Spray on Sun Tan

Rating Self Tanners - Which are Best for Home Use?

Spray On Sun Tan Home Kits - A home spray on sun tan is a great inexpensive way to get that golden color look without damage from ultraviolet exposure or spending hundreds of dollars each month to maintain that glow at a salon.

There are hundreds of home treatment products available for sunless tanning, and everyone's skin responds to each product differently.

So you will have to try different ones to see which work best for your situation and complexion type. That's what I do.....

There are different ways of rating self tanners based on your skin type, the season, and how much color you want for your skin.

The ingredient in any true tanning spray is DHA (dihydroxyacetone), but every product uses a different solution with other ingredients. 

Spray tan prices can range from an off-the-shelf beauty product to a full-service salon procedure, so it's best to understand what you want in a spray tan before you buy. 

Browning Without the Sun - Different Choices

There are many different ways to tan without the sun. Some temporary products are lotions or sprays with tint or bronzer in them that don't actually tan your skin, but simply apply a coloring to it. 

If you're just looking for a healthy glow or shimmer to your shoulders on a night out, a body bronzing lotion or powder might be just the thing. 

If you're interested in something a little more permanent, or something that covers a lot more of you, you'll want a spray on sun tan or a long lasting moisturizer/bronzer.

Home spray tanning systems are available, but it takes practice and skill to self-tan with consistency, and home kits can rival the price of salon applications. 

Is a Professional
Salon Tan Better?

Professional-quality bronzers are applied in a salon with a booth or sprayer. This spray on sun tan is applied at a tanning salon by a professional who hand-applies the spray to your body. 

Some salons have a spray booth that will coat your exposed skin with the sunless tanning solution quickly and for the most part, evenly. Booths are less costly, but may not cover you with the seamless sunless tan you're looking for. 

Either way, a professional session – while more costly – is easier if you're inexperienced or in a hurry and don't have time to practice. In that case, it's better to go with a professional before striking out on your own. But with a little practice, you can learn how to use home tanning kits. 

Most products (professional or home based) are DHA-based which work by reacting with the top layer of your skin cells. Once the tanning solution is applied to your skin, the DHA causes your skin cells to brown over a period of a few hours. 

A spray on tan usually won't last more than ten days (regardless if it's a professional salon quality or home based kit), because your body is constantly shedding skin cells, and the top layer is the first to come off, taking the tan with it.

And, until recently people complained that the color was either too light, too orange, or too dark. 

However, recent advances in the sunless tanning industry have made it possible for you to choose how brown you'd like to get. Different tints can match your skin tone with much more skill, and provide you with the most flattering glow, and the most natural look. 

Also, many now contain a small amount of tint, so you can see where you're applying it. This is probably the biggest complaint most people have with home kits, is uneven color and streaks.

So if you're tired of the streaks – choose a tinted spray on tan or cream. The immediate tint acts as a guide showing you areas that might have too much or might have been missed completely. 

I find the cream based products much easier to control, but the spray on ones seem to give me more coverage and work well if you can have someone apply it for you. Holding the can too close to the skin can cause a blotchy look. 

One word of caution – don't use a spray on tan or cream product on your face unless it's made for the face too. Many people – including me – breakout when using body tanners on the face…….and I almost never breakout. 

I'm not sure what's different about the ones made for the face, but they usually contain added antioxidants for extra anti-aging protection. 

They also make an anti-aging tanning cream based that's super easy to use. You can read all the reviews here...