1- Shaving & Exfoliating
My first question is always “are you wanting your spray tan for an event or just to have the tan”? The reason is that the 2nd or third day of our spray tan seems to be the “Very Best” for make-up, pictures, etc
The reason I ask. : ) I always suggest that if it is for an event, try to get your tan 2-3 days before. The night before your tan, you want to do your shaving and exfoliating. If you need to shave your legs the day of your tan, do it early in the day and shave the Entire leg, then remind me (I’ll probably ask) and we will double spray your legs. IF we don’t double your legs, they will be lighter than the rest of your body when your tan has totally developed. If anything, you want your legs to be darker, not lighter than the rest of your body. I realized this once when I did a quickie shave, (above the knee and down).
Lesson Learned…When we shave our legs, we are shaving the top layer of skin off and that’s the layer affected by the DHA, making Sunless Tanning so safe & healthy.
PERSONAL NOTE: Although I said that you could shave very early in the day, your BEST results for your legs will be if you shave and exfoliate 24 hours before your appointment. I personally have shaved right before, a few hours before and early in the am then tanned late in the evening, the end result was the same, the legs didn’t develop as dark as they do when shaved 24 hours before.
What I have found is that if I double spray your “unshaved” legs and you shave lightly after you have developed, you will have much more color on your legs than if I doubled your newly shaved legs.
As far as Exfoliating, the reason you do this the night before and Not the day of your tan (as many salons suggest) is that some body scrubs (the exfoliating beads) are more course than others and can scratch the surface of the skin, and although we don't see it, the tanning solution can get into the scratch and appear darker, leaving a fine line in your tan. If you must exfoliate the day of, I recommend that you use your soap/cleanser with some baking soda and do it early in the day. The baking soda is fine enough to accomplish the goal without scratching the skin. It’s also inexpensive and usually found in every home.
The day of your tan, you will take a soap and water “only” shower.
2- The Day Of:
The day of your tan, it’s best to take a regular shower (soap & water only, no scrubbing) before getting your spray tan. Your soap should not contain oils and if you wash your hair…wash it upside down or re-exfoliate, (lightly), your back and neck where the cream rinse would run over. This can leave areas of skin that the solution would possibly not develop correctly. You want to have clean skin for the best results. No deodorant, lotion, powder or make-up, etc. You want really clean skin! If a shower is not convenient for you then you are welcome to use the cleanser, wash cloth and towels that will be in the rest room for you when you arrive. : )
What To Wear During & After getting your spray tan...
I offer disposable bikinis, thongs & bras for women or briefs & boxers for men and you are welcome to use any of them, it’s however you are comfortable. At Five Star Spray Tan --it is ALL about You and how comfortable you are! Note: if you are big busted and want to be covered, you’ll want to bring an older/darker bra or swim top because my disposable bras are not very big. : ( I also have sticky feet, to keep the solution off bottoms of feet, hair nets, ties, clips etc.. for your convenience if you choose to use them…..even nail polish remover for those who forget to get their nails done before the tan.
For those who want to keep their front covered, I’ll spray everything except your back and at the end, if you want, I will unfasten your top and spray your entire back, leaving no tan lines. Then you will dry for a few minutes, you’re “never” rushed. After drying a few minutes, we will apply a powder w/bronzer in the creases of skin, neck, arms, underarms, behind the knees, etc. Even a bronzer eye shadow to keep your eyelids from feeling too tacky.
The powder helps with absorption in the creases, without hurting your sunless tan and it keeps you more comfortable while waiting for your warm water rinse. Those who want to stay covered will have time to pick up their top and hold it for coverage while the powder is applied. Again, at Five Star Spray Tan it is All about You feeling comfortable.. I try to make you as comfortable as I can while giving you an intimate and private tanning session.
Let’s face it; it can be a bit awkward when you are standing commando in front of a stranger while they spray cold air/solution on you. Lol, however, the solutions aren’t cold and I heat the machine up for you so it isn’t too bad. : ) In the winter months, I keep a small heater in front of you to help keep you warmer if you want.
NOTE: Because my main goal is to help others to become and continue to live healthier lives, we give you different choices of powder.
AFTER you’re finished you will be bronzed and even more beautiful than when you came in!! You’ll want to bring something Loose and Baggy and flip flops to wear home. Tight clothing & shoes can rub off the solution.
IF IT IS RAINING……I will walk you out with a large golf umbrella, but I cannot protect your legs. So, if the wind is blowing and it is storming, then a pair of baggy sweat pants and loose shoes will be helpful in getting you to your vehicle without you getting wet. Remember…Water is NOT your friend, especially while you have the solution on! For those who come straight from work or forget, I try to keep on hand, men & women’s shorts, baggy pj bottoms, large t-shirts & flip flops that you can wear home. I try to accommodate my Five Star clients in every way that I can to make your experience an enjoyable one with awesome results!! Thank you again for choosing Five Star Spray Tan for you Sunless Spray Tan!!!
