Q&A: The Mystery of an Airbrush Tan
Most commonly asked question: Am I going to turn orange?
Most common answer: No.
Airbrush Tanning has come a looooong way since Ross on Friends.
Fact: Airbrush Tanning uses a lot of techniques that create a very realistic and natural looking tan, as long as the master behind the gun is trained and certified. AKA: YouTube tutorials aren't going to cut it. As well as untrained technicians, a Spray Tan booth does not offer the same advanced techniques that a certified technician like myself can offer you. The booths I have personally experienced, left me with an orange and smelly tan that rubbed off on every piece of clothing, even multiple showers later.
Do you know the difference between Airbrush Tans and getting a Spray Tan in a booth? I'd say spare yourself the trouble, and come let me show you what a natural glow should look like.
A lot of people ask me the solution I use and what it consists of. Here is your answer.
How does the D.H.A. solution make your skin tan? The D.H.A. solution causes the proteins in the outside layer of your skin to react with the oxygen in the air resulting in a bronzing effect. The best way to understand this can be illustrated in this analogy: When you take a bite out of an apple and set it down the fruit begins to turn brown after it is exposed to the air for a while. This is a very similar chemical reaction to what takes place with the D.H.A. and your skin after a session. So you can see that you are not applying a dye or color to your skin but rather creating a situation where your skin develops a beautiful natural bronze color on it’s own through a natural chemical enhancement. The sunless solution uses an ingredient called dihydroxyacetone (DHA) to react with the skins amino acids. My specific solution used at Desert Tans, is also alcohol free which protects skin from the common dry feeling commonly experienced from other solutions. Along with alcohol free, it does not have any oils or fragrances, which often hide harmful chemicals within solutions used by other tanning technicians.
Along with D.H.A., a cosmetic bronzer is applied. This is the first color you see after receiving your Airbrush Tan.
How “instant” is the tan? As I am custom spraying you, I am also applying a cosmetic bronzer. This bronzer helps us, as technicians, see where we’ve sprayed you and to ensure even color. The bronzer also helps to give you some instant color. The real sunless process, however, takes up to 8 hours to develop, so while you will leave my salon with some color, the real color will develop darker and darker as the day goes on, peaking at around 24 hours.
Want to know how to make your tan last? Here is the key.
Why is keeping skin moisturized essential to maintain great sunless results? It is important to keep skin moisturized after sunless tanning as dry, flaky skin will slough off faster and color will fade sooner. Sunless tan-extending products with a light self-tanning bronzer, like Norvell ProLong Tan Extender, help hydrate skin and maintain even, natural-looking color longer by providing subtle bronzers. A great lotion to use is Hempz.
How long should you wait before getting another Airbrush Tan?
The frequency of sunless tanning application depends on your skin cell turn over and preference of color intensity. People with quick cell turn-overs may want to get sprayed once a week to keep color fresh, while others may need to wait and get sprayed every other week. It is important to fully exfoliate prior to your next sunless session to prevent “layering” of old color. Body Glow’s Custom Airbrush solution does not require back-to-back application – 1 session will give you perfect color! Because our Versa Spa machine sprays a lighter mist on the skin, you can come in for a spray tan weekly to maintain your tan.
I love educating my clients on the benefits of Airbrush Tans. If you have any other questions or concerns before setting your appointment, please do not hesitate to ask!
Happy tanning.
