Spray tan vs sunbed vs self tan, which is best?
A professional spray tan gives the most even result with no UV exposure at all. Self tan at home is the cheapest but the hardest to get right on your own back and shoulders. Sunbeds are the only one of the three that carries a proven cancer risk, and there is no safe level of use.
We have been doing this since 2007, which means we have seen the sunbed era, the orange streaky era, and where we are now. Here is the honest version of all three.
The comparison
| Professional spray tan | Self tan at home | Sunbed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UV exposure | None | None | Yes. This is the problem |
| Cost | £20 to £26 | £8 to £30 a bottle | Per session, adds up fast |
| Evenness | Best. Someone else can see your back | Hardest part is what you cannot reach | Even, but so is the damage |
| Time | About 20 minutes, at your house | An hour of faffing, plus the mess | Repeat visits to build it |
| How long | 5 to 10 days | 3 to 7 days | Weeks, and so is the damage |
| Shade control | Matched to you before we start | Whatever is in the bottle | Very little |
Sunbeds, and why we will not be balanced about this one
We are meant to give you the fair view on everything. On this one we are not going to pretend there are two sides.
Sunbeds emit UV radiation, and UV radiation causes skin cancer. Cancer Research UK is clear that there is no safe level of sunbed use and that the risk is higher the younger you start. It is illegal for under 18s to use them in the UK, and that law exists for a reason.
They also age skin badly and visibly. The leathery, prematurely lined look people associate with heavy sunbed use is not a myth.
We have written more about this in our piece on the dangers of sunbeds.
If you want colour, you can have colour without any of that. That is the entire point of what we do.
Self tan at home
No judgement here at all. Plenty of our own clients use a gradual tanner between appointments and we actively recommend it.
Where it works: it is cheap, it is on your own schedule, and gradual tanners are genuinely very good now compared to ten years ago.
Where it falls down: your back, your shoulders, the backs of your legs. You cannot see them and you cannot reach them properly. Almost every streaky tan we have been asked to fix started as a home job on a part of the body the person could not see.
Hands, feet, elbows, knees and ankles are the other giveaway. They grip colour and they are the first thing people notice.
If you are doing it yourself, the single biggest thing is exfoliating the day before rather than the day of, and using a mitt. After that it is patience.
Professional spray tan
Where it wins: evenness, shade matching and the bits you cannot see. Someone standing behind you with sixteen years of practice is the whole difference.
You also get the shade chosen for your skin tone rather than whatever a bottle decided. A pale Ayrshire complexion in January and the same person in July need different products, and there is a real skill in knowing which.
Where it does not: it costs more than a bottle, and you have to book it. If you want colour at eleven at night with no notice, a self tan is your friend.
The honest summary
For an event, a holiday or anything being photographed, a professional spray tan will beat the other two comfortably.
For keeping a bit of colour ticking over between appointments, a gradual self tan is sensible and we will tell you which ones are worth buying.
For sunbeds, there is no version of the maths where the risk is worth it when the same look is available without any UV at all.
Frequently asked questions
Is a spray tan safer than a sunbed?
Considerably. A spray tan involves no UV exposure at all, while sunbeds emit UV radiation that causes skin cancer. There is no safe level of sunbed use.
Is a professional spray tan better than doing it yourself?
For evenness, yes. The difference is mostly your back, shoulders and the backs of your legs, which you cannot see or reach properly. Shade matching is the other big one.
Which lasts longer, a spray tan or a home self tan?
A professional spray tan usually lasts five to ten days against three to seven for most home products, mainly because prep and application are more consistent.
Can I use self tan between spray tans?
Absolutely, and plenty of our clients do. A gradual tanner keeps the colour ticking over. Just exfoliate properly before your next appointment.
Do spray tans contain anything harmful?
The active ingredient is DHA, which reacts with the surface layer of skin to produce colour. It does not penetrate beyond that layer and involves no UV. If you have very sensitive skin, tell us before we start.
Ready to book, or just want to ask something first?
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