News

The goal in providing a premier spray tan service is creating a result that is natural looking and long-lasting. However, you and I both know getting a drop dead flawless spray tan is a 50/50 game! We can’t do it all on our own, unfortunately. Having to rely on our clients to take their pre-tan prep seriously is one of the most challenging parts of delivering the best sunless results. We HAVE to rely on clients to follow instructions, which means that we, as the artist, have to provide clear and concise instructions in the first place! You may have noticed, one of the first questions clients ask before booking their appointment is: “how long does a spray tan last?” We know that on average, a spray tan will last 7-10 days with proper prep and care. We also know, we can only control so much of what impacts the quality and duration of the tan, so what do you actually have to communicate to your clients in order for them to do the proper necessary prep? If you haven’t quite started your sunless business journey or taken a course yet, you may not even be totally clear on what good spray tan prep entails. If that’s the case, these tips will definitely help aim you in the right direction to breaking down the skin prep on the client’s side.

The Week Prior 

The keyword to know for the week before a spray tan appointment is “moisturize!” Moisturizing is particularly important during the cold months when the air is more dry or if the client’s skin type is dry. DHA interacts with the skin most effectively and naturally when the skin is well hydrated and moisturized. If the skin is too dry or has dry spots, DHA may overstate and pull orange. This means, the week prior to the spray tan appointment, the client should be moisturizing 1-2 times a day. However, although their prep includes moisturizing the days leading up to the appointment, it’s crucial to include in the prep instructions that they should not be arriving to the appointment with any moisturizers on that could form a barrier between the sunless solution and their skin.

The Night Before

The night before the appointment, or within 24 hours, the client should follow specific instructions on how to prep for their spray tan. This prepping of the skin involves shaving, showering and exfoliating. Doing these steps too close to the appointment time can cause the tan to develop improperly. Exfoliating is especially important during spray tan prep because it ensures that the top layer of dead skin cells is sloughed off to create a nice even canvas for the tan to develop on, which also allows the tan to last longer! The prep that is involved within the 24-48 hours before the appointment can be the difference between a tan that turns out flawless or one that doesn’t develop correctly. It should be communicated that the spray tan appointment is the last in the line of beauty services. This means that if the client is planning on getting any other beauty services done, such as nails, facials, waxes, massages, they should schedule them at least 24-48 hours prior to their spray tan.

The Day-of

It’s common for clients to think that they should moisturize before heading into their spray tan appointment. In order to get a tan that develops fully in color and evenly, the client should show up to the appointment with skin that is free of all the things, including lotions, perfumes, makeup and deodorant. Anything that is present on the skin can cause a barrier between the skin and the spray tan solution, which means that the client may experience a tan that doesn’t last as long, doesn’t develop to its full depth of color or looks uneven and blotchy. All of these outcomes are what causes negative stigmas toward spray tanning!

As you can see, the results that take place from your client’s spray tan appointment is heavily dependent on the prep process! Although we can only advise clients of what they can do to help make their tan as flawless as possible, there are still a few steps we can take at the appointment to prep the skin before we start spraying: 

• Use pH Prep Spray to equalize the skin’s pH level before every tan. pH spray creates a clean canvas by removing any leftover dirt and debris that’s left on the skin from improper client prep, while also adding extra hydration for a longer lasting glow.
• Always apply barrier cream on areas of the skin that tend to be more dry, such as hands, feet, ankles, wrists and elbows to ensure the spray tan solution does not over saturate the area and pull orange (a client’s worst fear!).
• Have a five minute pre-tan consultation to ensure that the client’s skin is free of all makeup and deodorant. If the client does show up with makeup or deodorant on their skin, instruct them to use a baby wipe to remove all products before you start spraying.

Although prepping for a spray tan is a 50/50 process that relies on the commitment of the client, effectively communicating the prep process to your clients well in advance of their appointment will allow them to get the best results and trust you as the professional that knows what she’s talking about! Using automation to your benefit is the perfect way to make sure your clients never miss out on the important details of their prep process. You can check with your booking system to set up an automation that sends out instructions to the client once they book their appointment so that the transmission of their instructions is simple and streamlined.

