Perfecting The Art Of Spray Tanning

Many of us have ran into new issues while we are spray tanning a client, we ask ourselves "Why did this happen" or "How did that happen?" Well here are the answers you all have asked.

First things first.

* Let's Educate!

 Clients who have never had a spray tan are going to ask "How does the spray tanning work?" 
 When you get a client needing a spray tan, you should always educate them on how the process works and how the tan develops. The next thing to do is educate them on is Pre-Tan Prep, exfoliating, when to shave, and what not to wear before their tanning session. and ofcourse educate them on the Post-tan care.

* Equipment Settings on Your Machine & Gun

Your setting on your spray tan gun determine on how light or dark or how much solution you are spraying on your client. For instance, if you have your setting on your gun down, the spray on your client is going to be like a micro fine mist giving your client a light tan regardless of the dha. If you turn up the setting on your gun, then the spray is going to be heavier giving your client a darker tan. Many spray tan technicians have tried solutions that are suppose to deliver a dark spray tan but the tans end up being on the light side. When this happens, it's usually the the setting on the gun that is turned down.

* DHA & Skin Tones (Very Important to Know)

There are different levels of dha in the sunless industry, it starts with a 5% dha and goes up to a 16% dha. The 5% is the lightest and is for clients who have very light/pale skin tones (Think Anne Hathaway). It can also be for those who have very dark skin but just want a glow or bronze look. (Think Serena Williams) The higher dha percentage you use, the darker the tan will be on a client, an 8% dha is a medium and can be used on fair to medium skin tone clients (Think Heidi Klum) A 10% and 11% dha is for those with a medium to darker skin tone clients. (Think Chrissy Teigen and Beyonce) Choosing the right dha percentage for your client is just like choosing a makeup foundation, you want to match the skin tone because if you have a client with very fair/pale skin and you use an 10% dha on them, the color will look okay but the fading of the tan will not.

* Finger & Toe Nails & Cuticles, Protect Em!

When prepping your client before you tan them, always apply barrier cream on their finger & toe nails and on their cuticles. This prevents those areas from staining. Also apply on top of their hands, on top of their feet, the sides of their feet, and on the back of their heel. Many technicians do not apply barrier cream and their answer for this is: "I never apply barrier cream on my clients and their tans always turn out great." Well guess what? There is going to be that time where those areas are not going to turn out right. Remember, everybody's skin is different. 

* Age Spots & Dry Patches (Barrier Cream Time)

These are age spots caused by the sun.

Age Spots are due from sun damage. Some clients have a few (like 6) on their arms and some clients have many on their arms or legs. When spray tanning them, it makes them appear darker. So what does a spray tan tech do in this case? They apply a minimal amount of barrier cream on those areas. Apply the barrier cream on each  individual age spot if there are a few (like 6-10), if there are many age spots close together and on the arms or legs (for example) then apply all over the whole area. Let's talk dry patches. As mentioned, everyone's skin is different and some have dry patches here and there. A lot of times, clients have very dry and perhaps a little flaky skin on their legs. This can happen even if they exfoliate properly.  It is okay to put a minimal amount of barrier cream on those areas but only if their skin is very dry and somewhat still flaky.

* Arms Positions

We often get clients who inform us that the last company they tanned with left them with streaks on top of their shoulders. There is a clear explanation for this. The only time you tan clients with their arms in the air is when they are in the first posing position which is facing you. After you are done tanning your clients front side, you then inform them to turn to their side. Their arm should be extended in front of them, not straight up in the air. Many spray tan techs make this mistake causing streaks on top of the shoulder area.

 

* Spraying Hands, Feet, Face

Many spray tan techs tend to spray directly on the feet and hands. We don't because when you are spraying the arms, the over spray if any will fall on top of the hands giving them the right amount of color. Same thing with feet, we don't spray feet directly because when spraying legs, the over spray if any will fall giving them the right amount of color. As mentioned above, we apply barrier cream on top of clients hands, on top of their feet, the sides of their feet, and on the back of their heel to prevent those areas from absorbing a lot of solution and becoming dark. Spraying your clients face. That's the first area we spray, ofcourse asking the client if they want their face tanned. If they say yes, then we politely ask them to close their eyes and take a deep breath and start spraying. We spray once going vertical on the right side, the center, and the left side of their face. At the very end when we are done tanning our client, we ask them if they'd like their face sprayed one more time. The reason why we ask at the end is so they can look in the mirror and see the current color on their face. If they say yes, then we spray them one more time and if they say no, then we don't spray their
face.

