The Complete Spray Tan Prep Guide: How to Get the Most Out of Your Tan
The Complete Spray Tan Prep Guide: How to Get the Most Out of Your Tan
Getting a spray tan is one of the quickest ways to look and feel your best — but how well you prepare beforehand makes all the difference between a tan that fades in three days and one that lasts a full 7–10 days.
At Tanzola, we've been perfecting mobile spray tans across Sydney and beyond since 2010. This guide covers everything you need to know before, during, and after your appointment so you can get the most out of every session.
The Week Before Your Appointment
1. Book Your Waxing or Hair Removal Early
If you're planning to wax, laser, or use a hair removal cream, do it at least 48 hours before your spray tan — ideally earlier in the week. Hair removal opens the pores and can cause the tan solution to absorb unevenly, leading to darker spots or streaking along the skin.
Shaving is the one exception — you can shave up to 24 hours before your appointment, but never on the same day. A freshly shaved leg creates tiny micro-abrasions that react with the tanning solution and cause patchiness.
The rule: Wax or laser 48+ hours before. Shave no later than the morning before your afternoon tan.
2. Pause Retinol and Active Skincare Products
If you use retinol, AHAs (glycolic acid, lactic acid), BHAs (salicylic acid), or any prescription-strength actives, stop using them 48–72 hours before your appointment.
These ingredients work by accelerating cell turnover and exfoliation — which is great for your skin long-term, but terrible timing before a spray tan. Using actives close to your appointment means your skin is in a constant state of shedding, which causes the tan to develop unevenly and fade much faster than it should. In some cases, it can also cause the solution to react differently to treated skin versus untreated skin, creating visible patches.
The same applies after your tan — avoid using retinol or exfoliating acids until you're ready for your tan to fade. Once you're back to your regular skincare routine, reintroduce them gradually.
Products to pause 48–72 hours before and during your tan:
- Retinol and retinoids (prescription tretinoin included)
- Glycolic acid, lactic acid (AHAs)
- Salicylic acid (BHA)
- Vitamin C serums (can interfere with DHA development on the face/neck)
- Physical or chemical exfoliant scrubs
3. A Note on Hormone Creams and Prescription Topicals
This is one of the most common causes of unexpected spray tan results, and it's something many clients don't think to mention.
If you use topical hormone creams — including oestrogen creams, progesterone creams, or HRT gels applied to the skin — your tan may develop differently in those application areas. The hormones alter the skin's pH and surface chemistry, which can cause the DHA (the active ingredient in spray tan solution) to react unpredictably. This sometimes shows up as darker patches, uneven colour, or faster fading in specific spots.
The same can apply to:
- Prescription steroid creams (e.g. for eczema or psoriasis)
- Topical antibiotics
- Medicated patches applied to the skin (nicotine patches, hormone patches)
What to do: Let your Tanzola technician know before your appointment if you're using any topical medications or hormone creams. We can adjust our application technique, use a barrier, or advise you on the best placement strategy. There's no judgment — the more we know, the better your result.
4. Stop Using Self-Tanner or Gradual Tan Products
If you use a gradual tanner or at-home self-tan, stop using it at least 5–7 days before your appointment. Existing product build-up can sit unevenly on the skin and interfere with how the new tan develops.
If you're unsure whether your skin is clear, exfoliate thoroughly (see below) — this will help lift any residual product and give your technician a clean base to work with.
The Night Before Your Appointment
3. Exfoliate — This Is the Most Important Step
Exfoliation is the single most impactful thing you can do to extend the life of your tan. Dead skin cells cause uneven absorption and faster fading — when you exfoliate first, the tanning solution develops evenly and holds on much longer.
Use a body scrub or exfoliating mitt and focus on drier, rougher areas: elbows, knees, ankles, feet, and wrists. These spots absorb more product and can go darker if the skin isn't smooth.
- Use a sugar or salt scrub if you have one
- Avoid any scrub with oils in it — oily products leave a residue that blocks the solution
- Exfoliate in the shower the night before, not on the morning of your appointment
4. Moisturise Dry Areas Lightly
After exfoliating, apply a light, oil-free moisturiser to any very dry areas — particularly elbows, knees, and ankles. These spots absorb colour more aggressively, so a thin barrier helps balance out the result.
Do not moisturise the morning of your appointment. By appointment time, your skin should be clean and product-free.
The Day of Your Appointment
5. Shower With the Right Body Wash — and Arrive With Clean, Bare Skin
On the day, shower with a gentle, sulphate-free body wash and rinse thoroughly. This is more important than most people realise. Many popular body washes — particularly heavily fragranced ones, antibacterial formulas, or anything marketed as "moisturising" — contain sulphates, oils, or skin-softening agents that leave an invisible residue on the skin. That residue acts as a barrier between your skin and the tanning solution, causing uneven absorption or patchiness.
What to look for on the label:
- Avoid: Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES), mineral oil, silicones, or anything listed as a "moisturising complex"
- Good options: gentle sulphate-free washes, pH-balanced formulas, or a simple soap-free cleanser
After your shower, your skin should be completely free of:
- Moisturiser or body lotion
- Perfume or body spray
- Deodorant
- Makeup (including fake tan, bronzer, or foundation on the neck and décolletage)
- Body oils or serums
Any product on the skin creates a barrier between your skin and the tanning solution. Even a small amount of moisturiser can cause patchy or uneven results.
