Your Carmel glow is officially developing. Now it’s time to protect it.
What you do during the first few hours after your spray tan can have a big impact on your final result. And once your tan has developed, a few simple changes to your shower and skincare routine can help your color fade more evenly and last longer.
Here’s everything you need to know after leaving your Carmel Sunless appointment.
First Things First: Follow Your Rinse Time
Before you leave your appointment, your artist will give you a specific rinse time based on the custom solution used for your skin and desired depth.
Follow the rinse time your artist gave you, even if it differs from general instructions you’ve seen online.
Rinsing earlier may result in a lighter tan than intended. Leaving certain rapid solutions on significantly longer does not necessarily mean you'll get darker and can affect your intended result.
Set an alarm on your phone if you need to. Your rinse time matters!
While Your Spray Tan Is Developing
Until your first rinse, your biggest goal is simple:
Stay dry.
Avoid anything that introduces water, moisture, friction, or excessive sweating to your skin.
That means no:
Showers or baths
Swimming
Workouts
Excessive sweating
Lotions or body oils
Tight clothing
Rain or water splashes
Washing your hands excessively
Doing the dishes without gloves
Be mindful of pets, too. A very enthusiastic dog lick absolutely counts as water.
If you accidentally get a small area wet while your tan is developing, don't panic. Gently blot the area rather than rubbing it and reach out to us if you're concerned.
Wear Loose Clothing
Keep your clothing loose and comfortable while your tan develops.
Oversized T-shirts, sweatshirts, loose sweatpants, pajama-style pants, and other relaxed pieces are ideal.
Avoid tight leggings, jeans, sports bras, socks, or anything that creates significant pressure or friction against the skin.
If you're heading to bed before your first rinse, we recommend wearing loose, long pajamas to help protect your tan and your sheets.
Your First Rinse
This is one of the most important parts of your aftercare.
When it's time to rinse, use lukewarm water and keep your first shower simple.
Unless your artist specifically instructs you otherwise, your first rinse should primarily focus on removing the cosmetic bronzer from your skin.
You may notice brown or bronze water going down the drain.
That's normal. Your tan isn't washing off.
What you're seeing is primarily the cosmetic guide color rinsing away. Your sunless tan develops through DHA reacting with the outermost layer of your skin.
Continue rinsing until the water runs clear.
Then gently pat your skin dry with a towel.
Do not scrub or aggressively rub your skin dry.
Wait...Where Did My Tan Go?
Don't panic if you look lighter immediately after your first rinse.
This is especially important for clients using rapid solutions.
The bronzer you see immediately after your appointment is not necessarily your final color. Once you rinse away the cosmetic bronzer, your skin may initially appear lighter.
Your DHA tan will continue developing after your rinse.
Give your color a full 24 hours before judging your final result.
Trust the process.
Your Next Shower
After your first rinse, your next full shower is where you can return to a more normal cleansing routine.
However, your product choices matter.
Use a gentle, spray tan friendly body wash and avoid products designed to aggressively exfoliate the skin.
At Carmel Sunless, we offer a DHA-Infused Body Wash specifically designed to complement your sunless tan and support your glow as it fades.
Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize
If you remember only one thing about long term spray tan aftercare, make it this:
Hydrated skin is happy tan skin.
Your spray tan lives on the outermost layers of your skin. As those skin cells naturally shed, your tan fades with them.
Dry skin tends to shed more visibly, which can make a tan appear patchy or fade faster.
Moisturize your entire body daily, especially after showering.
For even more support between appointments, our Tan-Extending Moisturizer contains DHA to help maintain your color as your original tan naturally fades.
Be Gentle in the Shower
For the life of your tan, think gentle.
Very hot showers, long baths, aggressive scrubbing, exfoliating mitts, loofahs, and harsh body products can speed up the fading process.
Instead:
Keep showers warm rather than extremely hot
Use a gentle body wash
Wash with your hands when possible
Pat your skin dry instead of rubbing
Moisturize afterward
Save your serious exfoliation for when you're ready to remove the remaining tan and prepare for your next Carmel glow.
Swimming, Hot Tubs & Vacation
Can you swim with a spray tan?
Absolutely. But there is a tradeoff.
Chlorine, salt water, hot tubs, and prolonged time in water can all cause a sunless tan to fade more quickly.
If you're heading on vacation, you don't have to avoid the pool or ocean to protect your tan. You got the glow so you could enjoy the trip!
Instead, focus on good aftercare.
After swimming, rinse your skin with fresh water when possible, gently pat dry, and moisturize.
And remember: a spray tan does not provide sun protection.
Always wear appropriate SPF when spending time outdoors.
Working Out With a Spray Tan
Once you've completed your initial development period and first rinse, you can return to your normal workouts.
Just remember that frequent sweating, tight workout clothing, and friction can cause certain areas of your tan to fade more quickly.
Common areas include:
Under the sports bra
Waistbands
Inner thighs
Underarms
Feet and ankles
After a sweaty workout, shower when you can, gently pat dry, and moisturize.
Products That Can Make Your Tan Fade Faster
Certain skincare ingredients and body products are intentionally designed to increase cell turnover or exfoliate the skin. That's great for skincare, but not always great for keeping a spray tan.
Be mindful of frequent use of:
Retinoids
AHAs and BHAs
Glycolic acid
Salicylic acid
Exfoliating scrubs
Exfoliating mitts
Strong acne treatments
Clarifying or stripping body washes
You don't necessarily need to eliminate your normal skincare routine. Just know that areas where you use exfoliating ingredients may fade more quickly.
How Long Should My Spray Tan Last?
Every person's skin is different, so there isn't one exact number of days your tan will last.
Your skin type, skincare routine, shower habits, workouts, swimming, travel, and how consistently you moisturize can all affect longevity.
The goal isn't to make your spray tan last forever. It's to help it fade gradually and evenly.
Once your tan reaches the end of its life, it's time to gently exfoliate the remaining color and start preparing your skin for your next appointment.
Your Carmel Sunless Aftercare Checklist
Save this for later:
✓ Follow the exact rinse time your artist provided
✓ Stay completely dry until your first rinse
✓ Avoid workouts and excessive sweating during development
✓ Wear loose clothing
✓ Rinse with lukewarm water
✓ Don't panic when the cosmetic bronzer washes away
✓ Allow up to 24 hours to see your fully developed color
✓ Moisturize daily
✓ Use gentle, spray tan friendly body products
✓ Pat your skin dry instead of rubbing
✓ Limit unnecessary exfoliation
✓ Always wear SPF outdoors
Questions About Your Tan? Ask Us.
Every Carmel Sunless tan is customized, which means your aftercare instructions may be customized, too.
If something doesn't look right, you accidentally get wet, you forget your rinse time, or you're simply unsure about what to do next, reach out to your Carmel Sunless artist before trying to fix it yourself.
We're here to help you protect your glow.
At Carmel Sunless, our goal isn't simply to make you look beautifully bronzed when you leave your appointment. We want your tan to develop beautifully, wear beautifully, and fade beautifully, too.
Now go enjoy your glow.
Carmel Sunless
Custom Spray Tans in Scottsdale, Arizona & Austin, Texas
