Don't let anybody tell you that exfoliator and tan extending products don't matter!

Before I became part of the industry, I totally believed that tan extending products and exfoliators that they sold in spray tanning salons were there for the only and specific purpose of getting more money out of client’s pockets.

After I got my own shop, I still used my favorite body butter to moisturize after tanning, and exfoliating glove to prepare before spray tanning.

That is until clients that spray tanned regularly started asking for different products that I had in the shop. I decided I might as well try them, to see, which products I could recommend with clear conscience.

I got few different ones, and myself and Prue, who worked with me, went on the “guinea pig trial run”.

WOW, WHAT A DIFFERENCE!

I would have not appreciated it, if I did not go without those products before. I thought I was perfectly happy with my tans up to this point.

But the difference was HUGE, both in the depth of the color, and the length of time the tan stayed on.

What do you look for when choosing products?

There are many exfoliators and tan extending products on the market. We know that not all of you can get to our salon, so I will give you just some basic guidelines when choosing them.

1.In exfoliators, the magic ingredient, or rather the lack of it is oil. Exfoliator that you use should not have oils or moisturisers in it. Get the one especially made for spray tanning industry (you will find them in the spray tanning salons, not in the supermarket or the drug store).

2.Touch up solution. The perfect touch up solution will blend in with your tan no matter what stage it is at. To do this it has to give you a very light colour. If you need more colour, you simply apply second coat (allow at least 1 hour between coats, to make sure that the colour had a chance to develop).

2. The day after your spray tan you should start to moisturise. The best are specialised moisturisers from the spray tanning salon, which contain a little of the tanning agent DHA. This will greatly extend your tan, by making it more even, and filling in the "holes". Make sure you use those sparingly, they are not meant to deepen your colour, but to maintain it. If you use too much, you could turn an orange hue.

Products we love and recommended in our salon. First- exfoliator. The ones that are not specifically made for spray tanning industry simply do not have the right ingredients. You need an exfoliator with fruit acids, and without any oil or moisturizers (if you have oil, or oily moisturizers in the product, they may put a barrier on your skin that will prevent spray tanning solution getting through).

Fruit acids, on the other hand “eat away” all the surplus dead skin ( if in doubt, put it on your heals and leave there for couple of minutes-then scrub with pumice stone, bingo- baby soft heels. If you leave it on long enough it will even melt away calluses.)

Wet your body in the shower, rub the gel all over, and leave it on for couple of minutes, than scrub it off with an exfoliating glove.

It is especially important to use good exfoliator before tanning mature skin.

Second-self tanning touch up solution. My most favorite product ever. The tan will wear off first in places that you use most- your face, hands, and feet. It takes about 30 seconds to touch it up in the morning.

Why do I love this self tanning product so much? Because it does not actually tan you, it just gives you a glow. That way it blends in with your tan at whatever stage of wearing off your spray tan is.

If you want the lightest effect, just spray a little on a make up remover pad and wipe over the area. Don’t get tempted to wipe it over again, if it appears too light at this stage. The color will take a while to develop, so if you wipe it over again, you might make the color too dark. If however after about an hour the tan still appears too light, reapply.

I use it between spray tans to keep this great glow on my face (and any other visible parts).The tan lasts for couple of days, and the bottle lasts and lasts forever.

One of my clients gave me a tip on different use of this product, and I have been successfully applying it for a while now.

Put some latex gloves on, hop into a shower cubicle, spray some touch up solution on your legs, and rub it in with your gloved hands. This product has a bronzer in it, so you can see if you are applying it evenly.

With the gloves on helping you to spread the solution so evenly, you really need only a very small amount, and the effect is flawless. Easy to give your legs or other white body parts a boost.

If you can only afford one product when you spray tan, this is the one you need. It will keep your tan even as it wears off.

Thirdly- Moisturizer. It is not just any old moisturizer. This self tanning product contains some DHA solution so, when you moisturize, you also extend the tan and even it out. In some cases it can double the length you keep it on.

Be careful though. I tend to be a bit heavy handed with my cosmetic products, and I found that if I put too much on, I got a bit of an orange glow. When I decreased dosage, the color turned out very beautiful.

Love your tan for a long time. Instead of using any old moisturizer use this great self tanning product that will extend your tan for many days.

Make sure you wash your hands with soap and warm water after you use self tanning products, otherwise you will finish up with brown palms.

Tan in a can. A great self tanning product to take with you on holidays, when you know that you will not be able to get to a spray tanning salon.

Contains the same clear spray tanning solution as the Magic Tan booth.

First time I used it, I came out quite patchy, since the solution is colorless and I could not see the spots I missed. Then I tried the old latex gloves trick, and now I have no problems with it at all. Nicole from Magic Tan says that there are 2 full tans in one can, but I can get out 3. All you need is a bit of practice.

The great thing about this self tanning product is that being clear, you will not finish up with a terrible mess in your shower recess that you get with when you use self tanning products containing a bronzer.

THAT is definitely a plus, and worth learning how to use it properly.

For a serious tanner, the exfoliator and tan extending products are not really an option. They ensure that your tan always looks great, and they save you many dollars that you would otherwise have to spend on more frequent spray tanning sessions.