Get Your Tan On!

Ahh, the beginning of January. Cold weather, no money, and dreams of tropical destinations to escape to.

Well we can’t help you with the weather, money or holidays, but we can offer you some fab advice on giving yourself some much-needed colour and a pick me up to start your 2020. We asked our girl in the know, Chantal at Scratch Nail and Beauty Salon on how to achieve a winter glow to help ease those January blues...

At Scratch, we offer some of the best tanning treatments on the market, all aimed at giving you that ultimate summer glow. Whether you are coming into the salon for a professional spray tan, or you’re attempting to tan yourself at home, make sure you follow these top tips:

Remove hair and exfoliate

Make sure you are silky smooth the night before you carry out your tan. For a great tanning result, you want to achieve as smooth a canvas as possible, so exfoliation is important. This will also help you to remove any old tan that may still be lingering. When it comes to waxing and shaving, do this at least 24 hours before you tan. Clean skin is also important – and we mean clean! Deodorants, perfumes and lotions can react with tanning chemicals, causing discoloration.

Moisturise

Dry areas of skin must be fully moisturised – unless you want to have areas darker than others! When moisturising, focus on the elbows, knees, knuckles, between the fingers, inner wrists, ankles and toes. A tanning primer can also be used on these areas to help stop the tan from catching.

Use a mitt

If tanning at home, use a mitt. These not only protect your hands from turning bright orange, but they also help to spread the tan evenly into the skin. Use a light amount of tan on the mitt at a time. This way you lightly buffer the tan onto your skin without the risk of going too dark!

Use a mirror

Using a mirror is a great way to make sure that you don’t miss any spots when tanning. Take your time and work upwards, twirling to make sure you’re even. This clearly does not apply when having a professional treatment, as we are highly trained to evenly spray the tan and can easily deal with any tricky spots.

Tanning the face

When tanning your face – less is always more! Make sure the products you are using are also suitable for facial tanning, as they can be a bit too harsh on sensitive skins. If you’re not tanning this area, then it is a good idea to change your foundation shade to match the rest of your body.

Wear loose clothing

Wear loose black clothing whilst your tan dries at home (for home tanning), and for your appointment if coming into the salon. Anything that rubs the skin is a no, no – this includes jewellery and accessories! Also, tie your hair out of the way of your body and face.

Moisturise again

To maintain your glow and ensure an even fade, then you must moisturise daily. Hydrated skin helps the tan last and look good.

Gradual tan

After a couple of days, use a gradual tan to help top up the colour. This will keep you going until you are ready to head back to the salon or when grabbing your mitt at home.

At Scratch, we offer spray tanning in two shades. You can decide the colour on the day and the treatment only takes around 15 minutes. Plus, we allow you to take your time drying off.

After your treatment, leave the tan on for 6-8 hours or sleep in it overnight; then rinse off and apply moisturiser. Our treatments lasts 3-5 days before gently starting to wear away. You can't beat a quick spray tan, especially in January. So, beat those cold dull days and get glowing at Scratch!