6 Common Tanning Mistakes We’ve All Made (& How to Avoid Them)

1 You don’t use a tanning mitt when applying mousse

While it may be appealing to apply your tan with your hands like you would with a moisturiser, this can be a recipe for disaster. Our hands are generally a dry area of the body, meaning they soak up tan quicker than any where else. Applying your tan with your hands will leave you with orange hands and dark palms, even if you wash them after application. To keep your hands looking perfect, apply your tan with an Applicator Mitt and just do a light coat over your hands after moisturising.

2 You don’t moisturise your dry areas before your tan

You should always have clean, product free skin before a tan, but a little bit of moisturiser on your dry areas before application can make the difference between a nice even tan and over developed dry spots. We recommend applying a small amount of moisturising to your hands, elbows, knees and feet before a spray tan or self-application! Our SLS and Paraben free Crème de la Crème is especially effective in helping to create the perfectly smooth tan.

3 You didn’t exfoliate before hand

Exfoliating before your tan is important if you want it to last as long as possible. If you don’t exfoliate your tan is like to fade when your body sheds dead skin cells, so you want to make sure that you get rid of any old tan and the loose dead skin. When your showering the day before your tan, use our Body Exfoliator and Tan Remover Mitt for the best results. Clean skin = perfect tan.

4 You made a nail or hair appointment for after your tan

So you have a fresh spray tan, it hasn’t fully developed and you go to get your nails or hair done. You end up with white streaks around your fingers and water streaks down your neck and chest, which is very hard to fix once the tan has developed! Always ensure to go to these appointments before you tan to ensure you allow your tan to develop evenly.

5 Your tan got wet before developing
The time after you apply your tan before you shower is extremely important. Even a drop of water trickling down your arm can ruin the way the tan develops. When using Naked Tan, you must stay dry for at least 2 hours before you shower off your tan if you want a beautifully even bronze. Even sweat from too much exercise or steamy environments can be a problem! So stay dry, look after your tan and don’t get wet before you jump in the shower to rinse off!

6 You sleep in your spray tan

As tempting as it might be to sleep in your spray tan, it isn’t going to make you darker like you might think. An overdeveloped spray tan will affect the colour that is achieved! Depending on your undertones, your tan could look yellow, orange or green, and you definitely don’t want that! Listen to your spray tan therapist, and shower after 2 hours when using Naked Tan!