Tanning Mishaps and FAQS

Use our Touch Up Spray for the white underarms. For the darker patches, take a baby wipe and pull off the extra tan that adhered to the dry skin. Also, if in a pinch, use a bronzing powder to get you through your event.

We know you love your airbrush, but spraying every week over an old airbrush tan will add up! Please wait until your tan is completely removed and fresh skin has had a chance to develop. Also, your skin is dry. Please moisturize heavily days before receiving your airbrush with an oil-free moisturizer. We LOVE our Body Butter lotion in the spa! Avoid however applying lotion to your skin the day of your tanning session.

Your skin can have an unbalanced PH due to using a certain product or even by what you’ve eaten. What does PH stand for? Potential Hydrogen. It is used to describe the acid-alkaline ratio of a substance, which ranges from 0 (the most acidic) to 14 (the most alkaline). The health of your body—and skin—is directly linked to maintaining the right balance between acidity and alkalinity. How so? The skin’s barrier, which is known as the acid mantle, is responsible for keeping in lipids and moisture while blocking germs, pollution, toxins, and bacteria. To work its best, the acid mantle should be slightly acidic, at a 5.5 pH balance. When your skin is too alkaline, it can become dry and sensitive.

Is your skin too dry? Your chronic dryness and wrinkling may mean your acid mantle is being dismantled, therefore too alkaline. With its protective lipids removed, your skin is more open to bacteria, UV rays, and harsh ingredients. Take a close look at how and how often you are cleansing, what you are cleansing with, how often scrubbing, and hydrating. Make sure that your skin can ward off the damaging factors that are making it look more “mature” than it should.

Too oily or breaking out? Your skin’s regular oiliness, breakouts, and sensitivity indicate possible acid overload. This means you are possibly using too many peeling products (think acids) in an effort to sop up excess grease. And while this type of exfoliation can make for a healthy complexion, your skin is suffering from too much of this. What to do: Use products in moderation instead of overloading on them.

PH testing strips, like these ” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Trimedica Alkamax pH Test papers can generally be purchased at your local  drugstore. They claim to take to decode the acid/alkaline mix of products (and your body).  Apply your product onto the pH strip, then check it against the color-coded scale provided. The lighter the color, the more acidic it is; the darker the result, the higher the pH. They tend to read watery products better over creamier ones, such as a lotion.

 Try the  ” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Phion Diagnostic pH Test. Simply dip it into a sample of your urine or saliva for a few seconds to receive an instant reading of your internal pH within 0.25 increments. It tells you where you rank (too acidic, too alkaline, or optimal).

It is recommended to tan your entire body, including your face to avoid tan lines.

You can wear the same make-up as you normally would. If you have a super light powder, just do not apply as much and blot on your face vs. a heavy application.

Sunless sprays are not perfect & occasionally your palms may get darker if you touched the bronzer OR if the color absorbed too much into your skin. Please note, this is typically NOT a technician’s error. It is typically the reaction to your OWN skin activating too much color. To remove the color, it’s best to get a stain color remover like “Clean Touch”. You can purchase this at Sally’s Beauty Supply. (click on the links to find this remover). Nair is also an alternative to use at your own discretion. Tip: Very lightly moisten a cotton round and apply the product onto the darker areas. You will see the color very gently lift. It should not remove all of the color, but lighten it. Once it is time for your tan to come off completely, exfoliating gloves work best to completely remove the color.

Preferably not. The tan needs to soak into your skin, so wait until the morning after to shower for maximum results. However, if absolutely necessary, get your tan in the am and shower 8 hours later minimum.

Yes. It is recommended to wait a few hours before applying. A lot of customers tan in the morning, even when they have an event that night. I recommend mineral powder make-up, since it is non comodogenic.

You will be the darkest before showering. Some of the top coat not soaked into the skin will wash after showering. However, the tan will still remain and you will enjoy your sun-kissed glow. Please use the Norvell body wash when showering to help avoid stripping color.

