Spray tan is a very popular beauty procedure and one of the best things is that it gives you a long-lasting colour, but it’s still temporary, so there’s no way that you can make a huge mistake by getting it. If you’re considering a spray tan, you may be wondering whether it will look natural, so here’s what you need to know.
Does spray tan look natural?
The whole point of a spray tan is that it gives you the perfect colour to make it look like you’ve spent two weeks on the beach, or that you were naturally gifted with gorgeous, bronzed skin. So, it’s no surprise that you want it to look natural, and this may be the only thing stopping you from achieving the tan of your dreams. Do spray tans look natural?
It’s important that you are aware of a few things first, as these can all play a role in how ‘natural’ your spray tan comes out.
The first option is your method of spray tanning, as this can take place at home, where you apply the spray tan yourself, using a tanning gun, or in a salon, where it is either applied by a machine or a skilled professional with a handheld tanning gun. Obviously, these various methods can have varying degrees of success, so you should take them into careful consideration.
If you are choosing to apply the spray tan yourself, that’s great, but be aware that it can take some getting used to and you’ll have to watch some instructional videos to learn how to get the hang of it, so your first few tans may not have the best results. However, the benefit of spray tanning yourself is that you are in complete control, and you’re the only person who knows exactly what you want. Not to mention, it’s much cheaper.
In a tanning booth, it will just be a machine applying your spray tan which also comes with its own pros and cons. Being a machine, it is programmed to give you the ‘perfect’, flawless application, but it doesn’t have the perception of a human being, meaning it can’t step back and have a look at what needs to be done exactly. This makes a spray tanning booth less precise and accurate, but convenient if you’re just looking for an all-over coating.
Lastly, a professional is the most skilful of all, as they have the combined power of accuracy, technique and human perception as well as the ability to interact with you, and check that you’re happy during the process. One of the best things about being tanned by a professional is that they have good judgement of their own, but they’ll also check in with you regularly throughout the process to check you’re happy with everything.
Different methods produce different results, all of which are quite natural-looking, but a spray tan from a talented professional is the most successful of all. The only downside is that it’s generally much more expensive.
Also read:
How Much Does Spray Tan Cost? (Comparing Studios vs DIY)
What Brand of Spray Tan is Best? (Top Picks)
I got a spray tan, but I don’t like the colour. What can I do?
The colour is too dark
If you’ve had many spray tans during your time, you’ve most probably come across the occasion where it is too dark, and you don’t know what to do. If you’re feeling a little too dark, there are things you can do to tone down that colour just a little (or a lot).
One of the first things you can do is use an oil, such as coconut oil or baby oil to gently remove the spray tan with minimal streaks and patchiness and no damage to your skin. All you have to do is apply the oil all over your body, wait for up to 10 minutes (the length of time you wait depends on how much tan you want to get off) and then rinse it off in the shower. You can finish by exfoliating your skin a little to help some of that tan break off from it, and rinse again.
Oils such as coconut oil and baby oils contain molecules that interfere with the spray tan and help to break down some of the ingredients which bond to your skin, therefore removing some of the colour. The additional exfoliation just helps this process along a bit and removes any excess which was still hanging on.
The colour isn’t dark enough
In the same way, you can fix your spray tan if the colour is too dark, you can also find solutions to your problem if you find that the colour isn’t dark enough for your liking.
The most obvious solution is to book another appointment at the tanning salon as soon after the first one as you can, or to apply another layer of spray tan yourself. If you’re doing this, it’s best to do so either straight after the first application, or a few hours after the first rinse. If you are booking another appointment, you may even wish to remove the spray tan entirely and start from scratch.
Another option is to use a self-tanner, such as a spray or lotion to add on top of your spray tan. Again, you should wait until after the first rinse, so the colour has had a chance to develop, and even consider waiting a day or two, to be certain that the colour doesn’t develop any further. Either a gradual self-tanning lotion, a spray, or tanning drops would be the best option for this purpose as other methods, such as a mousse could apply streaky or just not develop properly when on top of the spray tan, whereas these methods are all more natural.
I’m not happy with how I look after a spray tan. Are there some other self-tanning solutions I can try?
It can be really difficult if you don’t like how you look after a spray tan, as you may think that you can never have that colour of your dreams. Fear not, because there are other tanning solutions which you can apply at home and are suitable for different lifestyles, occasions, skin tones, and more.
Self-tanners are another beauty product which are taking the world by storm as they’re so easy to use and you have complete control over which formula you use, what skin types it’s good for and the colour you can go. If you’re unhappy with how you look after a spray tan, think about why that is – is it too dark perhaps? – and use this to decide which self-tanner you choose.
You can find out more about self-tanners elsewhere, but the main types include:
- Tanning mousses
- Tanning mists and sprays
- Tanning drops
- Gradual self-tanners
- Tanning lotions
- Tanning waters
- And more!
You can choose your perfect tanning solution by finding out more about these various methods and seeing which ones suits you best.
Final thoughts
In most cases, a spray tan looks very natural and can be the best solution for a shortcut to beautiful bronzed skin, but that isn’t always the case for everyone. Remember, there are things that you can do if you are unhappy with your spray tan, or if you’d like to try alternative methods, so don’t be afraid to experiment.
