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What is a Spray Tan, how Does it Work and is it Safe?


New to the world of spray tan?

It’s very common that spray tanning newbies have all sorts of doubts about this wonderful tanning technique.

Yeah, I can understand the intention. One should know how safe the spray tan is before actually using it.

In this article, will see what actually a spray tan is. Later down in the article, we will explore the pros and cons of it.

Don’t worry about the safety part. We will give you the perfect answer to your query on whether spray tanning is safe or not.

Let’s start with your first doubt.

What is a Spray Tan?

Spray tanning is the process of spraying a specifically composed solution on your skin to induce tan as similar to the one you get from the sun.

The human skin consists of a pigment called the ‘melanin’, which is responsible for the color of your skin. Large amounts of melanin produce a darker color, while lesser amounts of melanin are responsible for fairer skin.

Unlike most people believe, spray tans have nothing to do with melanin or its production. A spray tan only darkens the upper layer of your skin (which we’ll discuss in detail below) and is as temporary.

How do Spray Tans Work?

I always recommend tanners to understand the technology before using it. It’s the best way to judge the quality of the tanning technique.

You’ll be amazed to know that spray tanning is much simpler than we think it is. A spray tan works on the simple principle of coloring a skin.

Almost all of the spray tan solutions contain an active ingredient called the dihydroxyacetone (DHA).  I hope you know what DHA is. It is the DHA that is responsible for the resulting tan.

After application, the DHA basically reacts with the dead skin cells on the surface of your skin. During this reaction, the color of the upper dead layer is changed and results in a tan that can last as long as up to 2 weeks.

How did Spray Tan make it to the World of Fashion?

It’s not been very long since having a chocolaty shade on your skin became appealing to the eyes and consequently a benchmark for fashion.

It would be hard to comprehend that it was only the 1920s when the idea of tanning began to get popularity. All thanks to Coco Chanel, the iconic designer who bred the world to regard tanned skin as a luxury than a liability. She truly changed perspectives.

Since those times, all kinds of tanning have become the talk of the town and a lucrative business nonetheless.

It wasn’t until the early 1980s that spray tanning itself became a popular sport and allowed people to disregard the idea of having to lie down in the sun under compulsion just to get a little tan.

Yes, spray tans revolutionized the idea of tanning and saved the human race from having to absorb all the harm that comes with the sun’s ray too.

Where do I get one?

Not as difficult as the question sounds, the answer is pretty simple: wherever you find it fit to.

Spray Tanning Salons

These days, you can find a spray tanning salon after almost every block. These tanning salons vary from quality of service and staff to everything else.

Tanning salons can be your first go-to choice because they are hurdle free and don’t require any experience. All you have to do is walk in as another customer and get the job done in a few minutes.

On the other hand, most salons also offer you to book an appointment beforehand. This is a very sensible way out for busy people with tight schedules. You can fix your appointment at any free time of your day and come back with a fabulous tan.

At home

Not all of you need to make a trip to salons to get something as simple as a tan.

For the DIY fans here, knowing that all this can be done in the comfort of your own home might be good news for you.

Yes, over the counter and online markets, the shelves are full of spray guns specially designed for this purpose. You’ll normally find the same spray guns in tanning salons but because of their commercial use, they go for commercial products.

You, however, can opt for a reasonable product based on your budget and get a spray tan gun along with your desired spray tan solution.

Along with these products, sometimes accompanies the kit too. The kits include all kinds of tents and accessories to set up your own tanning booth inside your home that would otherwise be found only inside professional tanning salons.

It needs a little bit of work and experience to get used to it but once you’ve learned the art of it, you can even help other people around you by providing your services.

Spray Tan Pros and Cons

Whatever may be the tanning method, tanning enthusiasts are very concerned about its risk. To clear your doubts away, I can vouch for the fact that spray tanning is good.

But, like every coin has two sides, spray tanning does too.

We cannot say which one of either outweighs the other. It depends a lot on what your priority is. But we definitely can decide which one relates to us individually the most.

Let’s look at a few pros of spray tanning first.

Pros of Spray Tanning

Let’s see the good side of spray tanning:

  • Spray tanning is not as tedious a process as sun tanning or UV bed tanning. It is as easy as taking a shower and rubbing yourself with a towel. Spray tanning requires no time at all.
  • Spray tanning does not include the risk of getting sunburned (which you do while lying under the sun). Similarly, unlike UV beds too, spray tanning does not involve any kind of UV exposure. In most cases, UV rays (in excess) have been found to be extremely harmful to one’s skin. In other words, the spray tan will never let you have cancer.
  • If you’re looking at it commercially, spray tans are a lot cheaper as compared to other methods of getting a tan (unless you’re lying in your own backyard).
  • Spray tans are short-lived and you can always keep messing with the combinations till you get your perfect tone. This makes it very easy to maintain. Unlike other methods, it doesn’t take long to fix a mistakenly messed up tan.

Cons of Spray Tanning

Here are the negative sides of spray tan technique:

  • Spray tan solutions are a very hard substance and stain clothes easily. The stains are then very difficult to wash off.
  • In commercial tanning salons, you will be required to strip naked to get an evenly applied tan and also protect your clothes from the stain. For the people who are uncomfortable doing that, it is a con (unless you do it at your home by yourself).
  • Spray tans are temporary and might require you to shed some time every week for maintenance. This might be a hurdle for many people with strict time schedules, so they have to choose between either getting a tan or going with their routines.
  • Spray tans might not be a good option for those with sensitive skins. All spray tan solutions do have additives and some of the substances might not suit their skin. These later then bring up allergies which are a real headache.

We have seen the pros and cons of this wonderful tanning technique. Before judging the quality of it, let’s find how safe spray tanning is.

Are Spray Tans Safe?

As per my experience and opinion, spray tans are by far the safest option when it comes to tanning.

According to researches and studies, DHA has been found to be free of any side effects for human skin of any type. It most commonly doesn’t cause any allergy either and goes well with all skin types.

Moreover, spray tanning doesn’t require any kind of sun or UV exposure so you cannot even debate the fact that it goes beyond the upper layer of your skin.

You can read in detail about the safety aspects of spray tan and tanning bed here: Spray Tan vs Tanning bed.

Final Thought

Spray tanning has by far been the most convenient and changing milestone in the world of beauty and fashion.

With all kinds of businesses opening around the world, it has turned into a business too but that also means anyone can profit from it.

Apart from the fact that you can set your own skin tone to your desire, you can also learn a simple task as spray tanning and go on to provide services for the people around you.

If you want to know more about spray tan, I highly encourage you to have a look at our spray tan tips here.

Stella Cristin

I'm Stella. I have always been drawn to beauty and health products that make a change in our life. I have been working in various tanning salons in my neighborhood to help people like me to get a beautiful and healthy tan. My passion is to help people learn about safe tanning.

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