As we always say, “knowledge is power!” At X-TAN Sunless we have taken all of the knowledge we’ve gained throughout the many years in the sunless industry and created products for professionals that will elevate their artistry and client experience.  If you’re ready to stock up your kit with the most premier sunless products visit our X-TAN Sunless Pro Shop for all professional and retail items available to artists.

Xoxo,

Kelly

Sunless tanning still has SO many stigmas, even in the year 2023 and on a daily basis, spray tan artists deal with this in their interactions with clients. In spite of this, the more educated we are during the tanning process and the ways in which we can mitigate issues in the development process, the better outcomes we can produce for our clients. Our goal should always be to achieve a flawless, even, natural-looking tan, right? Your clients seek a healthier alternative to tanning and, in return, hope to receive a natural-looking result when they come to you. As we all know, sometimes there are situations that disrupt the process of applying a natural sunless tan. These disruptions or mistakes may have caused you to receive a frenzied phone call or two once they’ve noticed streaks down their body after their spray tan. As we always say, “knowledge is power!” Understanding the reasons why these issues may happen in the first place is the first step to avoiding and even fixing the issue when and if it does happen. 

During The Rinse

When spray tanning, we typically use a sunless solution that has a cosmetic bronzer mixed in with it. Although there are clear solutions available on the market for artists to use, they’re not as common and are often seen as more difficult to use because they don’t provide a guide to the spray tan technician while they work. Essentially, this bronzer is used as a color guard for the artist and creates a type of “instant gratification” right after an appointment because the client is able to see an immediate color pay off. In this sense, the bronzer is just makeup applied to the skin and has a very minimal effect on the actual color of the spray tan. The one difficult part of creating a stellar spray tan result, is the fact that, as the artist, we have to rely heavily on the pre and post tan care that the client does. We always hope that the client follows their instructions perfectly, but this doesn’t always happen! During the post tan process, the client will be instructed to rinse their tan after a certain period of time (usually 8 hours) with just water. Although a rinse seems like a simple task, there is room for error with this one small instruction. If the client quickly hops in the shower to do their first rinse without thoroughly removing all of the cosmetic bronzer, they may see the appearance of streaks on their skin. Although this could result in you receiving a very concerned message from a client, it’s not something that is going to ruin the entire tanning process! If these streaks are seen on the skin after the rinse, the client can just hop right back in the shower and gently massage the rest of the bronzer off with their hands. To avoid this type of panic initially, it’s beneficial for you and the client to include in your post tan instructions that they should gently massage the bronzer off with their hands during the initial rinse.

During The Development

When a client is in the development phase of their spray tan, we usually just want them to chill out and marinate in peace. Since it takes 24 hours for a spray tan to fully develop, there’s room for mistakes to take place that could cause disruption in how the tan’s final result looks. During this time period, the client should try to stay away from doing any heavy sweating or coming in contact with water (aside from their initial rinse). For those gym babes, this can be a tough feat! However, even if they do follow this instruction, getting a spray tan during a hot summer day can cause perspiration to take place, disrupting the development. There’s also accidents that just happen in general, such as a client spilling water on their face when they’re taking a drink, dribbling a little pee on their leg (yes, this happens) when going to the bathroom, or getting caught in the rain after their appointment. In these circumstances, streaking may be an outcome of these unfortunate events. When water or sweat comes in contact with the skin before the tan is fully developed, especially in the early hours of development, the DHA that is interacting with the skin to create that gorgeous faux glow may be removed in the process. When water or sweat removes some of the solution, those areas will not develop fully and that’s where we see streaks or unevenness. This type of streaking is not as easy of a fix as bronzer being left on the skin after the first rinse, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a complete lost cause. If this type of streaking happens, as the spray tan artist, you can try to blend the area out with a small amount of solution on a brush or sponge. You can also recommend that the client use a self tanner to try to blend out the area at home. If these steps are taken to try to correct the streaking, it can look a little funky immediately after the fix, but once the tan is rinsed, it should blend out seamlessly.

