How to Prep for a Spray Tan (and Make It Last)

A spray tan can look even and natural, or it can fade faster than you wanted because of a few small things beforehand. Prep is simple, and so is after-care: a little timing, and a few habits that help the color take evenly and fade evenly.

At VIP Tanning on Cass Avenue in Clinton Township, sunless tanning is done with a heated VersaSpa Pro. It’s an automated spray tan, and our team will walk you through your session. Each visit includes a prep step before your color and a hydration step after, with warm air drying you between steps. What you do at home, before and after, still makes a real difference.

Here’s how to get ready, what to expect in the booth, and how to help your tan last.

Before your spray tan

Start the day before, or the morning of your visit.

Shower and exfoliate. Clean skin takes color more evenly. Exfoliate so you’re not leaving behind dry patches that can grab more solution than the skin around them. Finish any shaving or waxing ahead of time, not right as you walk out the door. Freshly shaved or waxed skin can be more sensitive, and last-minute shaving can also leave a little residue.

Come in with clean, dry skin. On the day of your session, skip lotion, deodorant, makeup, perfume, and oils. Those products can create a barrier, which is the opposite of what you want when the solution needs to settle in evenly.

Wear loose, dark clothing, and bring a hair tie. After your tan, tight waistbands, straps, and anything snug can leave marks while the color is still developing. Dark, loose clothes are the easy way to head home. If your hair is long, you’ll want it up and out of the way.

If you forget something, tell us when you arrive. We’d rather help you adjust than have you feel unprepared.

In the VersaSpa Pro booth

You don’t need an appointment at VIP. Walk in during open hours and let the front desk know you’d like a VersaSpa Pro spray tan. We’ll point you in the right direction and walk you through the steps.

At the booth:

• Apply barrier cream to your hands, feet, and nails so those areas don’t pick up extra color.
• Tie long hair up.
• Use sticky feet on the soles of your feet, which helps you stand in the right spot and keeps the bottoms of your feet from collecting solution.

From there, the VersaSpa Pro does the work. Your session includes a prep step that gets your skin ready, then your color, then a hydration step. Warm air dries you between steps, and the booth is heated so the experience is more comfortable than a cold spray. When you step out, your color is just getting started. The visible tan still needs time to develop.

After your spray tan

This is the part people are most tempted to rush, and it’s also the part that protects the work you just did.

Give it time to develop. Color starts to show in 2 to 3 hours and reaches its full depth within 24 hours. Wait to shower until the solution has developed. With the Clear Solution, that’s about 6 to 8 hours. When you do shower, use lukewarm water and pat dry. Hot water and a heavy towel can lift color before you’re ready.

Hold off on a few things until after that first shower. Skip sweating, swimming, and tight clothing until you’ve had that first rinse. A workout, a hot tub, or a snug dress too soon can all work against an even result.

Then, moisturize daily. Once you’ve had that first shower, a simple daily moisturizer helps the tan fade evenly as your skin renews. Dry skin tends to shed faster, and that’s often why a tan starts to look patchy before it’s actually gone.

If you have a vacation, a wedding, or a night out on the calendar, plan backward from the event. A good rule is to come in a day before you want the color at its best, so you have time for that full develop window and your first shower.

How to make it last

After the first day, keep the care steady and gentle. Moisturize every day, especially on elbows, knees, and ankles. Use lukewarm water in the shower, skip long steamy soaks when you can, and be a little softer with the washcloth on areas you want to keep even. If you exfoliate as part of your usual routine, wait until you’re ready for the tan to start fading.

No sunless tan lasts forever; the color fades as your skin renews. Good prep and daily moisture help it look even for as long as it lasts. When you’re ready for a refresh, walk back in. We also have a VersaSpa Pro Sunless Intro for new clients: 2 spray tans for $35, with both sessions expiring 30 days after the package is redeemed. New clients only, one per person. Mention it at the front desk, or claim it on viptan.net.