fourpoints Magazine

The #1 Resource for Everything Miss America & MAOTeen

headshotSpray tanning and its many facets is a wonderful way to give your skin a healthy glow while avoiding the harmful UV radiation in tanning beds. Kelly Richardson, president of Be Bronze, thinks so too, in fact, she sat down with fourpoints to give us (and you!) the scoop on spray tanning know-how.

How you look onstage is the end result of months of training and preparation for your pageant. Unfortunately, the harsh lights of the stage "wash out" everyone's skin tone, and highlight flaws, scars, and imperfections. Getting a spray tan as part of your pageant prep will not only even out your skin tone, but will also make your skin look tan and healthy when you are in the spotlight. An added bonus: getting a spray tan make you look as if you lost ten pounds, and most professional spray tanning products have caffeine, which temporarily constricts the skin, making it appear firmer.

If you are doing a local pageant, definitely get your spray tan a day or two before the pageant. Make sure you wax/shave beforehand and that you get your tan AFTER your manicure, pedicure, massage, or any other spa treatment that might possibly exfoliate the skin. State pageants are usually a week in length and usually the spray tan you get pre-pageant is not going to last the entire time. Most of the girls we work with get spray tanned the evening before swimsuit/physical fitness and then again before the final night.

Not even the best spray tanners can spray themselves at home. You will always need help with your back. There are many great at-home tanning systems made by professional companies that are lower in cost than a salon/pro system. Another option is an aerosol mist, which many contestants used this year at Miss America. Whether or not you are getting a professional tan, or getting one done at home, there is a lot you can do to ensure you get an even tan.

The first and most important thing is to make sure your skin is not wet. A lot of us jump in the shower before we get sprayed or apply a self-tanner. Having skin that is still moist can cause a spray tan or self-tanning lotion to run on our skin and will result in streaks.

Make sure you have exfoliated with a "water based" body polish or scrub.

Lastly, make sure that you shave or wax before your spray tan. Doing this afterward actually removed the layer of skin that has been tanned, and can create splotchiness.

To read more tips and tricks to spray tanning, subscribe to fourpoints!

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