Eliminating the stigma of streaky sunless tans is not something that is going to happen over night and will most likely continue to be a concern for most spray tan clients, especially if they are a first timer. But, you can help calm the fears of those uneasy clients through being educated and increasing your knowledge about your service and the process that occurs throughout the tan’s development. To vamp up your sunless education, you can enroll today in our Spray Tan Certification Courses! For more information, head over to our X-TAN Sunless website and click on the “Spray Tan Biz” tab!

Xoxo,

Kelly

As a spray tan artist, there’s tons of brands, products and options to choose from when you’re selecting the sunless solutions you want to offer in your kit. One thing we all have in common, however, is that no matter what solution we choose to use, we want it to give five star results and be reliable. In order to do that, we first need to be educated on the types of solutions that are available to us and how they actually work. Today I wanted to educate you on one specific solution option for your clients that allows you to not only diversify the tanning options you offer based on each client's specific lifestyle and needs, but also increase your profits from each client that chooses this option.

This type of sunless solution is typically referred to as an express or rapid tan. So what IS a rapid tanning solution? You can think of a rapid tan as a rapid rinse option. Now, I want you to focus on the words “rapid RINSE.” Clients and even spray tan artists that are new to the industry may get confused by the use of the word “rapid” because they think that it implies that the tan will develop sooner. However, that is unfortunately not the case. A rapid tanning option only means that the tan can be rinsed within a shorter time frame and gives the client control over what their depth of color will develop into. What this means is that instead of having to wait the full 8-12 hours to rinse like they would with a standard solution, the client will only have to wait around 1-4 hours (this can vary with the brand of solution) depending on how dark they want their tan to be. You may be thinking, “well how does the timing determine the color?” If the client leaves the solution on for 1-2 hours before their rinse, the tan will develop into a light depth of color, if they leave it on the full 4 hours, the results will be a dark tan. 

The next question that’s important for you to ask: How is this solution beneficial for me, my spray tan biz AND my clients?

Well girl, we all know that people are willing to pay for convenience! Everyone is leading majorly busy lives trying to juggle a million things at once, while still trying to fit in some time for self care. Luckily, your clients are already raving fans of yours because you’re a bronze boss that offers a high-end luxury experience during every appointment. Staying up on the technology offered in the sunless industry through tanning solutions and products allows your clients to experience an even higher level of service from you that is more convenient for their lifestyle and that will have them coming back to you time and time again. And that’s the ultimate goal, right?!

With that being said, I have outlined a few common scenarios that you will come across during your day as a Glow Boss and how offering a rapid solution option would be a game changer for your clients:

Your client is worried about getting her spray tan all over her beautiful white sheets...

No problem, rapid tan it is!

Your client has errands to do and kids to take care of and is worried about smudging her tan...

No worries, we have a rapid tan.

Your client has an early morning appointment and would have to go ALL day with that fresh pre-rinse look…

Let’s be honest, sis. Walking around all day with a fresh spray tan is not the most convenient or comfortable! But, it’s not an issue, because you have a rapid tan option!

Now that we have covered the bases on how this particular product can be a game changer for client experience in your business, let’s talk about how it benefits you and the way you make your money!

Being strategic with your service menu by offering add-on items/services and premium services with a higher price tag allows you to accumulate those extra dolla’ dolla’ bills onto each service, which can add up quickly and make a huge difference in your average sale ticket! That’s super exciting for you as a biz owner because offering an add-on service or upgrading a client’s tan to a rapid tan option can only take a few minutes of conversation in your pre-tan consultation where you explain how the rapid tan will most definitely benefit THEM!

Remember, you’re the expert. You know what’s going to be the best option for each client and the tan goals they’re trying to achieve! Now you may be thinking, “Okay Kelly, a rapid tan sounds amazing, but there’s so many options, which one should I choose?” This can be a difficult decision that may take some time, research and testing, especially if the solution brand you know and love doesn’t offer a rapid option already.

This is why I’ve become so passionate about providing sunless artists with high quality products that are made by professionals for professionals. As the creator of my own solution lines and with the many years I’ve worked as a spray tan artist, I wanted to make sure there was a line on the market that you could use for everything in your business. That’s how Obsidian Sunless Dark/Rapid and the Bronzite Rapid Sunless solution was brought to life! These rapid options will change your life as a sunless artist while up leveling your client experience and service menu. 

