Sunless tanning products contain the active ingredient, dihydroxyacetone, or DHA. DHA reacts with the skins outer layer to temporarily darken your skin and give the appearance of a tan. DHA does not wash off; however, in the days following a sunless tan, dead skin cells are sloughed off, fading your tan gradually. Your body gains a thin layer of dead skin every day. However light and unseen this layer may be, it will prevent the spray tan from reaching your fresh skin, so you’ll want to be sure that your skin is perfectly prepaired!
Start preparing your body several days or even a week in advance. Skin that is used to a regular routine of exfoliation and moisturizer is more likely to have a beautiful sunless tan!
Get out your new exfoliation scrub and hop in the shower or bath. Use your exfoliant with a wash cloth or bath puff and scrub, scrub, scrub! This will remove the top layers of dead skin cells by exposing a fresh, new layer of skin that can readily absorb the sunless tanning product. Give drier body parts like elbows, knees, ankles, hands and feet extra attention. If you need to shave or wax your legs definitely do so before your sunless tan. If you will be sprayed with the solution containing a bronzer it is best to shave or wax one or two days before, as the bronzer gets into the newly created pores and can give you a "spotty" look. If the solution is clear that is unlikely to happen.
Keep your skin supple and moist by moisturizing every day after you exfoliate. This will help the sunless spray to evenly adhere. On the day you receive your sunless spray your skin must be free of lotions, makeup, perfumes, deodorant or anything else that could leave a residue on the skin.
Now, you are ready for your sunless spray tan! Here’s to a beautiful, golden glow!
