varicose veins. A great airbrush technician can even give you some shading to give you extra tone and definition. When you look better, you feel better. Looking your best will give you the confidence and motivation to throw on those workout clothes and get out there! Once you’ve been working hard and accomplish your goals, you’ll love how much better your 2018 body looks with a tan, too. Don’t let pale skin wash out your achievements; show off with some color!

Make this year SHINE with a safe, affordable, all natural tan from us. You deserve to look your best all year, and we’re here to help.

 

 

Defeat the enemies of your airbrush tan!

Your brand new airbrush tan is so lovable, it’s hard to imagine it would have enemies, but it does. There are things that want to fade it into oblivion, but we’re here to give you the tools to fight for your tan!

The first thing you can do to protect your tan begins before your appointment! Be sure to shave and exfoliate your skin the night before your tan. You want to be sure that top layer of flaky dead skin that we all have is sloughed off to reveal the fresh skin underneath. There are plenty of products available to help you exfoliate, but beware of sugar scrubs or other scrubs on the market which have an oily base. That oil might feel great, but before an airbrush tan, it can coat the skin and make it hard for your tanning solution to permeate. You want to walk into your tanning appointment with clean, DRY skin. Don’t apply any lotions, perfumes, or sprays to your skin before you tan because it can block the tanning solution and you could end up with an uneven or weak tan.

The next enemy your tan will encounter is tight clothing. While airbrush tans dry fairly quickly and don’t stain the way some self-tanning lotions do, you still want to give your tanning solution time to soak into your skin evenly. Skip the skinny jeans and opt for loose clothes on the day of your appointment.

Once you’ve gotten your tan, stay clear of water. For the first 6-8 hours, water is your tan’s enemy. Swimming, showering, even sweating can wash off the solution before it has a chance to properly set. After those first few hours, water lightens up and your tan and water can be friends again. But don’t spend hours in the hot tub if you can help it. Chlorine will be still try to sabotage your tan in large quantities, too. Chlorine dries your skin out and can have a bleaching effect with prolonged contact. So it’s best to avoid chlorine altogether if possible, but if not – be sure to shower it off as soon as you can when you get out of the pool and pat yourself dry.

Dry skin is enemy number one. Once the tan skin on your body starts dying and flaking off, it takes your tan with it. Keep your skin moisturized, but avoid over-saturating it. Opt for a light moisturizer over a thick body butter, and use it whenever you start feeling dried out.

With these tips, you’ll be a super hero to your tan!