If you’re interested in upgrading your kit with premier rapid solutions, visit the X-TAN Sunless website right now! And for my personal instruction on how to become an Obsidian pro so that your clients get the best results, head over to Spray Tan Class on Youtube!

Spray Tan Class Youtube video

https://www.youtube.com/c/KellyCallaghan

Xo,

Kelly

While going through your journey as a sunless artist, you have to remember that knowledge is power! This means knowing and understanding how the ingredients in the sunless solutions you use in your business will interact with your client’s skin. One of the key ingredients in our sunless tanning products that is used to turn a client into a bronze goddess is Dihydroxyacetone. As a sunless artist who’s growing their empire, it’s important for you to know about this very special ingredient because it’s the backbone of the service that you offer! Being able to explain the science behind your sunless service not only helps to make your clients feel more comfortable with the entire process of getting a spray tan, but it also helps to build up your role as the expert in your field and the confidence your clients have in YOU as the service provider. Like we said earlier, knowledge is power. When you share knowledge with your clients, they’re able to form the opinion that you’re an educated artist who’s going to give them the best experience possible!

Now that you know what Dihydroxyacetone is, you may be wondering how it actually works. Well, let’s dive into that! Dihydroxyacetone, known as DHA, is an effective sun-free tanning additive that creates a natural looking tan-like appearance. This is where the science of sunless comes into the equation when providing a spray tanning service. DHA is a 3-carbon sugar that interacts with the amino acids on the outermost layer of the skin. The chemical reaction that takes place is what causes a darkening effect on the skin, forming that sun-kissed appearance we all crave! What an awesome process, right!? This reaction between your skin and DHA is the foundation for safe, healthy tanning. One of the reasons it’s crucial for you to understand the process that DHA goes through when interacting with the skin, is so you can customize the tanning experience for each of your clients during their appointment.

If you’re new to the sunless tanning world, correlating the DHA percentage with a client’s skin tone may be a little confusing. When shopping for sunless tanning solution, you’ll notice that each of the solutions are categorized by varying levels of DHA which is shown as the DHA percent. These percentages typically range from a 6% DHA, which creates a light tan, to a 12% for a darker bronze. These percentages are what you will base the customization of each spray tan on. During an appointment you will take into account the percentage of DHA and the client’s natural skin tone when determining the perfect depth of color. If the percentage of DHA is too high for a client that has a fair skin tone, Skin Type 1 for example, you are taking the risk of the tan pulling orange once it has fully developed. As we know, giving a client an “orange” tan is the number one outcome we DO NOT want to happen!

Spray tan appointments are a satisfying experience for a lot of reasons. One of the reasons is because of the instant gratification our clients feel when they look in the mirror and see that fresh bronze and crisp tan line. That feeling is like nothing else in the world! However, educating your client’s on the entire tanning process also allows them to understand that the instant color they see from their spray tan is only a color guard to help you, as the artist, see where you’re spraying. DHA itself is actually clear, which is why it takes a full 24 hours for the final color of the tan to develop. The information is crucial for the client to get the best results possible when keeping in mind their post tan instructions!

Our X-TAN sunless professionals love our tanning products and solutions because we promote the education behind sunless science, especially when it comes to using high quality items in their businesses. All of the ingredients we use to formulate our spray tan solutions are chosen with creating a premium sunless experience in mind. Below are a few fun facts behind the DHA included in X-TAN’s luxury tanning solutions:

• It is made from a 100% natural cosmetic ingredient 
• It is based on renewable plant sources 
• It is recommended for self-tanning creams, lotions sprays, sunscreen and after-sun care products

It’s extremely important to us that all of our tanning products are providing optimal tanning results and are made with top tier ingredients that benefit the health of the skin. Through the use of natural and organic ingredients, we’ve been able to create luxury sunless solutions and other sunless tanning products that are free of harsh chemicals, that hydrate the skin and create a long lasting natural looking sunless glow. 

If you are ready to step up your game and slay your client’s tans to a whole ‘nother level, girl we have just what you are looking for! Make sure to visit our PRO Shop on the X-TAN website for all of our solution options and wholesale items.

Xoxo,

Kelly

Did you know that retail is a major way that you can expand your business!? It’s not uncommon for clients to ask their service provider about the best products they should be using to care for their tan. I’m sure you get asked those types of questions all the time, right!? Well, if that’s the case, then it’s extremely beneficial for you to keep your clients purchasing products from you instead of sending them off to a different place for sunless safe sunscreen, body lotion, cleanser, etc. As a spray tan artist, one of your number one goals is to help your client’s tan stay looking flawless, which means pre-tan prep products and after care is crucial. Not only does having your own retail help bring in more money to your beauty biz, but it also helps improve your client’s trust in you as the expert and creates an overall better client experience for them. When they’re able to use all of the products you recommend, they’re going to be even more obsessed with their results!

If you’ve thought about offering retail products, but you haven’t quite taken the leap yet because you’re not really sure where to even start with getting the products you want, this information is for you! The good news is that you don’t have to formulate and manufacture your own products in order to offer retail to your clients. You can still offer retail that you love without having to go through the time and expense of creating your own products. In order to make this happen, you will find a company that offers their products at wholesale pricing. When you purchase something at wholesale, you are getting a larger quantity of goods at a lower price so that you can take those goods and resell them to make a profit for your business.

Let’s say you decide that due to the amount of requests and comments you get from clients about aftercare products, you want to offer a body cleanser as a retail product. When you find a supplier you want to go through that has the item you like, you will choose the quantity of the product you want and purchase it at the company’s wholesale price. Once you receive these products and start retailing them to your clients, you will price them at a higher retail price so that you can make a profit. For example, if you decide you want to make a wholesale order for 10 body cleansers and want to receive a 50% profit on the items, you will price them at double the amount you paid for them. 

You may have already realized that you want to be able to start retailing items as a wholesale vendor, but aren’t sure how to actually find the companies to purchase from. Well, don’t worry babe, because the good news is that you actually probably already know where to go. As a spray tan artist, I’m going to assume that you’re also obsessed with getting a sunless tan yourself, right!? This means that you’re currently using products that you love and that work best for you when you have a spray tan. To start the process of finding a wholesale supplier, make a list of the brands of the products you’re interested in offering to your clients. Generally, when you visit the websites of those brands, they have information about becoming a wholesale vendor. You may have to apply to be a wholesale partner and make an account on that company’s website. However, If you want to use a brand and don’t see the option for wholesale directly on the company’s website, don’t be afraid to reach out to the company to ask if there’s an opportunity to become a wholesale vendor for their products. 

The downside of wholesale is that some of the products you choose to offer may not be exclusive to your business. Popular brands may be offered in larger stores like Ulta, therefore if a client runs out and is in a rut, they may just choose to go to that store because it’s more convenient. If you want to ensure that your clients can’t purchase the retail products you offer anywhere except from your business, you can choose to order from certain companies that only provide wholesale options. One of the things we are most proud of when it comes to X-TAN is the ability to be a one-stop-shop for premium sunless products that has positioned itself as the place for business owners to provide retail products at wholesale that are made by professionals for professionals. Since we do this, we are able to offer an opportunity for beauty biz owners to create exclusivity in their retail offerings.

When looking for the right spray tan wholesale product supplier, it’s important to keep in mind the quality of products that you’re hoping to carry in your business, the profit margin you want to make when reselling the products and the budget you want to put toward this expense. When pricing your new retail items, having a profit margin of 50% is a good rule of thumb to keep in mind. Like we stated earlier, this means that if you buy an item for $10, you’d resell the item for $20. Typically, the wholesale supplier you purchase from will have a suggested retail price that they recommend to their retailers. However, if they don’t have that recommendation and you aren’t sure the best way to price your retail products, doing some research can be a helpful strategy to put into place. Researching other retailers who offer similar products to gauge what their pricing looks like will allow you to get an idea of how you should determine your pricing. 

If you haven’t started your retail journey through your business yet, hopefully this will give you the push you need to navigate wholesale suppliers. You deserve to have the business you dream of and offering retail is a stepping stone to making that dream a reality! To explore all of the premium sunless retail items and the wholesale options available, head to the PRO Shop on our X-TAN website! 

Xoxo,

Kelly