6. Remove Jewellery Before Your Technician Arrives
Take off rings, bracelets, anklets, and necklaces before the appointment. Jewellery creates tan lines and the solution can pool underneath chains or cuffs.
7. Wear the Right Clothing
What you wear to your appointment — and immediately after — really matters.
Wear to your appointment:
- Loose, dark clothing
- Nothing with tight waistbands, bra straps, or elastic that sits directly on the skin
- Thongs or flip-flops if possible (tight shoes can rub the feet)
After your appointment, wear:
- Flowing dresses, loose joggers, or a baggy t-shirt and shorts
- Dark colours (the bronzer in the solution can transfer onto lighter fabrics)
- No underwire bras or fitted gym wear — the pressure will crease the tan while it's still developing
During Your Appointment
Your Tanzola technician will guide you through the whole session. A solo appointment takes around 15–20 minutes — for groups, allow approximately 15–20 minutes per person plus pack-up time.
A few things to know:
- You can wear a bikini, seamless underwear, or nothing at all — whatever you're comfortable with
- Your technician will protect your palms with a barrier cream so they don't go too dark
- The solution contains a cosmetic bronzer so you can see the colour straight away, plus a DHA that develops fully over the next 6–8 hours
After Your Appointment — The Development Window
8. Avoid Water, Sweat, and Friction
This is the most critical period. For the first 6–8 hours after your spray tan, avoid:
- Showering or bathing
- Swimming (pool, ocean, or bath)
- Exercise or anything that causes sweating
- Rain — seriously, even light rain can cause streaking if you're caught off-guard
- Sitting on leather or plastic furniture for long periods (it can cause transfer)
Your technician will give you a personalised rinse time based on your skin type and the shade you're going for. Express tans can be rinsed after 1–2 hours; deeper shades are best left 6–8 hours or overnight.
9. Your First Rinse
When it's time, rinse in the shower using warm (not hot) water only. No soap, no body wash — just water. You'll notice the cosmetic bronzer washing away, and that's completely normal. The actual DHA tan underneath is still developing.
Pat your skin dry with a towel — never rub. Rubbing can disrupt the tan before it's fully set.
10. Moisturise From Day 2
Starting the day after your tan, moisturise at least once a day — twice if you can. Hydrated skin holds a tan significantly longer. Use a light, non-exfoliating body lotion and avoid anything with AHAs, retinol, or strong exfoliating acids, as these will fade your tan faster.
11. Switch to a Sulphate-Free Body Wash Going Forward
Once you've had your first rinse, switch to a gentle, sulphate-free body wash for every shower while your tan is active. This is probably the most overlooked aftercare step. Heavily fragranced washes, antibacterial formulas, and "moisturising" body washes that contain SLS or silicones will actively break down your tan faster — sometimes stripping days off the result.
A simple, gentle wash makes a real difference to longevity.
12. Avoid Retinol and Exfoliating Acids Until Your Tan Has Faded
Hold off on retinol, AHAs, BHAs, and any other exfoliating actives until you're ready for your tan to go. These ingredients are designed to shed skin cells — which is exactly what you don't want while you're trying to hold onto your colour.
When you're ready to fade your tan evenly, reintroduce them gradually from around day 7 onwards.
Making Your Tan Last: Aftercare Tips
With the right aftercare, a Tanzola spray tan lasts 7–10 days. Here's how to get the full run out of it:
- Moisturise daily — this is the number one factor in tan longevity
- Avoid long, hot showers — heat opens pores and speeds up fading
- Skip the pool and ocean — chlorine and salt are the enemy of a spray tan
- Pat dry after every shower — never rub
- Use tan-extending products — a gradual tanning moisturiser from day 4 onwards can help top up the colour as it fades
- Exfoliate lightly after day 7 — this helps the tan fade evenly rather than patchily
Spray Tan Prep: Quick Reference Summary
The week before:
- Stop using retinol, AHAs, BHAs, and exfoliating actives (48–72 hours minimum)
- Stop gradual tanner or at-home self-tan (5–7 days before)
- Let your technician know if you use topical hormone creams or prescription topicals
The night before:
- Exfoliate with a body scrub or mitt (avoid oil-based scrubs)
- Shave if needed (not on the day)
- Lightly moisturise very dry areas only (oil-free)
The day of:
- Shower with a gentle, sulphate-free body wash
- Arrive with no moisturiser, deodorant, perfume, or makeup
- Remove all jewellery
- Wear loose, dark clothing
After your tan:
- No water, sweat, or friction for 6–8 hours
- First rinse with warm water only — no soap or body wash
- Pat dry, don't rub
- Moisturise daily from day 2
- Use a sulphate-free body wash going forward
- No retinol or exfoliating acids until you're ready to fade
Ready to Book?
Whether it's for a wedding, a special event, or just because — Tanzola brings a flawless mobile spray tan straight to your door across Sydney, Hunter Valley, the Southern Highlands, the South Coast, and the Gold Coast.
Have questions about what to expect? Visit our FAQ page or reach out — we're always happy to help.