Frequently asked questions

1. Thoroughly EXFOLIATE and SHAVE 24 hours before your spray tan. When exfoliating, pay attention to dry areas like neck, chest, heels, elbows, creases of arms, knees and behind the knees.
2. Day of Tan: Do not use an oil based scrub before your tan. Use a non-moisturizing soap or body wash.
3. Avoid wearing make-up-moisturizers, and deodorants to your appointment. This acts as a barrier to the spray and stops the color from developing properly.
4. Avoid working out immediately before your spray tan.
5. Wear dark colored, loose-fitting clothing and sandals following your treatment. Baggy pants are preferable over shorts.
6. For optimal results, it's suggested that you get your hair done, waxing and have manicure and pedicure 24 hours prior to appointment time.
7. For clients with heavy sun spots, put a small amount of lotion on the larger sun spot areas prior to your appointment. This will help those areas to not pull too much solution when sprayed.

Post-Tan Tips

1. With proper care, your spray tan should last on average 7-10 days.
2. Do not touch the skin with your hands as the bronzer will transfer to the palms.
3. IMPORTANT: You must avoid water entirely for at least four hours or you will stop the tanning action of the solution! This includes washing your hands or using lotions too.
4. Immediately after your spray tan, avoid activities that may cause you to sweat excessively.
5. Use air conditioning in your car on a hot day to avoid sweating.
6. Bring an umbrella if drizzling, raining, or snowing the day of your appointment.
7. We recommend waiting at least 24-48 hours to wax/shave after your spray tan. When shaving, use a conditioner as a shaving agent and a new razor to help minimize tan removal and to keep skin soft.
8. Moisturize twice daily for optimal results.
9. A follow up spray tan can be applied between 7-10 days after your first appointment. It is advised to wait at least 2 weeks between tans for most optimal results.

For Traditional/Overnight Tans:

1. We recommend waiting 8-10 hours before showering.
2. Be sure to sleep in clothing that covers arms and legs - loose fitting is best.
3. Avoid touching the skin. If you do, immediately try to wipe palms or fingers with a clean with wet cloth.
4. When sleeping, keep hands away from face and neck areas; rest hands on top of blankets to try to avoid contact.
5. For your first shower (8-10 hours) after your tan,  do not wash hair if possible. Just use soap on privates and armpit areas as the tan is still developing.
6. When getting out of shower, pat the skin dry (NEVER RUB DRY). Leave the skin damp and then apply moisturizer. This helps lock in the moisture and keep the tan from fading unevenly.
7. The "instant color" or cosmetic bronzer will rinse off as it is designed to do leaving you with a nice, even and natural color.
8. Use lotion after showers and at night before bed.
9. If you need to shave during the duration of the tan, always use a NEW razor (do not use ones with moisture strip), and use your conditioner as a shaving agent - this will help minimize what comes off.
10. For those clients heading on a vacation or going in the sun, always be sure to use a spray tan safe sunscreen. You can get a burn from the sun even with a spray tan.
11. When showering the 2nd day, follow instructions above, however, use a gentle hand in shower with a spray tan approved body wash. Never scrub or rub the skin to wash while spray tan is on.

Please view our products to avoid and use after a spray tan pdf for more help on products to use.

Rapid Rinse Tans:

1. Rinse with WATER ONLY at designated rinse time discussed with your spray tan artist.
2. For light tans shower in 4 hours, medium 6 hours and for dark tans leave 8 hours or overnight.
3. When rinsing, this is just a water rinse. DO NOT USE SOAP for this first rinse.
4. Watch water run down the drain, rinse behind ears, spread butt cheeks, get neck, and be sure to hold arms up and down to be sure all bronzer has come off.
5. Get out of shower and pat skin dry or use a hair dryer to dry skin. Get dressed for bed.

**Follow shower directions for traditional tans above for 2nd day shower. 

Our clients receive the most optimal results when they book 1-3 days before an event. Please note that day one of your tan begins 24 hours after your session. If you're looking to book the same day as your event, we could try a rapid tan or just use a cosmetic bronzer that washes off.

For BRIDES:

A trial tan is mandatory to be sure that your skin works with the solution and to decide what day you should receive the tan prior to your wedding date. After seeing how the color develops and fades, we can better determine how many days prior to the wedding to apply the tan. Typically, we suggest two days before your wedding day. This will ensure the best look and prevent any color transfer on the dress.

For BRIDAL GUESTS:

It is recommended that you tan at least two days or get two showers in prior to the event for the best results. This will ensure the best look and prevent any color transfer on the dress.

Your tan should last anywhere between 4-9+ days. The longevity will all depend on your hormones, medications being taken, skin pH, how well you followed the post care, and what products you use on your skin, and age of skin.

You should refrain from using bar soaps (especially Dove) and moisturize a minimum of 2x a day. Drinking a lot of water and staying hydrated can help the tan's endurance. Soaps and many body lotions contain SLS, parabens or mineral oil, or drying alcohols will strip and fade the tan. Using cheap drugstore products can cause blotchiness and bad fading too. The amount of physical activity, aftercare, and proper preparation for the tan are all factors of how many days one can expect their tan to last.

For a list of approved skincare products, see our pdf document below for download.

Rinsing earlier than advised by your spray tan consultant can affect the look and duration of the tan. It is best to try to not sweat until at least 10 hours after your tan for a traditional and 4 hours for rapid tan.

Rain will ruin a tan. Make sure to bring an umbrella if it is raining or snowing the day of your appointment.