* Spraying Under Breast & Underarms

 When tanning your client with the first pose (facing you with arms in the air) determine if your client needs to lift up their breast in order for you to spray underneath them. When spraying underneath the breast, spray lighting then dry thoroughly. After you spray under the breast area, it is best to apply powder (Tan in the Raw or Corn Starch) to prevent the tan from rubbing off. Also the powder works great for the areas that tend to perspire such as underarms, back of knees, inner thighs.

 

* Wrinkles, Creases (Bend & Stretch)

Spraying a client who has wrinkles or creases is easy, it's all about stretching and bending. If your client has wrinkles on the elbow, then you ask them to slightly bend them. This will stretch the skin giving the area an even coverage. The same thing with knees, if your client has creases on their knees, have them bend a little.  

* Stretch Marks

There are different types of stretch marks, you have light ones and you have dark ones. With the light ones, you can spray the area like normal. With dark ones, apply a minimal amount of barrier cream on them and then spray the area. The barrier cream will prevent the dark stretch marks from getting darker.

 

 

* Larger Body Types (Lean & Bend)

When spraying larger body types, it's all about working with the body. Stretching to the side to get certain creases, bending to get other creases. If your client has creases on the their side, have them lean to their side with arm down, this will stretch the skin allowing the area to have an even spray coverage. If your client has creases on their back, have them lean over a bit to stretch the skin.

 

 

Blending Mistakes (Tools to Use & How)

Sometimes mistakes are made and we need to fix them quickly. Never use the grey sponge on the stick. This will leave streaks on your client. Instead, use the woven mini paint roller (can buy at Home Depot). This is great for blending any mistakes that may happen. 
 

 

 

* Drying Your Client (Make Sure They Are Dry Completely)

Your client never wants to feel wet or tacky after a spray tan so it is best to dry them thoroughly. We dry our clients while we are spraying them. We will spray one area of their body then dry it some, then work on to the next area and do the same thing. When we are all done spraying the client, we dry the entire body then ask our client how does their body feel? Wet or sticky? If they say they feel wet on certain areas, then we will dry that area some more, if they say their body feels dry, then the spraying process is done. It is very important to dry your client completely so that way, when they leave your salon, marks can be avoided such as getting a seat belt mark. 

* After Tanning Your Client (Clean Up Areas)

After tanning the client, we use a piece of damp sponge to clean up any areas that may seem to have a little more solution on the area when it shouldn't. This is usually the inside of the wrists and below the ankle and back of heel. If there is an area like those that have a little more solution than it should, gently pat that area to blend it in. If your client by any change had the inside of their arms touching their side (skin on skin contact) and you notice a brown blotch, get your sponge and gently buff that area to blend it in. It will look like the brown blotch never happened.

 

 

* Go The Extra Mile & Make Your Client Feel Like VIP.

We like to go the extra mile on every client to show them that we care and appreciate them so we'll do a free mini contour on our clients and they absolutely love it. We also love giving out free gifts that clients can use. In the winter time we give them a gift bag filled with a mini chap stick, a small tan extender lotion bottle, and our business card. In the summer time, the gift bag is filled with a mini chap stick, an SPF lotion packet, and our business card. So when you get clients, go that extra mile and show them you care, they will keep coming back.

 

 

Branding Your Business

What does branding your business means? It means the establishment of your company, letting people know who you are and at the same time keeping your target audience aware of your happenings. 

Your website, logos, slogans, retail products are all part of your branding of your company. Believe it or not, branding is the most important thing to do in order to promote your business because it gets your name out there to the public and sooner than you know, people start recognizing your company when they see your logo, slogan, name, or product.

There are many things you can do to brand your company. 

1. Make Your Presence Known

You won't grow your brand unless you make your presence known. Network with others, make yourself known on social media platforms. If you haven't done that before, introduce yourself and talk about your brand or product without selling anything because people want to know about you first. Keep in mind that one likes a pushy car sales person. 


2. Create Your Own Business Ads And Not Someone Else's

Have you ever noticed that when you see spray tan ads, they look familiar like you've seen them before? About many other spray tan businesses have the same exact ad which gets old real quick. If you want to catch your audiences attention with your ads, one must make them stand out; be original & creative and make your own. To name a few good websites, Word Swag, Pic Lab, and Canva are some good ones. They allow you to add your own text as well as your own background on the photo you are using. Doing this will make your ads stand out and better yet, make them yours and not someone else's. 

