Is Everyone Getting a Spray Tan Without Me?

I used to be scared everyone was hanging out without me, but now that I have all my besties on Find My Friends that fear has dissipated. The real issue these days is that they all show up to our group hangs absolutely glowing. I'm now nervous I've been missing out on another important conversation.

I think everyone is getting spray tans without me!!! And I really don't want to be left out.

The Spray Tan Situation

I've had a spray tan once, and can safely say that the next eight or so days were some of the most gorgeous of my life. But I think people are getting them, like, all the time? They're at least thinking about it.

Gone are the days where spray tans were reserved for weddings/proms/general red carpet events. Now, a Tuesday night spray tan is a regular item on the girlies' calendar. Many even have a membership to their favorite salon.

"Spray tanning is not just for celebrities and it's come a long way since it first became popular in the early 2000s," Krin Madsen, Chief Brand Officer at The Glow Lounge, tells Byrdie. "It's not like the episode of Friends where Ross gets a spray tan in a booth. The results can actually look natural and the tan doesn't have to be freezing cold and goosebump inducing." (The Glow Lounge is even heated).

The Spray Tan Sign-Offs

During her appearance on Jake Shane's Therapuss podcast earlier this year, Kylie Jenner made a comment about spray tans that I've been thinking about ever since.

"Sometimes I think I'm depressed, and then I get a spray tan and I'm like, I was just pale," she noted, with Shane chiming in to call the beauty treatment "God's gift to this green earth." Another of my friends swears there's "nothing like a Sugared + Bronzed to heal the soul." That's a direct quote.

Alix Earle has also sang the treatment's praises. "I just like look better with a spray tan," she once said while GRWM-ing. "It's insane, it's shape-shifting."

Kylie, Alix, my friend Kennedy... that's everyone whose beauty opinion matters! I'm only half kidding.

The Magic of a Spray Tan

Shelby Joy, founder of Lure Lueur Spray Tanning, trained with the spray tanning greats (hi, Isabel Alysa) and knows the magic of spray tanning well.

"A spray enhances your natural, already beautiful skin. It gives it some life," she says. "I don't even like to use the word color. I like to use the word life. After a spray tan you're like, 'Oh my gosh I look so beautiful.' That's instant confidence. It just really puts color back in your face."

Another big benefit of a spray tan: You can wear anything in your closet after rinsing, color seasons be damned. (Not that you can't do that all the time... but being washed out is a real thing.)

"I'm fair skinned and I don't tan very well, so I can't wear white. I can't wear creams. I can't wear yellows," Joy adds. "When I have a spray tan, I open up my closet and I'm like 'I can wear anything I want today and I can be anything I want to be because I'm confident in my own skin.' And that's without makeup, without my hair done."

Better Indoor Tanning

Though there haven't been any specific studies on the psychological impact of spray tanning, there have been studies on traditional indoor tanning. Some of the main reasons people do it: It makes them feel more attractive, more confident, and more accepted by society. Obviously, the main reason you shouldn't do it is a big one: skin cancer. But that's not a worry when you go in for the spray. (Just be sure to wear sunscreen after.)

Madsen says the best reason to spray tan is that you can look hot in your '60s.

"Just kidding. But seriously, regardless of skin tone, body size, age or anything else you deserve to feel beautiful in your skin and you shouldn't have to compromise your health or safety to feel confident," she adds. "Our goal is for our clients to look good, feel amazing, and minimize the risk of long term damage, age spots, wrinkles, and potential skin cancers that come from prolonged UV exposure."

Instead of changing your skin tone with harmful UV rays, spray tans make use of a biochemical process called the Maillard reaction. Your tanning solution contains a sugar compound called DHA that interacts with the amino acids in dead skin cells to turn your complexion a bronze-y shade. DHA is FDA-approved for use on the skin, and even the Skin Cancer Foundation says you should spray instead of bake.

What to Know Before You Join the Club

If you're sick of being left out of the spray tan conversation, the experts have some great tips for you. Also, while it's fair to be nervous for your first treatment, there's really no reason to be. These artists have seen it all and know exactly how to guide you to a gorgeous glow.

"A quality spray tan artist or salon will offer color customization, guide you through the tanning process, and recommend spray tan-friendly skincare like Gingerly Skincare to ensure your tan is flawless from start to finish," Madsen says. "Preparation is key to long lasting results, so make sure to exfoliate and shave the night before your appointment, and avoid mineral oil, petroleum, petrolatum, sulfates, oil/sugar scrubs, and heavy lotions before and after your tan. It's a trust the process situation, but there's nothing like waking up the next day with a fresh tan!"

Joy emphasizes that it's extremely acceptable to be nervous. You're getting naked in front of a complete stranger, after all. If you want to chat a little beforehand, your artist of choice will likely be open to a phone consult. Then, once they're spraying, you'll be chatting away so much you'll forget about the nude part.

Finding the Right Tone

As far as finding your tone, the artist will be the expert. If you're too fair, an olive base can make you orange. Someone with rosacea might do well with a little bit of violet! But that's not something for you to worry about. You handle the prep, they'll handle the rest.

"If your artist does not talk about undertones, leave. Get out. Run," Joy says. "My whole goal is to pick a solution for the person that looks like their skin, I'm not making them somebody else. There's a lot of science that goes into the solution, so make sure the [tanner] is actually asking about the undertones versus [just] light/medium/dark, because that's never the goal."

Related Stories

Perhaps It’s Time to Bring Back Gatekeeping

Summer May Be Over, But Your Tan Doesn’t Have to Be—See Our 13 Favorite Self-Tanners

Finding the Right Artist

So, not only is everyone spray tanning without me. They're also hanging out with really cool people, apparently? If you find the right artist, your time in the booth/tent/special tanning room can be fun.

A good personality isn't everything, though. Your artist should definitely be certified. And they should've been certified in person. "There are thousands of spray tan certifications where you can go on YouTube and you can do a whole course for like $30 and be certified. You want to go to someone that has had face-to-face, physical training," explains Joy.

It's also not a bad idea to shoot them a DM and ask how many solutions they carry. The more, the better. And again, make sure you like their energy! Do you think Kylie spray tans with an artist she doesn't adore? No.

But also, what do I know? I apparently didn't know everyone was hitting the salon/mobile spray tent every week, though those glows had to come from somewhere.

Never again! I will be exfoliating today and getting a spray tan tomorrow. Let the compliments flow, like a bespoke solution from a great artist's spray gun.