Prepping for your sunless tan or at-home self tan is one of the most important factors in #bomb results! First timer? Or just tan obsessed? We’ve put together all of our favorite tips and tricks behind faux tanning. Whether you’re planning to start self-tanning at home with our Aura Hydrating Self Tanning Mousse or you’re coming in to our studio location for a professional sunless spray tan… it’s time to prep!

Start with a Clean Canvas.

Think about it, if your skin is dry and flakey, so won’t your self tan results… because the solutions will cling to those areas and cause uneven patches. This is why you want to be sure you completely exfoliate your skin and remove build up of excess dead skin cells so that the tanning ingredients have a fresh, clean canvas to work it’s magic on! For a relative timeframe- we suggest that all shaving + waxing is to be done at least 24 hours before your appointment, and exfoliating to be done at least 12 hours before. Our favorite way to exfoliate is with our Aura Exfoliating + Tan Removal Mitt… just add water and polish away. It’s that easy!

No Barrier, Please!

Now that you’ve given your skin a clean slate… let’s keep it that way. When you’ve finished exfoliating, waxing + shaving before your tan, be sure to keep that skin fresh! No heavy body butters, lotions, makeup, deodorant, perfumes, body sprays… and definitely no body oils! We want to keep your skin as pristine as possible to ensure the ingredients in the tanning products can penetrate your skin to the best of their ability for optimal, streak-free results.

Plan to Chill.

You know what else comes with self-tanning, other than being tan with no UV damage and a confidence level like Beyonce? A reason to be lazy. Yup! Any reason to not leave the couch… sign me up. Lay out your favorite old t shirt + baggy sweats, add a new series to your Watch List on Netflix, and plan to CHILL after your tan session. This means no intense work outs, steam rooms, saunas, or anything that involves your body producing sweat + excess oils. Most spray tan solutions need a full 6-8 hours to develop… so chill out and kick your feet up for a bit, babe.

Adding a self-tanning routine into your self-care ritual is a great way to consciously take care of your body… while also allowing you to feel good doing it; because we all feel better when we’re tan!