To me, Memorial Day officially means the start of summer. I’m SO ready for lake days and pools days. But with summer JUST starting, I don’t have a tan yet. Not. Even. Close. My legs are SO pale. I love getting spray tans before heading to the beach or shooting blog photos. Spray tans are a lot safer than tanning in a tanning bed (no skin cancer for me!). Spray tans obviously don’t last as long as an actual tan, but there are steps you can take to make it last a tad longer. Here are the steps I follow for preparing for a spray tan:

The Night Before:

1. Before jumping in the shower, I use the EcoTools Body Brush to exfoliate away the dry, dead skin cells. I brush in an upward motion starting with my feet and ending with my arms.
2. I shower like normal, and make sure to use an exfoliating loofah and moisturizing body wash. I love this body wash by Dove.
3. I shave my legs. It’s best to shave the night before, and not right before you go. Otherwise, the spray can get in your pores and leave them discolored.
4. I apply body lotion on my legs, arms, and feet (the parts of my body that get the most dry). I use a body lotion I found at Bath and Body Works, but any brand should work!

Right Before:

1. I shower like normal using an exfoliating loofah and moisturizing body wash.
2. I use a sugar scrub on my feet, legs, and arms. I use one from Bath and Body Works, but any brand will do!
3. I apply body lotion to my hands, feet, ankles, elbows, and knees. These tend to look patchy after my spray tan from dry skin, so I try to moisturize them a lot!
4. I put on loose clothing like shorts, a baggy t-shirt, and flip flops. I also do not apply makeup the rest of the night. I make sure this is the last thing I do for the day, so the closer I get my spray tan to bed time, the better!

During your spray tan, make sure to follow all the instructions the tanning salon gives you. I usually get the Versa Spa, level 2, clear, and add the moisturizing spray at the end. I apply the blending lotion to my hands, elbows, knees, ankles, and feet.

After Your Spray Tan:

1. The first thing I do when I get out of the booth is wipe off the bottoms of my feet, hands, and my toenails and fingernails with the towel the salon provides. Otherwise, they tend to turn orange!
2. I keep on baggy clothes for at least 12 hours.
3. I also don’t shower for 12 hours.
4. I apply lotion every morning and night.
5. I apply Jergens self tanner on my legs after I shower to keep my tan looking fresh. My spray tan tends to fade on the bottom of my legs faster.

I know it seems like a lot of steps, but it really does make your tan look better and last longer. If you don’t have dry skin like me, then you might not have to exfoliate the night before, and just do everything right before you go. Do you have any spray tan tips? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading!