woman with airbrush tanPicture this: You’ve just walked out of your first airbrush tanning appointment at Celebrity Skin Chicago, and you’re glowing from the inside out, thanks to your beautiful, bronzed appearance. Even though it’s winter, you look like you’ve just spent a week on a Carribean beach! You want to maintain your stunning new skin tone for as long as you can, but don’t know how that’s possible. Thankfully, the tanning experts at Celebrity Skin Chicago are here to help! In this blog post, we share five simple tips for keeping your spray tan looking great.

At Celebrity Skin Chicago, we offer organic airbrush tan services and take-home spray tanning to help you get a sun-kissed glow all year long. We offer a variety of different types of spray tans, including full-body tans, mousse-tans, fast-acting tans, and our signature Celebrity Air Tan. Stop by any Tuesday to receive a full-body tan for $16 off. Book an airbrush tanning appointment at Celebrity Skin Chicago today, and love the skin you’re in!

1. Moisturize regularly with an appropriate product

It’s important to keep your skin hydrated after receiving an airbrush tan. Moisturizing will help your skin absorb the solution better, providing you with a lasting glow. Unfortunately, not all moisturizers are created equally, and using the wrong moisturizer can actually lead to your tan fading faster than it would have otherwise. In particular, you want to avoid exfoliating products, which will literally rub the spray tan off your skin, as well as the following ingredients:

  • Mineral oil
  • Alcohol
  • Fragrances, including essential oils
  • Dyes
  • Petroleum
  • Parabens
  • Sulfates
  • Paraffins
  • Ceresin
  • Witch hazel

You will also want to avoid Retin-A and other anti-acne products, as well as anti-aging products, toners, bar soaps, and make-up removers. To maintain your airbrush tan for as long as possible, moisturize your skin with one of the following products:

  • Cocoa butter
  • Shea butter
  • Coconut oil
  • Aloe vera

Make sure to slather your skin with one of these tan-appropriate moisturizers every day after you shower or bathe. You might also want to moisturize before you go to bed, for added tan protection.

2. Wait to shave

Try to wait as long as possible to shave after your airbrush tan. Shaving can literally strip the spray tan off your skin, so the longer you put off shaving the better. If you absolutely must shave, be sure to follow the following tips:

Use a new razor: Odds are that your current razor is dull and dirty from heavy use. This will cause it to drag heavily on your skin, pulling off a lot of skin in the process. When shaving after an airbrush tan, make sure to a new razor that can glide easily over your skin without taking your tan along with it!

Avoid shaving foam: Shaving foam can contain some of those nasty ingredients that we talked about earlier, such as alcohol, fragrances, and heavy detergents. If you absolutely must use something that will act as a shaving foam, opt for a conditioner or shower gel that doesn’t contain sulfates.There are also shaving products available made specifically for sunless tanning.

  • Shave gently: Pressing hard on the razor can grate and scrape your skin. Instead, glide the razor gently over skin, with as little pressure as possible. 
  • Don’t shave daily: You will want to cut back your shaving routine to just a few days a week, if not less. Shaving daily will just exfoliate and shed your skin, causing your spray tan to become invisible or even disappear altogether.
  • Don’t wax: Waxing is even worse than shaving for maintaining an airbrush tan. Waxing after a spray tan strips away the color and removes your outermost layer of skin.

3. Use a self-tanner

Different parts of your sunless tan are going to fade faster than others, so we highly recommend that you use a self-tanner between airbrush tanning appointments. This is particularly important for your face, as this is the part of your spray tan that fades the quickest. Self-tanners are also good for boosting the color of your legs. 

Make sure to choose a self-tanner with a lighter color than your airbrush tan to avoid looking splotchy. If you’re prone to acne, choose a self-tanner that is non-comedogenic, so that it won’t clog your pores. If you have any questions about specific self-tanner products, the estheticians at Celebrity Skin Chicago will be  more than happy to help.

4. Detox your spray tan monthly

We recommend detoxing and heavily exfoliating your skin once a month. Not only will this help your future airbrush tans last longer, but it is also good for your skin. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your spray tan detox:

Use lemon oil and baby oil: Apply a mixture of baby oil with a small amount of lemon juice to your skin, and let it sit for about ten minutes. Afterwards, get in the shower and scrub. This process makes your skin more pliable, which in turn makes it easier to shed your outer layer of skin.

  • Go swimming: Prolonged submersion in salt, fresh, and chlorinated water can cause your tan to fade. Chlorinated water, in particular, removes dead skin cells and zaps spray tan color. That’s why heading to the pool is an easy way to renew overtanned skin quickly. 
  • Sweat!: While sweating can be uncomfortable, it also has many benefits for your skin, such as eliminating chemicals and pathogenic bacteria. Sweating also helps improve the regeneration rate of your skin cells, helping you get rid of your sunless tan faster. During your next spray tan detox, head to the sauna, steam room, or gym and get your sweat on for fresh, rejuvenated skin.

5. Wear loose, dark clothes 

Tight-fitting clothing can rub against your spray tan, causing it to peel off and become uneven. After your airbrush tan appointment, slip into something loose and comfortable. Try to avoid:

  • Leggings: While leggings are super cute, they’re also super terrible for maintaining your tan, due to their skin-tight high-waisted design.
  • Bras: Yes — we get this is a tough one! We’re not suggesting that you go braless for the entire duration of your tan, but simply that, if possible, you give yourself some bra-free time at home right after your spray tan appointment. Bras can rub against your shoulders and ribcage, causing a splotchy mess. If you absolutely must wear a bra, opt for a bandeau or strapless design.
  • Socks: Socks can cause an unsightly mark in your tan, particularly if they have elastic bands. After your spray tan appointment, we recommend that you slip into flip-flops or another loose-fitting, strapless sandal, to avoid the need for socks.
  • Light-colored clothes: Having spray tan stains all over your clothing is not a good look. Wear dark clothing the first few days after your appointment to allow time for the spray tan to dry fully.

While these tips are most important for the period right after your airbrush appointment, you might also want to keep them in mind for the duration of your tan, to ensure as long-lasting color as possible.


Interested in seeing what an airbrush tan can do for you? Book an appointment at Celebrity Skin Chicago today! Our spray tan experts will help you achieve natural-looking, bronzed skin in no time!