 

3. Your Success  

Many of us want to be successful in our business and some companies will even shop you by calling you and asking all these questions about your business....what product you use, what equipment you use, etc. Since we train others to start their own business in spray tanning, our job is to help others succeed just like us. Spray tanning is a multi-million dollar industry and one can make 6 figures if done right, that means proper training, good customer service skills, spray tan technique,  having the right product, and the right marketing skills. With that, you will have repeat clients which they will tell their friends and family about your company and your business will grow.


Happy Branding Loves!

How To Promote Your Spray Tan Services

Owning your own spray tan business in many ways is fun, exciting and rewarding but yet it can be hard and frustrating during the slow season. The slow season is usually early January til beginning March. So what can one do during that short amount of time? Find ways to promote your spray tanning services. 

Promoting is key to gaining clientele but doing it the right way, you don't want to come off as the pushy sales person. Be creative and come up with some cool discounts to offer your clients. Who doesn't like to save a few bucks? Going to events such as trunk shows, fashion shows, trade shows, even beach events are a great way to promote your spray tanning services. Even leaving business cards at hair salons and nail salons are a great way to promote. Have fliers with what you are offering your potential clients. When making fliers, create them so it catches your clients attention, make them fun but yet professional. Offer your new client a discount off their first spray tan.

Another way to promote is to pass out a free mini tan extender lotion bottle with your business card at events. People love free stuff.  

It's okay to give away free spray tans. If you break it down to unit cost, a spray tan costs you about $3 and 15 - 20 mins of your time. To offer a free spray tan, you need to go after your target audience which are people who would spray tan and those who can refer new clients to you. I keep track of who refers new clients to me by writing it down in a book. I do "refer 3 clients and get a free tan." It's a win win situation for you because you are getting new clients and for your client, they get a free spray tan. 



 

Body Contouring.....It's A Road Map!

So you have learned how to spray tan but what else is next? 

Body contouring is growing in the tanning industry. The thing with that is, many think they can do it by watching videos and how to's but when it comes down to it, it is a different story. Body contouring is an art just like spray tanning, you either have it or you don't. Being an artist for over 20 years, body contouring came natural to me. It has also helped my business in a big way and has set me apart from my competitors in the industry. It is not just bodybuilders want contouring done but everyone else such as models, celebrities, people who go on vacays and more who want to look toned. They want that instant gratification a spray tan can do and with body contouring it is all possible. It takes me about 30 to 45 minutes to contour a whole body being very detailed. Yes, I love to make the muscles pop. I always start from the top (face) and work on down and end with the calves. 

Body contouring takes practice and there is nothing like hands on training for that and not to mention patience but once you have it down it's easy breezy.

1.) Me personally can work with any type of machine to contour but a gravity feed, dual action airbrush gun works great. Iwata Power Jet Pro and Dual Action gun (which I have) are top of the line and if you are in California, you can get those at Coast Airbrush in Anaheim. This type of gun is different than your HVLP spray tan gun.

2.)  By studying female and male anatomy, you’ll start recognizing the correct placement of muscle groups, allowing you to extend and sharpen a craft that’s unique to your individual artistry and talents. Whether the look being sought after is that of a slender high fashion model, or a dramatically defined fitness competitor, you’ll be able to pull out these looks and increase & soften the look, all utilizing just your airbrush tanning equipment. After all, we all have  muscles, they just might be covered up by a little body fat. Here's where you will be able to help bring em out from hiding! 

To enhance a muscle, your client may have to turn a certain way to enhance that muscle so you can contour it. I highly recommend taking a hands-on body contouring class.

3.) The art of contouring is just that, an art. The muscular body is like a road map to guide you showing you all the muscle groups, study it. Not everyone who wants contouring has noticeable muscles and that's okay. With certain movements from your client, the muscles will then show themselves and will guide you to where to contour. Practicing on different types of clients (muscular and non-muscular) is very important after all, we all have different body types.
  
Once you have learned how to body contour and have practiced, you'll be the one that sets you apart from your competitors. To learn more on body contouring, we do offer the class on our website. 

The Spray Tan Is A Competitive World!

The spray tan industry is a very competitive world and hard to stand out from the rest because there are so many companies out there and spray tanning is not regulated but what can set you a part from the rest????

For those who have been trained and know what it takes to be a bad ass at what they do, what steps do you need to take to guarantee success? Marketing is the key to keep you going and good marketing at that. Our marketing background has made us very successful in the spray tanning world. 1.) Your clients........
Having a good working relationship with your client makes them feel comfortable when tanning with you. You should not limit yourself on who you want to cater to because when you do that, you fail. After all, almost everyone wants to have an awesome tan therefore, the audience is big in the industry.

2.) Who is your competition?.........
Your competition are those who are active in the spray tan industry. Believe it or not, your competition will spy on you seeing what you charge for tans, how your techniques is and even go to your house, go through your trash can and see what brand of empty tanning solution bottles you throw away. (speaking from experience) Be on top of your A game by being creative with your marketing and being reasonable with your prices. No one likes sky high prices. Your work, product, prices, and thoroughness will set you a part from others and will keep your clients coming back to you. Forget who your competition is and focus on YOU & YOUR BUSINESS and be positive.

3.) Business Marketing.........
Marketing your business is the key to getting your clients to come to you. Without marketing, you will not be successful in your business. To gain new clientele, you need to know how to market yourself. Advertising, giving discounts, even free tans will attract new clients. Having a website is huge because potential clients want to see who you are, your work and credentials.

4.) Your Product......
Having a good product is what keeps clients coming back to you. Stick to a few (at least 2) great brands of product. Believe it or not, clients can tell if your product has changed and if they don't like it they will stop coming to you.

5) Education.......
Many spray tanners think they know it all..............WRONG! Unless you've been trained the right way, you don't know everything. I find that many spray tanners go to You Tube or online videos to learn spray tanning. They are not certified either. Those who have been trained know that there is always room for improvement and learning more. We at Paradise Airbrush Tanning are always educating ourselves on everything in the spray tanning world.

If you need further support in the spray tanning world, that's what we are here for.....to educate you and help you succeed. Join our Facebook Group: The Bronzing Girls - Everything Spray Tanning, Training, Advice

Are You Spying On Your Competition?

If you’re not spying on your competitors’ spray tanning business, chances are that they’re spying on your business!

Have you ever had a client tell you what the company they've used before is doing? If so, I have one simple thought about that, why would competitors do that? Personally, I'm not one for spying on other companies because I have way too much to do. When I am tanning clients though, many have talked about the past companies they've used, from customer service to what they wear, to product and equiment they use. No need to spy on your competitors if clients tell you about them but if you want to, then this is something you can do.

It’s Time to Recruit Your “Spy”
As an owner or manager, you might not have the time to check in on your competitors. If this is the case, you should appoint a company “spy” to do this for you. The best type of person for this job is someone who is very observant and doesn’t call attention to herself.  

Send Your “Spy” on Her First Mission
Give your undercover spy some company money and have your spy tan at  your competitors. Yes, this gives money to “the competitor,” but it also provides you with the 411 on what’s going on at these businesses. Competitors have had their spy's do this to me a few times. 

Your “Spy” Needs to Look For…
Before you send her off, prepare your spy to observe – and take notes on – the following customer service practices:

* The greeting she received. Was it sincere?
* Does the competitor engage in rapport building?
* Did the staff compliment anything about you?
* What special offers or deals are offered?

Your spy also needs to be looking for the following:

* Old spray tanning equipment
* What products are being used
* Spray tanning room cleanliness
* Equipment cleanliness
* Is staff thorough with their work?
* Does staff rush you?

Don’t Forget the Traffic Report
You should have your “spy” conduct a “traffic count” at the competition if they have a salon. What this means is that she stakes out a competitor’s parking lot on any day  between 4 and 6pm and count the number of customers who walk through the salon’s doors. Compare this number to your own to get a good idea of the volume you do, if you have a salon. It also gives you a good idea of the competition’s market share.

Yes the above mentioned had happened to me many times, competitors would even go further and post their website on my Facebook business page, request my friends on Facebook because my friends have told me, and steal my pictures of clients on Instagram. I have quite a few competitors that I trust and send clients to when my employees and I are booked. Those competitors and I share ideas and whatnot and support one another. I'll admit that I love helping others out but there are those competitors who don't like you but want to ride your coat tails. 

So if you are looking to start a spray tan business or are in one already, this is something that can happen to you just like it has happened to me.

Choosing The Right Spray Tan Training Course For You

Thought about starting your own spray tanning business but don't know where to start?   

