One thing that’s certain about exotic, tropical vacations is that the bug bites that come from them are so frustrating; they itch, turn red and are just a plain nuisance. Are you wondering whether your spray tan may be causing these bites? Read on to find out.
Does spray tan attract mosquitos?
In short, no, mosquitos aren’t attracted, as such, to your spray tan, and flaunting your freshly bronzed skin on holiday shouldn’t cause pesky bugs to nip at your skin. However, there are some reasons why mosquitos may be attracted to your skin, which can relate to your spray tan, so it’s good to find out what these are.
It’s important to know what mosquitos are mainly attracted to, as these could perhaps be the root of your problems and solve any more bites in the future. The main culprits are listed below:
- Fragrance and scented products – probably the main culprit of bug bites, wearing perfume or other strongly-fragranced products can be a big attraction for mosquitos and therefore increases your chances of bites.
- Dark coloured clothing – according to certain studies, mosquitos can find darker clothing more easily, and so they are more likely to bite if you have dark clothing on.
- Potassium – eating foods rich in potassium, such as bananas, can increase your chances of getting bitten by a mosquito as they are attracted to this.
- Salt – as well as foods with potassium, foods with salt are also known to attract mosquitos.
- Sweat and humidity (water) – mosquitos breed in wet, humid environments, which is the same as when your body is sweaty. When you are sweaty, it is also salty, too, which also attracts mosquitos.
- Body temperature – mosquitos thrive in warm conditions so, the warmer your body temperature is, the more attracted they’ll be to you.
- Blood type – if you have blood type O, you are 83% more likely to get bitten by mosquitos.
- Pregnancy – pregnant women have been shown to be more likely to be bitten by mosquitos, due to a number of differences in which the body functions at this time.
- Alcohol – drinking alcohol has also been shown to attract mosquitos, as the scent is strong enough for them to detect.
If you think that your spray tan s attracting mosquitos, it could be down to the scent, as some tanning solutions contain strong scents to overcome the nasty smell released by the chemicals when they react with your skin. Another thing maybe your body lotion or other products you use to maintain your tan, especially if they’re scented.
Also read: Why Does Spray Tan Cause Body Odour? (with tips for the smell)
Does spray tan attract any other insects?
Mosquitos aren’t the only pesky little bug that hangs around in hot environments (or cold ones) and there are lots of other insects that can be the source of frustrating bug bites and irritation. Although these bites aren’t usually as dangerous as mosquito bites can be, and they’re usually not as bad, they’re annoying nevertheless, so it’s good to know if they’re caused by your spray tan.
In fact, these insects are generally attracted to similar things to what mosquitos are, so this means that your spray tan is not likely to be attracting any other insects either. Once again, there is still the possibility that any strong scents in your spray tan solution could be affecting this, as well as body lotions or perfumes. The best way to solve this is by swapping your regular tanning solution for something else or using different body care products if you want to avoid getting bitten.
Can I apply mosquito repellents or bug sprays on my spray-tanned skin?
Just because your spray tan isn’t necessarily the factor attracting mosquitos to you, it doesn’t mean that you won’t get bitten as, since we’ve seen earlier, there are a number of things which can be causing your bites. Because of this, you may still be interested in using a bug repellent of some sort, but is it safe to do so without spoiling your tan?
If you have noticed before, bug sprays are usually very strong and contain harsh chemicals and ingredients in order to keep bugs at bay. These ingredients are usually slightly harmful for your skin anyway, spray tan or not, as they can be overly drying, as well as just too rough for sensitive skin (or even any skin types). Anything which dries out your skin is bad for a spray tan, as this makes it fade faster, and the ingredients, in general, can make the tan splotchy or patchy in places.
So, in short, it’s not advised that you apply bug sprays, gels, or roll-ons to your spray-tanned skin. Instead, the best thing to do is spray a cloud of bug repellent in front of you and walk through it. This way, you receive the benefits of the spray, without having to apply it directly to the skin, which protects your spray tan.
Final thoughts
If you’re looking for a short answer, your spray tan doesn’t increase your odds of being bitten by mosquitos, or any other insects for that matter, and if you are finding that you are being bitten by mosquitos, try to find what else may be causing this. Also, avoid applying any repellents directly to your skin in order to keep your spray tan in tip-top condition!
