If you want a spray tan for yourself or your friends, we can help. It doesn’t matter how many or how often. We have the right solution for you.
The Sunless Spray Tan Process in a Nutshell
- Spray tanning solution on the client’s body.
- The DHA in the solution reacts with the proteins in the skin cells.
- The client waits 4-6 hours before showering so the tan will last longer.
Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Begin
- Who sprays the tan?
- Where is the tan sprayed?
- What equipment do you need?
- Why spray someone
Who sprays the tan?
- People use spray tans. A friend or spouse usually does the spraying, which results in a less expensive tan.
- You or your employee can spray the customer with a machine. A well-trained technician using an airbrush can give you a high quality tan that meets your specific needs.
- The machine sprays the client with a substance that will cause them to tan quickly and more evenly.
Where is the tan sprayed?
- Home is usually the cheapest place to get a tan.
- Tanning salons usually offer a lot of different options and they are fast.
- Day spas offer the best experience because they provide a variety of services all in one place.
- Dermatologists have skill in hiding skin problems.
- Mobile services are convenient because they let you do things online without having to go to a physical location.
What equipment do you need?
You should look at different pieces of equipment depending on who you are and where you are. The equipment is competing for your attention, so it’s important to know what you’re looking for before you start looking. When you’re starting out, it can be hard to know what you need, but there are some basics that everyone should look for.
Don’t panic.
- Spray Tan Machine – It is not difficult to find the right gun for your needs.
- Mix and Match – I like to call it the Do It Yourself path:Mixing and matching your equipment will be more work, but it will be worth it in the end.
- Spray Tanning Kits – Kits are like coveralls. They have many of the choices already made for you, but you will still need to know the basics to choose the right one.
Why spray someone?
There are different types of spray on tans. You need to know what you want before you can choose the right way to deliver it.
The project triangle can help you make this decision.

You can only choose up to two options. This means that you can either give us your feedback about the product or tell us how we could improve our service.
- You can get a good, fast airbrush tan that will be expensive.
- You can get a cheap, fast spray on tan that won’t be very good.
- You can get a cheap, quality spray tan that takes time.
Think about what you want. Different people want different things. It’s okay to focus on one thing, like cheapness, or quality, or speed. But know what your focus is so you can do it well.
I always choose quality for my projects, articles, and endeavors. They might be slow, really expensive, or in-between, but they will always be the best I can write.
How to do airbrush tanning
Now is the time to get your equipment and find a place to spray. Here is how you airbrush someone.
- Point the airbrush at the person.
- Spray the person with the solution until they are completely covered.
- Clean the airbrush after you’re done.
But it’s not quite that easy. There are a few more steps between getting a tan and getting a great tan. With knowledge and practice, you can get a great tan!
Doing It
Spraying a tan with an airbrush is easy to do. You don’t need to use the airbrush’s full capability. But it can be difficult to make the tan look natural. You’ll have to practice a lot to make the tan look good.
Get Suited Up…or Down
If you are tanning someone, you will want to be fully clothed. It is best if you wear a washable smock. You will also need your dust mask. Remember to wear your dust mask, unless you have amazing ventilation!
If you are getting a tan, it is time to take off your clothes and put on the hair cover. The more clothing you have on, the darker your tan lines will be. If you have not already exfoliated, now is the time to do so.
Ventilation On
When you’re tanning, make sure the air is moving. But don’t blow it on the person. You want to blow it away from them and pull the fumes out. If there’s a lot of fumes, turn down the air pressure and increase how much air is going through the room.
Compressor On
It’s always best to put your compressor in a different room. Tanning solution can damage the compressor, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. I’ve seen a lot in my day, so I know what I’m talking about.
You will want to make sure the pressure is between 15 and 25 while the airbrush is spraying. You are always trying to spray people with the lowest pressure possible while avoiding clogging problems and grainy spray.
- Higher pressure = finer spray = more fumes to inhale
- Lower pressure = coarser spray = fewer fumes to inhale
Pre-Rinse Check, All System Go!