      Getting your certification would be the first thing to do before you go any further on pursing your business. If you are doing a Google search on spray tanning certification programs, you will see so many programs. Prices will range anywhere from $150 up to $3500. With these prices, they can be overwhelming and confusing for newbies. What are you getting with a $700, $1500, $1900, $2500, $3500 program. 

     When we first started trained back in 2005 I did so much research. So what was the best way to learn? Well being an artist in painting and airbrushing for 25 years, spray tanning came easy to me and working in a tanning salon learning about the skin and learned how to spray tan there helped so much too. After the salon closed, I decided to carry on spray tanning. Educating the world on how dangerous tanning beds and laying out in the sun was important to me. Even though I knew how to spray tan, I knew there was more to it. YouTube videos on how to's and proper techniques helped a little but not much. Taking the online training courses NTTI & ATTI and passing the exams were okay but there was so much more to spray tanning that they did not explain and there is nothing like hands on. But as I practiced to the fullest and had years of experience from the salon, a lot of it was trial and error. In 2005, I was ready, had way more knowledge and was ready to conquer the spray tan industry and Paradise Airbrush Tanning was born which quickly became a growing empire.

     For newbies just starting out, I want to help you choose the right tanning program because for one I would hate to see anyone pay so much for one. Believe me, there is a lot of price gauging out there. One student stated to me that she called a place and they charged $1900 for just knowledge on how to spray tan, nothing else was included. How ridiculous is that. Then another student called a place and they wanted to charge her $3500 for training and equipment. Once again, price gauging.  So here is how to choose the right training course for you.

1. Learning from someone who is successful in the spray tan industry & has years of experienced is key.  

If they are successful, then you will be too. Those trainers and mentors have been there, done that and have paid their dues. There are trainers out there who have been in business for 1 - 3 years and say they are pros but in reality that is not the case. It takes time to build your business, gain exposure and gain clientele but it all depends on how you market yourself, everyone is different and I am living proof. Choosing a trainer you that is going to teach you what you need to know, the ins and outs, the obstacles, the trial and errors they went through, and who you can trust to help you throughout your journey is very important as well. Some trainers charge you for on-going support such as a telephone call such as $100 an hour, not cool. Make sure you choose a trainer who offers on-going support, free of charge as this is important for you to succeed in the spray tan industry. Learning the right technique is very important. There are so many techniques out there and when choosing a program, ask the trainer how long it takes to tan a person. If they say 3 minutes, 5 minutes, or 10 minutes......look for a different trainer. Tanning a person the right way with the proper technique takes about 15 - 20 minutes. Trust me on this one.

2. Does the training program offer the business side?

Some programs only train you on how to spray tan, but if you are wanting to start your own business, then it is best to choose a program that teaches the business side of the industry. Learning such things as the marketing, sales and how to start your business is very important, not just how to spray tan.

When you invest in the right training program you will succeed. Not all training programs, equipment, and tanning solution are created equally. Also, make sure you are not getting priced gauged.  A good affordable training program that includes equipment and tanning solution should be no more than $800.

3. Choose a company with a good reputation. 

Choosing a business with a good reputation is key because your potential clients do look at that. Check out the company's reviews such as on Yelp, Google, and Facebook. What they say and what they post will tell you a lot about that business. Some say that a good social media following such as having a high number of followers is the key to a good business but it's not. Many people like to follow companies just to follow them but it doesn't mean that they are active with that company.

 

4. You gotta have the right equipment.

There are many training programs who use their own equipment & solution and when they train you, they only want you to use their own, not what you should use. There are many types of machines and tanning solution on the market and believe me, I've tested them all. Some companies have just one tanning solution for all skin types, are they NUTS!!!!!!! No no no......that is a disaster waiting to happen with a client. Everyone's skin is different therefore, one must have different shades to their stock of products. It took me a lot of money testing out products finding the pros and cons of them and trying new machines and sending the machines back because I was not impressed. Ofcourse finally when I found the right tanning solution and equipment, that was what I wanted to train my students with because I had high confidence that it was the right one.



5. Does the company offer on-going support and do they charge for it?

Going with a company that offers on-going support is another key. When you do a training program, you may feel confident at the end of your training but there is a lot to learn that you can't always remember everything you learned in a day. That is why it is important to train with a program who offers on-going support and who doesn't charge for it.




If you have any questions on training courses, e-mail us at info@paradiseairbrushtanning.com

                                           Learn the correct way with the right price!