We’ve all heard about (or even worse, experienced) the dreaded orange effect that can result from a subpar spray tan. You can avoid it by going to a pro like Kristi, Firefly’s spray tan specialist extraordinaire, but it also helps to understand how to choose the right shade for your skin.
Sun-kissed, natural-looking color is the goal with any spray tan. The golden shade you choose should enhance, not detract, from your natural beauty. Here’s what to know before you glow:
Stick with Your Skin Tone
Choosing the right tan for your skin is like choosing the right lipstick or foundation–the same rules of skin tone matching generally apply so you get the most flattering shade.
You need to consider both your skin tone and its undertone to get the best hue for you.
Skin Tone
The range of skin tones typically encompasses:
- Very fair
- Fair
- Medium
- Dark
- Very dark
It’s pretty easy to tell where your skin tone should fall on this spectrum. Light skin that tends to sunburn easily is on the fair side, while deeper skin tones that tan with sun exposure lean towards the dark end.
So if you look at a tanning color chart at your spray tan facility, you’ll want to choose softer, lighter golden shades for fair skin, bronze for medium, and rich chocolates for dark skin tones. Choosing a shade that’s too dark or too light may look artificial.
Undertone
But don’t select your shade just yet! You also want to take your skin’s undertone into account. The three undertones are:
- Warm (yellow undertones to the skin)
- Cool (red or pink undertones)
- Neutral (grayish undertones)
A quick way to figure out your undertone is the vein test. Look at the skin on your inner wrist and note the color of your veins:
- Blue/purple veins = cool undertone
- Blue-green veins = neutral undertone
- Green veins = warm undertone
With this information, you can work with your spray tan technician to find a shade that complements your skin for a tan that looks real and radiant.
Seasons Change–And So Will Your Spray Tan Shade
We also encourage our clients to consider the season, and the reason, for getting a spray tan. You’ll want a deeper, more luxurious glow for a summer wedding or beach vacation than you would for a holiday party in the winter, when a subtle, lighter gold would be more appropriate. Again, it’s all about looking natural with a shade that falls within your skin tone family.
The intensity of your shade is determined by how much dihydroxyacetone, or DHA, there is in the tanning formula. DHA is the active ingredient in a spray tan solution; the more DHA in your spray tan, the darker the shade will be. Professional spray tan solutions typically contain anywhere from 5% to 15% DHA.
We Have the Golden Touch at Firefly!
Pamper yourself with a spray tan at Firefly. Kristi is an expert at customizing tans so you get the exact color you want. Come in for a summertime pick-me-up, or maintain your glow year-round with our Bronze membership package, which includes one Rapid Tan session each month at a members-only price. Come to Firefly to look gorgeous and glowing!
