The makers promise they'll give you an even and natural looking tan without the harmful rays of the sun! No weird orange color. No streaks.
But will you really get professional looking results?
To find out, we put five different kinds to the Action News Product Test, using the professional airbrush as the bar we compared the do it home products too.
Rita, Nikki, Noelle, Halston, Angela and Kristin want a golden glow without the sun's damaging rays.
Five of them are testing at-home spray on products, while professional Paige Lewis of Hairs To You in Bala Cynwyd is giving Angela, a custom air-brush tan for $40.
"I would say at home, the hardest thing would be getting it all over your hands, definitely wear gloves," Lewis said.
On the testing block:
Sevin Nyne Tanning Mist for $35
Quick Tan by Body Drench for $12
Fake Bake for $30
Neutrogena Micro Mist $10
The Shower Tan for $345
The Shower Tan is the most expensive option up-front, since you have to get the equipment, but in the long run it could be the cheapest option at $45 for a four-pack of refills.
Paige advises holding the cans a ruler's length away while spraying.
Rita likes how Sevin Nyne sprays on.
"It has a bronzer in it, so I can see what I did and didn't get," Rita said.
Noelle has a difficult time applying Fake Bake because the nozzle keeps getting stuck.
Once Kristin got the Spray Shower installed, application was easy.
Most of the tans generally develop within about 8 hours, but we checked back after 72 hours for maximum results.
For Angela's professional airbrush tan - she loved it and plans to get it done for her wedding day!
But how about the results of our do-it-yourselfers?
Seven Nyne took 24 hours to fully develop, but once it did.
It gave Rita a natural-looking even glow.
In fact, this is the spray-on tan that our professional, Paige, puts in the number one spot in terms of color.
Quick Tan also had good results with no problems.
As for Fake Bake, remember Noelle had problems with the nozzle, plus, at first she sprayed too close to her skin, a big no-no when it comes to spray tanning.
As for Neutrogena's Micro Mist?
Halston and Paige think it had a yellowish tint and it sprayed on clear so it was hard for Halston to tell if she was spraying her entire body evenly during application.
Finally, what did Kristin think of the Shower Tan?
"I like the overall results two days later," Kristin said.
But Kristin says she had some streaking along her leg and, like Halston with the Neutrogena product, Kristin wishes the shower mist had a bronzer so she could have rubbed in imperfections.
So all did fairly well, but the big winner out of our test was the $35 Sevin Nyne tanning mist followed by the Quick Tan by Body Drench for $12.
But BEFORE you do any spray-on tan, you MUST exfoliate first.
You should shower beforehand, but do not put on makeup, deodorant, or perfume.
And apply a light moisturizer only on the bottoms of your feet, your palms, elbows and knees if you're excessively dry.
Also, do a trial run beforehand because sometimes people like the way they look best the second day versus the first or third day and so on. Also, consider asking a friend to help with the application.
And after your color develops, continue to moisturize. Spray tans typically last 6 to 8 days.
Tips from the companies to apply each product:
Quick Tan by Body Drench
-To avoid streaks, it's very important to make sure that skin is exfoliated 24 hours before hand (this is for a smooth, even application). It also works much better if skin is free of any sort of lotions or moisturizers. (this ensures that the tanner clings on to skin better) Make sure that you are spraying from at least a foot away, pressing gently on the nozzle in long, even strokes.
-There really is no easy way to spray your back. Unless you have really long arms, or are really flexible, your best bet is really to ask some one to mist your back.
-After spraying, gently rub in the tanner, making sure to avoid your needs and elbows. If you feel that the color isn't dark enough, repeat the process for a couple days until the desired color is reached. It's better to gradually build than to try and get that darker color immediately because that's how you get blotches and streaks.
Neutrogena Statement:
The Neutrogena MicroMist Tanning Sunless Spray is a no rub formula that provides a professional looking, streak-free sunless tan. The clear formula only reacts with skin's natural amino acids so any overspray won't stain bathrooms. The mist spray is so fine, and covers so evenly, that it's not necessary to rub it in.
Available in Medium Tint or Deep Tint, the continuous spray works at any angle which makes tanning the entire body, even hard to reach spots, easy.
Regarding the tester's concern that the color was "too yellow," we recommend that she tries the Deep Tint.
Sevin Nyne
-a tips and tricks video on www.sevinnyne.com
-We suggest putting a towel down on the floor before you tan. Other people also tan in the shower- that way the water watches the access off during your next shower
ShowerTan:
"with any tanning process, the results will vary depending on skin type and application technique. For first time users, particularly those that have never tried spray on tanning by booth or airbrush, perfect results should not be expected the first time." ... "Once you see the first time results, you'll be able to make improvement adjustments to your application technique if necessary. Soon you'll be maintaining a great salon look tan year round!"
Fake Bake:
The Prep:
A very important tip before you start the tanning process, whether it be at a professional salon or in the comfort of your own home, be sure to use a body scrub, such as Fake Bake Passion Fruit Body Wash or any of your favorites, to slough off the dead skin which help increase the amount of tanning agents that skin in. This can be done the night before you want tan.
The Steps:
Step 1: Czartoryski suggests, rubbing lotion or Fake Bake Skin Smoothie over hands, feet, elbows, knees and any other dry skin areas to prevent dark spots and staining. This helps the self-tanner "smooth" over the problem areas. The Skin Smoothie has a mix of passion fruit, rose hips, linden flower and lavender oil. This unique dry-oil absorbs quickly, sealing in moisture and "locks-in" your tan!
Step 2: Mist from thighs to feet using long fluid motions, rather than circles, which can deposit too much color. A trick that Czartoryski likes to use is propping one foot of the edge of the bathtub so you can easily do the back of your calves and thighs. Then turn the can upside down, and spray down your upper and lower back.
Step 3: Move on to the outsides of your arms, beginning at your shoulders, and spray down to the tops of your hands. Then lift each arm straight up and, while watching in the mirror, spray from your wrist to your armpit. Czartoryski warns to spray your pits superlightly since your wouldn't tan in there naturally, but you don't want to look splotchy by choosing to skip this area!
Step 4: Do your face and neck last, moving from top to bottom from your forehead to your collarbone. Czartoryski suggests moving slowly when tackling the face and neck as you want this region to blend naturally with the rest of your body.
Step 5: Now that you've completed the "hard part," if you are in a rush to dry, you can stand next to a fan for a few minutes, but if you're using the Fake Bake Air Brush, this dries naturally in 10 minutes. This formula will not stain your clothing and/or sheets (its water soluble!), will last for days without staining, will not leave you walking away with a foul smell, and will not streak or discolor. Lastly, to achieve the best tan do not shower for at least 4-6 hours.
LINKS:
Body Drench
Fake Bake
Neutrogena
Shower Tan
Sevin Nyne
Professional Tan
Tips for applying a sunless spray tan