“Prepare to be Pampered”
3-Other info:
NAILS:
You will want to get your manicure/pedicures before getting your sunless spray tan. At the worst, if you forget…Then you need to remove your old nail polish yourself because if you get your spray tan first and the nail salon technician removes your old nail polish, I can guarantee that you will leave with white finger tips and/or toes!! “Been there, done that”. It’s not so much the sanding and use of alcohol, it’s the “Polish Remover” that will strip your tan right off. For Five Star clients, I have everything here and we can remove your polish before you tan if needed.
4-SOLUTION CHOICE
I use Norvell Sunless Tanning solutions and carry their full line of products for those who choose to maintain and extend their tan and the length of time between tanning sessions.
Not only are NorvelI solutions and products top of the line, they go a step beyond other companies by offering more than one type of solution. Like most other salons, Five Star offers what I refer to as “regular” solution (Norvell’s Premium Dark Bronzing), this solution, you will leave on 8, 10, 12+, up to 24 hours before rinsing, But Norvell also offers a “Specialty” spray called ONE hr. This is our #1 Seller!!
Norvell’s "ONE" is a super accelerating solution that you would only leave on for 1hr=light bronze tan (great for fair skin) 2hr= medium bronze tan (great for medium skin color) and 3hr= dark bronze tan (great for darker skin) 4hr=the darkest bronze tan
After the time you choose, you will then do your warm water rinse. Both solutions give you a beautiful & natural looking tan while allowing you to control your end results. The level of darkness & color of your tan will depend on how long you leave either solution on before your warm water rinse.
My Tanning Clients that have used both the “regular” and the “ONE” hr solutions say that when they continue to pat dry and stay moisturized like I STRONGLY SUGGEST to do, that they sometimes get 1, possibly 2 days longer with their “regular” tan. That also depends on each person’s skin.
BEFORE the tanning solution:
I start out by using a pH Balancing spray that contains nutrients, moisturizers and antioxidants and it prepares the pH balance and alkaline in your skin for the solution. This is Key to your tan, it not only keeps you from feeling dry, it helps to extend the tan, keeps it even and natural looking, and best of all, when you fade, you will fade evenly (if you continue to pat dry) and Not all blotchy like you see so many sunless tanners as their tan fades before getting their next spray tan.
That Dreaded Orange color…3 main reasons for why people turn orange with a sunless tan
1- The salon did not use the Preparation pH Balancing Spray before the solution
2- The salon chose to use inexpensive (cheap) solutions, or older solutions
3- The technician wasn’t properly trained
I can proudly say that I haven't had anyone turn orange or even be unhappy with their results ! : ) this is why I use the Norvell solutions and carry their full line of products as well.
FYI: Norvell makes their solutions fresh every day. At NO time does any Norvell tanning solutions sit on a shelf in a warehouse. Solutions and self-tanning products are always fresh guaranteeing you the most beautiful, natural looking bronze tan. My goal like Norvell, is to have your sunless spray tan to be Flawless!!
THE DIFFERENCE in the solutions: The only difference between the “regular” & “specialty ONE” solution is that the regular, because you have it on your skin so much longer, seems to give you a deeper, richer looking tan result and possibly lasts 1-2 days longer than the ONE hr solution. The “ONE” hr solution is for the person that needs color ASAP, nursing mothers, mom’s with toddlers, that don’t have the time to wear the solution for over 12 hours.
BOTH solutions are the same when it comes to your post warm water rinse. After the amount of time that you are to have the solution on, (the longer it’s on the darker your results) you then will do a warm water rinse. That’s right, no soap, no rubbing, just warm water rinsing off the cosmetic bronzer. After that you want to PAT DRY EVERY TIME YOU ARE WET, from the first rinse to 7-10+ days after and you still have color, PAT DRY!! One drop of water that is on your skin for a few minutes (softening the skin) can streak if you wipe it. Remember, your spray tan only affects the top layer of skin, that’s why sunless tanning is so healthy.
Now when you do your warm water rinse, you will think that you just lost your tan (w/the ONE hr)…but don’t panic!!, the DHA that tans you will continue to develop getting darker and darker over the next 12-24 hours. This is where I stress the importance for the woman/girl who wears foundation make-up.
When I started to get spray tans, they only told me that the hotter the water the faster it faded, rinse and go about your day…while that is true, there is much more that you need to know. After your rinse, you will continue to get darker as the DHA develops. So IF you wear foundation make up and you need to wear it soon after your rinse…please take your make up (foundation & blush) with you because you will be removing and re applying it a couple of times within a few to several hours after you rinse. Now if you are like some tanners that don’t need foundation because of their tan, then you can apply your colors, blush, eye shadow & mascara and not worry about developing. It only changes your foundation as you develop because your tan will keep getting darker until the developing ends.
Some of us don’t seem to develop as much while we are sleeping as we do while we are awake so we will take that into consideration when you are making your appointment. The second to third day into our tan seems to be the MOST PERFECT, as far as make-up and pictures. Other than that, your tan will be beautiful and natural looking the entire time.