Tight clothes can cause imperfections or lightening of the tan. It is recommended to wear loose fitting clothes until the initial rinse off.

Jacuzzies and hot tubs will remove a sunless tan.

If going on vacation, please know that swimming in pools and the ocean can fade your tan. If you have water sports planned, it is important that you use a tan extender or wash off bronzer to replenish the color afterwards.

Spa pedicures where you're soaking your feet and getting leg treatments done will remove the tan. Polish changes are ok, but no soaking.

Getting a massage during the tan can affect the tan due to the lotions and essential oil products that are used on the skin. It is important to avoid these during the duration of your tan or until after your desired event.

Always blot the skin when drying after the shower. No rubbing. Leave the skin damp (don't dry completely) and then moisturize the body head to toe. This will help lock in moisture to the skin helping the tan stay longer and fade more evenly.

Try to refrain from soaking in baths. It is recommended that you only shower.

Avoid waxing the skin as it will remove the skin layer that has the tan.

DO NOT touch the skin post tan. Avoid any skin-to-skin contact or touching the skin or checking the tan lines or the tan will come off and transfer to your palms.

If possible, please avoid any anti-aging or acne products can cause the tan to fade.

Bug sprays can cause the tan to fade.

There are a few ways to remove the spray tan:

1. Soak in a hot bathtub for 15 minutes. Add baby oil to the water to increase effectiveness. When out of the tub, use a rougher towel and dry the skin off and rub gently to remove the tan residue.
2. Mix baking soda and lemon juice to create a paste and use that to exfoliate and scrub the areas you want to remove.
3. Use a coarse towel when getting out of shower to sluff off skin.

No. Sugarbody Co's. spray tanning products are made with natural and organic ingredients like apple-sugar which is a natural brown color. Most all other solutions on the market contain beat or carrot fermented extracts, which is where the orange tones and unpleasant scent stem from.

Even though most skin tones achieve golden honey colors when tanned in real sun, we custom blend all solutions to match skin tones best to ensure a more bronze outcome. We guarantee the highest quality, golden-honey and chocolate-brown results.

Our spray tanning solutions will react naturally with each specific skin tone. Your airbrush technician will select the best shade for your skin color and type. Pending time of year, we will blend a solution that fits a color that is natural and close to the way you normally tan. We offer rapid tans which work well for lighter, fairer skin tones as we can rinse in less time ensuring a light glow and less brassy outcomes. Red heads and pink skin clients love our tans!

For your tanning session, Sugarbody babes will receive disposable g-string thongs and a hair cap to wear. You're welcome to wear your own bottoms, but remember anything you leave on your skin will leave a prominent tan line for the life of your sunless tan. We suggest going topless for less tan lines, but we encourage you to do what feels most comfortable to you.

Sugabrush beaus are required to wear our disposable shorts or their own bottoms for their session.

It is suggested that you dress in loose-fitting clothing when you come to your appointment, preferably darker in color. Pants are recommended so you don't rub the legs when hopping in a car or sitting down afterward. Flip-flops or slip-on shoes are recommended as well.

Your spray tanning consultant will be able to assess your skin color and type to find the best color to match your skin tone. However, if you have a photo of yourself with a tan or a tanning goal in mind (from summer), please bring in a picture and we will determine how to best achieve your desired look and still keep your tan natural-looking.

We use several types of solutions at our location. All of our product lines are vegan and made of naturally derived organic ingredients. Our solutions are parben-free, erythrulose free and formaldehyde free. Ingredients can include: muscadine grape skin, seed extract, aloe vera, purified de-mineralized water, certified organic aloebarbadensis extract, eco-certified dihydroxyacetone (DHA), witch hazel, caramelized sugar, caramel citral, almond extract, cranberry seed extract, vanilla planiflora, termindiagerinandiana, backhousiacitriodora, vitamin E & vitamin C, CoQ10, caramel and cacao.

Our solutions do NOT contain any mineral oils, sulfates, glycols, petrochemicals or gluten, and they have only been tested on happy clients instead of animals. If you have a nut allergy, please inform your spray tan artist so we can use a nut-free solution.

The active ingredient in self-tanning and spray tanning products is dihydroxyacetone (DHA). DHA has been used in cosmetic preparations for almost 30 years and was listed with the FDA in 1973. It is declared safe and suitable for use in cosmetics and used to color the skin. DHA is derived from glycerin (vegetable origin) which is a commonly used cosmetic and food ingredient. DHA is not absorbed into the body and poses no possibility of toxicity. Our solutions contain eco-certified DHA from Paris, France and are derived from natural ingredients.

We use extraction fans and can provide nose filters for those clients that want more protection. Spray tanning is safe for pregnant women, but we always suggest you consult your doctor before making an appointment.

If it is possible, we suggest waiting at least 24 hours after your session to participate in activities that will cause you to sweat. This will give the solution time to fully develop and prevent streaking that could result from perspiration.

If you must, we suggest doing a traditional overnight tan and working out with the tan still on and then showering post-workout.

For the most optimal tanning results, we suggest getting your manicures and pedicures and hair appointments done at least 24 hours prior to your session.  We provide hair caps to protect your hair and our solutions are not designed to stain hair. Additionally, we use creams on the hands and feet to protect your nails, and we wipe your hands and nails after being sprayed.

Waxing should be done 48 hours prior and shaving 24 hours prior to your session to ensure natural-looking results.