The Ultimate Guide to Your Custom Spray Tan
Your best tan is more than what happens in the spray room.
There’s more to a really good spray tan than standing still while I spray you. How I choose your color, what’s on your skin when you walk in, when you rinse, what you do afterward, and a handful of little things most people never think about can all change the final result. So whether this is spray tan #1 or #50, I’m walking you through the whole thing. What matters, what doesn’t, what’s actually happening to your skin, and what you definitely do not need to stress about.
Begin Reading ↓
WHAT CLIENTS ACTUALLY ASK ME
“I don’t want to look orange.”
“I’ve seen some really bad spray tans. How do I know mine won’t look like that?”
“What am I supposed to wear?”
“Is this going to be awkward?”
“How dark am I going to be when I leave?”
“I want to look tan. I just don’t want everybody to know I got a spray tan.”
That last one? I hear some version of it all the time. And that is exactly why I made this guide.
LET’S START WITH THE PART EVERYONE WORRIES ABOUT
Yes, Bad Spray Tans Exist.
There. I said it. You’ve probably seen one. Maybe somebody looked orange. Maybe the hands were way too dark. Maybe the color looked flat, muddy, patchy, or like it belonged on a completely different person.
So if part of you is thinking, please do not let me leave looking like that, I completely understand why. The good news is that bad spray tans usually aren’t some mysterious act of God. There are reasons they happen.
Wrong color. Wrong depth. Poor prep. Too much product. Bad application. A formula that wasn’t chosen for the person wearing it. Sometimes several of those at once. That’s exactly why I don’t treat a spray tan like grabbing “medium” off a shelf and hoping for the best.
"I want you to understand what I’m doing and why, because once you do, the whole process gets a lot less intimidating."
You don’t need to know anything about spray tanning when you walk in. That part is my job. This guide is not here to convince you that you desperately need a spray tan. It’s here so you know what actually happens before you decide whether you want one.
No mystery. No pretending every tan is the same. No crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.
Your Skin Chemistry Changes the Equation.
Similar skin depth. Different skin chemistry.
And that can change the entire formula.
Same appointment. Very different formula.
That’s what I mean when I say custom.
I don’t order an Amazon spray tan solution labeled “medium” and spray it on everybody who walks through the door.
There are a ridiculous number of decisions I can make before I ever pick up the spray gun.
First, there’s DHA, the ingredient responsible for developing your actual tan. Depending on your skin, how deep of a tan you actually want, how much development time we have, and the result we’re trying to create, I can work with different DHA percentages and development options.
Then there’s bronzer tone.
Red. Mahogany. Violet. Cobalt. Olive. Ash. Neutral brown. Cool brown. Espresso. Mocha. Latte. Even clear.
And no, the prettiest-sounding one does not automatically belong on your skin.
Sometimes one tone makes sense. Sometimes I’m blending them. 70/30. 50/50. 80/20. Then add DHA percentage, rinse time, skin condition, ingredients, additives, application technique, and what YOU do before your appointment into the equation.
I took statistics many moons ago, but at this point the possible combinations are basically infinity and beyond.
And that is exactly why I don’t expect you to know what you need.
My Formula Library Is Very Intentional.
I’m extremely picky about what earns a place in my professional formula library.
I use professional-only solutions from brands and formulators I trust, including formulas developed with cosmetic chemists and solutions made with thoughtfully sourced, high-quality ingredients.
And I deep dive into them.
I want to know what’s actually in the formula, where the ingredients come from when that information is available, what each ingredient is doing, how the formula behaves on different skin, and whether it gives me a legitimate reason to use it.
I specifically look for skin-first ingredients that do more than develop color. Hydrating, conditioning, and skin-supporting ingredients matter to me because I don’t think your skin should be an afterthought just because you came in for a tan.
The goal is always a skin treatment plus a tan.
"I’m not choosing a “color.” I’m choosing the DHA, bronzer tone, ingredients, additives, rinse time, and application approach that make the most sense for your skin."
