For months I have had a steady stream of tanners coming into my spray tanning salon and leaving 10 minutes later with their skin color no different than they were.
Yet they come again and again.
Why, you may ask, would anyone want a colorless spray tan? Isn’t that totally contrary to what the whole exercise is supposed to be about?
Welcome to the new era of spray tanning!
The newest thing on the market and gaining more and more followers is spray tanning with a colorless (transparent) spray tanning solution.
Once you’ve had it, it’s hard to go back to the previous solution that contained suntan lotion.
For years, sunscreen has been added to spray tanning solution for 2 reasons:
1) For immediate gratification, so that immediately after the session it seems that you have just returned from vacation,
2) To ensure you have an even tan. The person spray tanning you had to know if they didn’t miss any part of your body. The brown tint in the solution could show him exactly where he had been.
People who spray tan know that until now you had to pay for those few days of golden skin with at least one day of discomfort.
When suntan lotion is added to spray tanning solution, it is responsible for a myriad of problems:
o There are often streaks. Sure, most of it comes off in the first shower, but until then you run with what looks like a map of a river running down the back of your legs. A sure gift that you just had a spray tan.
o You may get dark spots, especially on your hands and feet. Those are almost impossible to remove in a hurry.
o Brown dye stains clothing and undergarments. Again, most of it comes off in the wash, but if you’re trying to put on your nice satin or silk bra, the only place for it, after the encounter with a bronzer, is in the bin.
o If you have large pores on your face you will end up with a “blackhead effect”. The bronzer will lodge in those pores and take days to come off. Very unattractive. The same will happen if you shave or wax your legs. You’ll have stained legs for a week.
o Because suntan lotion lodges so deep in your pores, it can keep coming off for days on your sheets and towels. Also in white clothes if you sweat (no bride would sweat in her wedding dress, right?)
What if the spray tanning solution doesn’t have any added suntan lotion?
Well, the problems described above just don’t exist. They spray you and your own skin develops the color. Final point.
The only downside to being sprayed with a clear spray tanning solution is that you will have to wait 5-7 hours for your tan.
Oh, and one other thing, you’ll probably need to get a tan in a spray tanning booth. The reason is that most technicians who spray tan with a hand-held unit simply can’t do a good job without the spray tan.
So the way to spray tan these days is to hop into a spray tanning booth, 1 minute later clean up, put on your clothes and be on your way.
Unless, of course, you like being completely naked for 20 minutes or so in front of a complete stranger while spray tanning and getting streaks, blackheads and blemishes.
The choice is clear.