Yes. Any self tanning product will break down naturally on the body. After approx.4-7 days or when you see the tanning product break down, remove the lasting particles using exfoliating gloves. The friction is amazing and it pulls the tan off easier.

The principle tanning agent used in all self-tanning formulas is dihydroxyacetone (DHA). This ingredient does not produce a “real tan” by increasing the skin’s melanin levels, rather it creates a tanned appearance by developing a brown color on the surface of the skin.

The action of DHA is limited to the upper layer of the skin and involves a reaction between DHA and skin proteins and oxygen that produces brown compounds.  This process is similar to what occurs when you slice open an apple and the surface of the apple browns when it’s exposed to the oxygen in the air.

The development of color takes anywhere from 2 to 4 hours and the intensity of color is dependent upon the DHA concentration in the product as well as each tanner’s individual skin characteristics. The color developed by the DHA usually lasts 4 to 7 days and begins to fade as the top layer of the skin naturally exfoliates.

The longevity of a sunless tan depends on the type of self tanning application, the skin’s natural exfoliation process, and on the skincare regimen followed before and after application.

On average, self tanners last 4-7 days. A professional application, i.e. a sunless tan received at a salon or spa, will last longer than an at-home application as there is usually a greater percentage of DHA used.

At-home application (lotions, sprays, mousse, etc.) = 3 to 5 days
Professional application (stand-up spray units, airbrush, Custom Bronzing) = 4 to 7 days
The “life span” of a sunless tan also depends on your skin’s natural exfoliation. The faster your skin turns over, the faster the sunless tan will fade. The tan created by the DHA affects only the top layer of the skin and will begin to fade after 4 to 5 days as the skin naturally begins to exfoliate.

Following a good skin care regimen before and after sunless tanning will help a sunless tan last longer. Exfoliating prior to a sunless tanning application and keeping skin moisturized afterwards are essential. Sunless tan-extending products with a light self-tanning bronzer, like Norvell® Pro-long™ tan extending lotion, help hydrate skin and maintain even, natural-looking color longer.

DHA solutions take about 16-hours to fully develop. Clients will receive the best results if they can avoid bathing until the day after their sunless session. If they must bathe, they should wait a minimum of 8-12hours after the application.

If showering prior to the 16-hour post application recommendation, a simple rinse with water only, is best. Soap destroys DHA. Delayed bathing allows the DHA bronzer sufficient time to complete its reaction with the amino acids (proteins) within the skin. Norvell bodywash is recommended.

NOTE: It is important to know about the  instant/cosmetic bronzers. The cosmetic bronzer is the color that is immediately visible during the session and it will wash off during the first shower, revealing the DHA bronze tan beneath. Note this is not your tan washing down the drain.

It is important to keep skin moisturized after sunless tanning as dry, flaky skin will slough off faster and color will fade sooner. You basically want to slow down your body’s natural exfoliation process.

Sunless tan-extending products with a light self-tanning bronzer, like “> Norvell® Amber Sun™ Pro-long™, help hydrate skin and maintain even, natural-looking color longer by providing subtle bronzers.

If you are using a spray solution with a cosmetic bronzer, some of the bronze color may rub off on clothing or bed sheets. This is most likely to happen when you get dressed immediately after tanning.

To minimize the chance of the tint transferring to clothing, we recommend that you wear loose-fitting, darker clothes after your spray session. Try to refrain from physical exertion that could result in you sweating until you shower and wash off the cosmetic bronzer.

The cosmetic tint is water-soluble. Therefore, in most cases, the color will come out of clothing in the wash.

Norvell® uses the newest technology in odor inhibitors to encapsulate the odor causing agents commonly associated with DHA products.

We then blend the fragrance with DHA in a manor which allows the pleasant fragrance of raspberry and almonds to come through, eliminating the dreaded “sunless smell”.

The component of a sunless product that gives a a tanner immediate color for that “just off the beach” look.

Ingredients used in sunless cosmetic bronzers are similar to those used in cosmetic foundations or bronzing powders.

You should exfoliate before every sunless session. Use exfoliating gloves one day prior to the session.