What I’m Looking At Before I Mix Anything
- • Your natural skin tone and undertone
- • Your skin condition that day
- • How deep of a tan you actually want
- • What you’re tanning for
- • How soon you need the color developed
- • Your previous spray tan experiences
- • Your prep before the appointment
- • Your schedule, workouts, swimming, travel, and real life after it
- • The DHA percentage and development profile that make sense
- • The bronzer tone or combination of tones
- • Whether an additive would actually benefit your skin or result
- • The application technique needed for your body and desired finish
That’s the part of custom spray tanning you usually don’t see.
By the time I start spraying, most of the important decisions have already been made.
You don’t need to know your undertone. You don’t need to know what DHA percentage you need. You definitely don’t need to walk in requesting “violet” because TikTok told you violet is good.
Tell me what you want to look like.
I’ll figure out the chemistry.
So What Actually Happens When You Get Here?
No. We talk first. Always.
Usually, this is where people start wondering: What do I wear? Where do I change? Am I going to know what to do?
When you arrive, we start with a conversation. You tell me what you want, what you’re tanning for, and anything you absolutely do not want. Then you get privacy to change. You do not need to memorize anything or know what to do next—I will guide you through the rest.
What to Actually Expect
- ✓ Wear loose, dark clothes that you’re comfortable leaving in.
- ✓ You’ll always have privacy to change.
- ✓ Ask me whatever you want. I promise I have heard stranger questions.
- ✓ You do not need to practice spray tan poses beforehand.
WHAT THE APPOINTMENT ACTUALLY FEELS LIKE
You arrive.
We talk about your skin, your color, what you want, what you’re tanning for, and anything you’re unsure about.
You get comfortable.
You change privately, on your own time.
I mix your color.
This is where everything we just talked about gets translated into your actual formula.
I spray you.
Quick and guided. It usually takes about five minutes.
We finish.
I check everything, make any final adjustments, let you dry, and explain your rinse and aftercare.
You leave.
Knowing exactly what happens next.
Your Results Are Decided Before I Ever Spray.
Prep isn't a rulebook. It's the reason your color turns out exactly the way you pictured it.
Here's something that surprises a lot of first-time clients: the appointment itself is not actually where your results get decided. A real part of it happens before I ever pick up the spray gun.
Think about painting a room. You could use the best paint in the world, but if the wall underneath is dusty, patchy, or covered in old residue, the paint will not sit evenly no matter how good it is. Your skin works the same way. The solution reacts to whatever is on the surface at the moment I apply it.
Why Your Skin's Surface Matters
- Dry, flaky patches (elbows, knees, ankles) grab more color and can look darker or blotchy
- Lotion, oil, deodorant, or makeup residue can block the solution from developing evenly
- Freshly shaved or waxed skin needs a little time before your appointment, since it's more sensitive right after
- Skin that is clean, exfoliated, and product-free gives the solution the most even surface to work with
None of this is about doing something wrong. It is just how the solution behaves. Once you know that, prep stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like the easiest lever you have to pull for a better result.
I promise I am not trying to give you homework. I just want your results to match what you pictured in your head, and prep is genuinely the easiest, fastest way to get there.
"The solution reacts to whatever is on your skin's surface. Prep just makes sure that surface is ready to work with your color, not against it."
Once that clicks, the actual to-do list is short.
Once your skin is ready, there's really only one thing left. What actually happens the moment the solution touches your skin, and why it works the way it does.
When Prep Actually Happens
The night before
Exfoliate gently, focus on elbows, knees, ankles, and any dry areas
The morning of
Skip lotion, oil, and heavy skincare, keep skin bare and clean
Right before your appointment
No deodorant, perfume, or makeup on the areas being tanned
Your Easy Pre-Tan Checklist
- ✓ Exfoliate the night before, focusing on rough spots
- ✓ Skip lotion, oil, and heavy products the day of
- ✓ Shave or wax at least a day ahead if possible
- ✓ Wear loose, dark clothing to your appointment
- ✓ Come as you are. If you forget a step, tell me and I'll help you adjust
Inside the Five Minutes
Minute 1
A few simple positions, guided one at a time
Minutes 2 to 4
The application itself, steady and quick
Minute 5
A last check, then a short pause to dry before you get dressed
The application usually takes about five minutes. That's genuinely it. Most clients are surprised when I tell them it's already done, because it goes by faster than they expected.
