I saw somewhere in one of the forums about a person that was wanting to get a spray tan for an upcoming event, but she didn’t like the “rub off”. She had a valid concern and I’d like to share my 2 cents, here.
Can my tan rub off? YES. It sure can, but I want to break it down and explain WHY & how you can prevent it!
Spray tan solutions contain DHA (the ingredient that turns your skin “brown”) in varying percentages. Hence, the ability to create different color levels. There are also options of solutions that have bronzers or no bronzers. Bronzers are basically a topical or cosmetic bronzer. This gives you that “instant gratification”, as well as color guide for your artist AND can contain undertones without going too far into it, think toners/purple shampoo for your hair.
These bronzers eventually need to come off the skin, so if when you rinse, you don’t do a great job of it, the bronzer can hang on. It also likes to leave some “residual” behind even if you rinse well, so when you see some sort of rub off, that’s typically the residual bronzer coming off the skin.
Keep in mind spray tans develop and “live” on the very top layer of the skin, so unlike a “traditional” tan, a spray tan is topical for lack of better words, so it will only last 7ish days, and can rub off in areas that have more friction than others.
Here are some tips to help keep the “rub off” at bay:
- Wear loose fitting clothing as much as possible. Know that tight fitting clothing can create friction, which in turn can create rub off in those areas (like sports bras or leggings).
- Ask for a clear solution when getting sprayed. This eliminates the bronzer all together.
- Avoid heavy sweating/getting wet.
- Use a finishing powder developed for spray tanning. This helps to keep the friction/sweating at bay.
- When caring for your tan, be sure you’re using maintenance products that are formulating specifically for use with a spray tan. Making sure to use high quality products will help to keep your tan in tact!
Although I can’t guarantee these things will keep your tan in place foreverrrrr, these tips WILL help to a better job of hanging on, than not doing anything at all!
Got questions? Holler! SunlessByBombshell@gmail.com