Your client should allow at least 8 hours between exfoliating and the sunless session.

For clients with extremely dry skin, or problem areas we recommend using Sea Coral Salt Scrub. If using salt scrub, this must be done 24-48 hours prior to the session, otherwise the oils within the salt scrub will affect the sunless results.

Typically no. Most people will not see any affect on the color of their hair. Customers with light blonde, gray or platinum hair may see some discoloration from the cosmetic bronzers initially, however, this color will wash out with the first shower after the session. It is important when spraying to not spray directly into the hairline.

If you prefer, you can wear a hair cap, but it is not necessary. Note: when wearing a hair cap, make sure to pull the cap back to expose the hairline and behind the ears, otherwise you will create a hard line around the forehead and temples.

Daily application of “>Norvell® Pro-Long™ color extending moisturizer will extend the look of the tan. This bronzing booster will also reduce the appearance of uneven wear and patchiness.

Pro-Long™ is a nutrient rich moisturizer that contains low levels of DHA bronzer to extend the look of any sunless tan. This exclusive formula not only extends the tan it also incorporates the latest skin care with skin-firming technology. Delivering “dynamic copper” to the skin

We recommend that after every 5 weeks of spray tanning, the client allow their skin to rest for 10 days. This allows the customer to completely loose their tan periodically which eliminates patchiness or uneven areas of wear. These areas are caused by normal contact with clothing and other surfaces which cause additional exfoliation.

According to our manufacturer,  Norvell:  No. We have perfectly blended our cosmetic bronzer to give your customers that “just off the beach” look and transition smoothly into their DHA color that will later develop.

All Norvell® solutions are designed to create a custom color shade between the DHA/Erythulose combination and the customers natural skin tone.

The “orange” color, as it is sometime called, is the result of high pH levels within the skin. Extremely light complected customers or those tanning for the first time should be sprayed with Norvell® xLaTan™ pH Balancing prep spray to balance the skin’s pH levels prior to their application. Another reason is if the client kept the Accelerated solution on too long. This can result in an orange appearance.

We recommend avoiding these situations for the first 48 hours following your spray tan. Chlorinated pools & spas can increase the rate in which the skin exfoliates causing the tan to wear and fade.

According to our manufacturer Norvell: As you would before using any product on a pregnant client, recommend that she consult with her personal physician before tanning. However, Norvell® solution is a non-toxic, food grade product that is not known to have any detrimental effects on an expectant mother. Organic Tan has the right to ask for a letter from your doctor approving the tanning. If you are scheduled to have your baby the same day or within 4 days of the tan, Organic Tan has the right to NOT perform the airbrush service in case a C section needs to be performed.

Yes, the breast areas must be covered during the session. Either come with a strapless bra or nursing pad covers. We recommend the Accelerated solution to be able to rinse off in a few hours in between feeding times.

According to our manufacturer Norvell:  We have received no feedback from any medical authority that would indicate a risk to a diabetic person, however, as you would before using any product on a diabetic person, we recommend each customer consult their physician before receiving a DHA spray tan application.

Yes. Norvell® sunless solution does work on the affected areas, however, it is important to remember the skin that is lighter “tans” and the unaffected skin areas also tan, therefore they will remain different colors. While both areas do achieve a sunless tan, they will appear “two toned” when finished. Norvell® color is a blend of the natural skin color and the sunless color.

Sunless color is not a “cover-up”, but rather a blend. Customers looking to darken only the lighter skin will need to take care and apply solution to these areas only, and may be best served with any of the retail self-tanning applications available from Norvell.

If you have sensitive skin and concerned about an allergies or skin reactions, we recommend you first patch test a small area of the skin prior to a full body session.

No. However, the spray does not cover freckles up either. What is darker will stay darker and what is lighter, stays lighter in contrast. 

It is normal for there to be a slight sticky feel immediately following the session. Norvell solutions is formulated to be the fastest drying formula available. Clients should feel completely dry and non-tacky within 8-12 minutes following the application.

No. You need to still wear sunscreen.