Once it's finished, there's a short window where the solution needs to dry on your skin before you get dressed again. You'll stand for a few minutes while it sets, and I'll tell you exactly when you're good to go.
"Wait. That was it?"
That's what almost every first-time client says when I finish.
The Five Minutes That Change Everything.
The actual application goes by faster than you think.
The science behind why the solution actually works gets its own section soon (it really is fascinating). Right now, this is about what happens in the room.
By the time you get to this part, you've already changed, and we've already dialed in your color. What's left is just the application.
I'll guide you through a few simple positions. Arms slightly away from your body. Turn this way. Lift that a little. I direct you through each step, so you are never left guessing.
I'm focused entirely on doing the work well and making sure the application is flawless.
What Surprises Most First-Time Clients
- • How fast it actually goes
- • How normal the positions feel once you're in them
- • Thinking, "Wait. That was it?" at the end
Here's the part that catches people off guard. When you walk out today, your skin will not look like your final color yet. That's not a mistake. That's exactly how this is supposed to go, and there's a very specific reason for it.
The Waiting Game (Or: Why Your Tan Isn't Finished Yet)
Your appointment is over. Your color is not finished yet, and that's exactly how it's supposed to go.
Here's something that catches a lot of first-time clients off guard: when you leave your appointment, you are not actually looking at your finished color yet. What you're seeing is just the beginning of it.
Your formula does two things at once. Part of it gives you visible color right away, so you can see where it was applied and leave looking tan immediately. That part is temporary, and it's designed to rinse away. The part that becomes your actual, lasting color works separately, and it keeps developing on your skin for a while after you've already left.
That's also why you might look a little darker or more intense right when you leave than you will once everything settles. You're seeing both layers at once. Give it time, and it evens out into your real result.
What's Normal?
- • Looking more intense right when you leave than you will the next day
- • Noticing color in your first rinse water
- • Your shade looking slightly different hour to hour as it finishes developing
Once your first rinse is done, your color is basically set. What happens next, how long it lasts, how even it stays, comes down to a handful of simple choices you'll make over the next few days.
What's Actually Happening
Your first rinse
The cosmetic guide color washes away. Don’t panic if you look lighter. Your actual tan may still be developing.
Over the next several hours
Your color continues developing and settling.
By the next day
You’re much closer to the finished shade you’ll actually be wearing.
Don't Panic If...
...your first rinse looks lighter than you expected. That's the guide color leaving, not your actual tan.
...it looks a little uneven right after you rinse. Color often needs a few more hours to fully settle.
...you're just not sure what you're looking at. You can always ask me. That's genuinely what I'm here for.
"What you see when you leave isn't your finished color. It's just the beginning of it."
Patience is really the whole trick here. The formula is doing exactly what it's supposed to do, on its own timeline, and the best thing you can do is let it finish.
Now It's Your Turn.
The hardest part is already behind you. This part is just a few small habits, not a rulebook.
The appointment is done. Your first rinse is behind you. From here, the only job left is helping your color stay beautiful for as long as possible, and that job is a lot smaller than people expect.
Your tan is going to fade eventually. That's not a flaw in the process, it's just how skin works. Your skin is constantly renewing itself, shedding its outer layer and replacing it with new skin underneath, all the time, tan or no tan. Your color lives in that outer layer, so as your skin naturally turns over, the color goes with it.
You can't stop that process, and you don't need to. What you can do is help it happen slowly and evenly instead of quickly and patchy, and that comes down to just a few small habits.
Everyday Habits That Help
- ✓ Moisturize daily with a tan-friendly lotion. Hydrated skin helps your color fade more evenly.
- ✓ Keep showers a little shorter and cooler, since heat and long soaks speed up shedding
- ✓ Pat yourself dry instead of rubbing, so you're not wearing color off in patches
- ✓ Skip loofahs and exfoliating gloves for now, since they do the same job you're trying to slow down
Even with all of this, there are still a handful of questions almost every first-time client ends up asking me anyway. Might as well answer them here, before you have to.
