Mixing Sunless Solutions Like A Pro
Becoming a skilled sunless mixologist can be the best thing you can do for your business! If you want to cut down on the amount of solutions you keep stocked and up-level your artistry through the use of color theory, you’ll want to know all about what goes into mixing solutions. Learning to mix solutions is especially useful for mobile spray tan artists that have to carry their sunless kit to every appointment. We know how difficult and tiring it can be to try to fit all of the products and equipment you need into your mobile kit. However, whether you’re a mobile or a studio artist, mixing solutions will also allow you to decrease your expenses overall no matter how busy your workload is.
Throughout this blog, we will go over how you can start mixing solutions to create every depth of color without having to carry several different solution options. We will also discuss how you can apply color theory in combination with each individual client’s skin tone in order to take your artistry to the next level and provide the perfect bronze tone for every skin type.
WHY MIX SOLUTIONS
As we mentioned, learning to mix solutions can be a great way to cut costs in your business. It can be cumbersome to carry several different solution options with differing DHA percentages in order to fit the needs of every client. Doing so typically costs more and requires you to hold more inventory. When mixing solutions, you can take the lowest DHA percent and mix it with the highest DHA percent in a solution line in order to create various different levels of color depth for each client’s unique wants. It’s important to note that if you are mixing solutions, to only mix the same types of solution together. For example, 8- hour solutions should only be mixed together, while rapid solutions should also only be mixed with other rapid solutions.
COLOR THEORY
It’s typical to come across several different solution types when you’re first starting out your business and trying to figure out which will be the best options to offer to a varying clientele. Although DHA itself is clear, many solution lines and brands will offer a lot of their solutions with different color bases. Understanding how color theory plays into spray tanning will allow you to elevate your technique when it comes to spray tan customization. You may ask yourself, “Why does the color base of the bronzer matter if DHA itself is clear?” It is true that the bronzer will get rinsed off and the DHA will develop to its own color. However, there will be a few days at the beginning of a client’s tan that will still hold some of the color from the bronzer. At the peak stage of the tan, around the 2-3 day period after full development, there likely will still be some bronzer color left on the skin which can affect the color pay off and the way the tan looks depending on the skin type of the client. This is what makes the customization that is offered through X-TAN’s Bronzite Solution Line and Bronzing Drops such a unique experience for clients. With the use of the Bronzing Drops mixed with the brown-based Bronzite solution, you can create the perfect mixture for each individual's undertone. This is able to take place with all Bronzite solutions because the brown base is considered to be a neutral base that can be customized depending on the color of drops added to it.
Here’s your guide to becoming the most skilled sunless mixologist when dealing with color theory using X-TAN’s Bronzite Solutions:
Jade Green Drops
Solution Recommendation
- Mix with brown based solutions
- DHA Percentage: 6-10%
Skin Type Recommendation
- Skin type 1 & 2
- Cool undertone
Amethyst Violet drops
Solution Recommendation
- Mix with brown based solution
- DHA Percentage: 6-12%
Skin Type Recommendation
- Skin Type 3 & 4
- Warm undertone
Ruby Red Drops
Solution Recommendation
- Mix with brown based solution
- DHA Percentage: 9-14%
Skin Type Recommendation
- Skin Type 5 & 6
- Neutral undertone
DHA PERCENTAGE
We went over how it can be beneficial for you as the artist and business owner to mix solutions based on DHA percentage in order to get the perfect blend for each client. By taking the lowest DHA percent and mixing it with a higher DHA percent, you’re able to customize each client’s spray tan to achieve the best depth of color based on their natural skin type and tone. As a spray tan artist trying to get the best possible outcome for their client, we always hear a very similar request from our clientele, “I just don't want to be orange.” Obviously, giving a client a sunless tan that pulls orange is the last outcome that we want. Our main goal is always to create a bronze glow that could be easily mistaken for a natural tan! So how do the numbers actually work? You can take the number of ounces you have in your gun and the percentages that you mix can determine the average total percentage that is created from the mixture. To do this math, you will take each part per ounce for each percentage used, add them together and then divide by the number of total ounces.
We know mixing solutions and understanding color theory can be a little tricky if you’ve never done it or if you’re new to spray tanning in general. Luckily, that’s why you have us! We have broken all of this down into an easily digestible chart so that you can use this as a simple guide to mixing your customized solutions based on percentage of DHA and your client’s undertone. If you’re interested in stocking your kit with the Bronzite Solution line, you can shop all of our pro solutions on the X-TAN website.
Xoxo,
Kelly