Many of us seek the perfect bronze year-round. Spray tanning, also known as sunless tanning, is the alternative to that UV golden glow you have been longing for. These tanners can come in lotions, sprays, gels, wipes, and powders, and there are two ways you can benefit from them: depending on your preferences you can either do it yourself at home or go to a salon.
DYI or Professional Tanning?
Having your spray tan session at a professional tanning salon ensures that you will get the desired results and it is recommended for the occasions that require an impeccable tan. A couple of hours later, your skin will go as if you have just returned from your exotic holiday. A session usually takes no longer than 15 minutes and prices per session start at £15.
This amount can easily escalate depending on a number of factors: is it a partial tan or for your whole body? Have you had the necessary treatment prior to the session to make sure your skin stays healthy? How many sessions are needed to reach the desired look?
While in the past, your local tanning salon was about your only option if natural sunbathing was not an option, nowadays you can opt for a less pricey option: the so-called ‘tan-in-a-bottle’, and do it yourself in the comfort of your home.
With recent innovations in spray tan technology and the more and more empowered customer, you can now get your chocolatey glow at less than half of what going to a professional would cost you. Thus, there are a couple of things you should probably bear in mind in order to avoid less than perfect results.
First and foremost, you should always make sure your skin is perfectly clean and ready. To get flawless coverage, you need to make sure you have gotten rid of all dead skin cells, oils, or natural dirt that gets picked from the environment. Moreover, prior to applying the spray, ensure your skin is prepped to absorb the tan fully: shave, exfoliate and shower at least 24 hours before. Another good trick is to apply a bit of lotion on the rougher parts of your body, such as elbows and knees.
If you feel like this is not just an isolated event where you required a perfect tan, you might like to consider getting professionally trained. The courses usually take one day and the pricing varies between £50 to £100. It might sound like a lot but if you think of this as an investment, you are actually saving money in the long-run. And you will never have to go to a salon again!
Spray tanning products are commonly considered to be safe as long as they’re used as directed, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded after approving dihydroxyacetone (DHA), the active ingredient contained by most sunless tanning products. Regardless of the method you choose for getting the desired skin bronze, you must always make sure it is done within safety reasons – nothing is worth risking your health!