What Helps / What Doesn't
Doesn't: Tight waistbands and friction points
Doesn't: Letting sweat sit on your skin for hours
Doesn't: Letting chlorine or salt water dry on your skin
The Life of Your Tan
Early on
Your color is at its richest and most vibrant
The middle stretch
Stick with your habits, and fading stays gradual and even
Toward the end
Your color softens naturally. That's your cue you're ready to rebook whenever you'd like
None of this requires perfection. If you skip a day of moisturizing, or take one long hot shower after a rough one, your tan is not going to fall apart. These are habits that help. They are not rules that punish.
"Your tan fading isn't something going wrong. It's just skin being skin."
That's really the whole system. A few small habits, done loosely, not perfectly, and your color takes care of the rest.
The Questions Everyone Secretly Wants to Ask
You’ve made it this far, so we might as well clear out the oddly specific questions people usually save until I’m standing there holding the spray gun.
And no, none of them are stupid.
I promise someone has asked me something weirder.
MYTH OR TRUTH “Am I going to look orange?” ↓
Truth: Orange happens when a formula isn't matched to your undertone, not because spray tans are inherently orange. That's the entire reason your color gets chosen specifically for you instead of picked off a chart. Remember that part? This is exactly why it matters.
QUICK ANSWER “Will my sheets stain?” ↓
No. Once your first rinse is done, your color is set and won't transfer onto sheets, towels, or clothing. The only thing to watch is the guide color before that first rinse, which is exactly why I always tell you what to sleep in beforehand.
A CLIENT ASKED ME... “What happens if I sweat before my tan is done developing?” ↓
Light sweating won't ruin anything. Just avoid a hard workout or anything that makes you sweat heavily until after your first rinse, since heavy sweat can affect how evenly the color develops. After that first rinse, sweating is completely fine again.
QUICK ANSWER “Can I swim?” ↓
Yes, once your color has fully developed. Just reapply lotion after, since chlorine and salt water both speed up fading if you let them dry on your skin.
SARAH GETS ASKED... “What do I wear home? Can I wear a bra?” ↓
Loose and dark, same as what you wore in. Skip anything tight or with a lot of friction, at least until after your first rinse. As for the bra question, yes, just go with something soft and non-restrictive rather than anything with tight elastic or underwire pressing on fresh color.
EDITOR’S NOTE “What if my skin is really dry?” ↓
This one comes up a lot, and it's genuinely an easy fix. Dry patches (elbows, knees, ankles) grab more color, so a little extra attention there while you're exfoliating beforehand makes a bigger difference than almost anything else on the prep list.
A CLIENT ASKED ME... “Can I bring my mom, daughter, or a friend?” ↓
Absolutely. A lot of first appointments turn into a whole event, and I love that. Just know your actual tanning time is private, so whoever comes along will be hanging out with me in the waiting area during that part.
QUICK ANSWER “What if my event is tomorrow?” ↓
You're in great shape. By the next morning, your color has fully settled, so a next-day event is actually one of the easiest situations to plan around, as long as you book with enough time for that first rinse to happen the night before.
That covers most of the questions people quietly Google in the parking lot.
If yours isn’t here, just ask me.
That’s easier than going twelve pages deep into Reddit and convincing yourself your left ankle is about to ruin your entire spray tan.
Whenever You’re Ready
A few words from me before you go.
If you actually read this entire thing, first of all, I’m impressed.
Second, I hope it made the whole process feel a lot less mysterious.
Because that’s really why this exists.
I know letting someone else have a hand in how you look can feel more vulnerable than people like to admit.
Especially if you’ve never been in my studio.
You don’t know how I work yet. You don’t know how much we’ll talk. You don’t know what the room feels like or whether you’re going to feel comfortable five minutes after you walk through the door.
All I can give you beforehand is information.
So I’d rather give you the real version.
You do not need to walk in knowing everything you just read.
You do not need to remember every prep rule.
And you definitely do not need to know what formula you need.
That part is mine.
Every appointment starts with a conversation.
Then I figure out the spray tan.
There’s no pressure to book because you read this.
But if you’ve been waiting because you weren’t quite sure what you were getting yourself into, hopefully now you do.
And whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here.
Sarah
Ready When You Are.
Book Your Appointment
Pick your tan, choose your time, and I’ll take it from there.
BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENTStill have a question before you book? Call or text me at 318-751-6801.