I’m the terrified repair tech that used to work with your problems over the phone while a nude person in the next room handled them. In fact, it’s preferable to complete this step before anyone enters the area. Right? Before you use something for real, make sure it works properly. You’re ensuring that everything is in working order before you try using it.
Fill a Bottle with Solution
Larger people and darker tans will require more solution than lighter tans on smaller individuals. 2oz is a reasonable approximation until you have more expertise. There may be additional steps depending on the brand of solution used. Some manufacturers ask you to combine it on the spot or add the bronzer in, for example. Follow their directions for any additions or mixing instructions if they exist.
Spray the Client
- Hold the airbrush roughly 8-12 inches away
- Spray in overlapping lines or circles.
Whichever you choose, stick to that method for the entire tan.
- Spray as dry as you can
The goal with airbrush spray is to achieve a dry, non-glistening finish. The moment it hits the person, it may be slightly glisteny, but that should dissipate quickly. They should also be dry to the touch. If you avoid overspraying and apply just enough for coverage, you won’t have to worry about runs ruining the new look!
- If an area starts to glisten, stop spraying the solution and just spray air. This will help the area dry off more quickly.
- Don’t spray your compressor
You may be wondering how to airbrush tan. Fortunately, there are many helpful demonstration videos available online that can show you the ropes. Many of these use a big spray gun to move faster and achieve a more even coverage.
Rinse your airbrush immediately after you’re done spraying
If you don’t want to deep clean your airbrush regularly, make sure to rinse it out after every use! Tanning solution is sticky and gunky, and it clogs airbrushes without hesitation. If you develop this habit, you probably won’t have to worry about deep cleaning your airbrush more than once every year or two.
Finishing Up!!
After the solution has been applied, theclient needs to dry off and wear loose clothing. For the recommended amount of time (usually 6-8 hours), they should avoid taking showers or engaging in strenuous activity.
Airbrush Tanning For Beginners – Video Guide
This guide is a basic introduction to spray tanning. I found a brief training video that shows excellent spray tanning technique.
Notice these things as you watch.
- The Method – There is a set way to teach spray tanning to beginners. Once you learn the method, it becomes easier to do it the same way each time. You can change the details depending on the person’s situation, but the basic method stays the same.
- The Efficiency – The technician sprays the areas that the client cannot see.
- The Ergonomics – The technician only needs to move a little bit to do the task.
- The Speed – Method + Efficient + Ergonomic + a Big Honkin Spray Gun = Speedy Spray Tans. The increased speed allows for more clients.
- The Tent – The over spay goes into the tent. This means the technician doesn’t need to wear safety equipment.The tent is probably washable.Tents are collapsible, which makes them perfect for mobile operations.
You have successfully created a fake tan! It is not difficult, but with some practice you will be able to create different levels of darkness and make the tan look more natural. You can use this skill to achieve the look you want after all!
How can you get trained?
Delivering a quality spray on tan requires both knowledge and experience.
There are three things that you need to know in order to have a good experience when you’re getting sprayed:
- the customer should be educated about what is going on,
- the technician doing the spraying also needs to be educated, and
- customer service is very important.
People like to do business with people they like, so it’s important to be friendly and helpful. Finally, I’m not an expert on business, but I will say that it’s important to make sure you’re covering all your bases.
What safety issues exist?
Most experts say that spray on tans are safe. I choose to be safe and avoid anything that could be harmful.
Don’t breathe the sprayed solution
Avoid certain areas of the body
- Eyes
- Mucus Membranes
- Lips
- Nasal Passages
- Mouth
- Throat
- Lungs
- For the ladies your, umm, very naughty bits…
What problems, aka troubleshooting, will you run into?
Every service or product has its own problems. These can be in three big areas:
- Client Screw Ups
- Equipment Malfunctions
- Technician Screw Ups
That’s it.
I hope you learned something from this guide to airbrush tanning. I hope you now know what airbrush tanning is and how it works. You should also be familiar with the different types of airbrush tans and the benefits they offer.