How long does a spray tan last?
Most spray tans last between five and ten days, and about seven is average. How long yours lasts comes down to your skin type, how well you prepped, and what you do in the days after.
The tan itself is the easy part. The rest is you.
After sixteen years and thousands of tans across Ayrshire, I can usually tell how long someone’s tan is going to last.
What actually makes the difference
Prep is most of it. Exfoliate the day before, not the same day. Skin that’s been properly buffed takes the colour evenly and holds it. Skin that hasn’t will grip in the dry patches and let go everywhere else, and you’ll be patchy by day four. There’s more in our guide to prepping your skin.
Moisturise, but not straight away. Wait until after your first shower, then moisturise every single day. A tan on dry skin flakes off with the skin. This is the single biggest thing people get wrong.
Hot baths are the enemy. Not the water, the heat and the time. A quick lukewarm shower is fine. Forty minutes in a hot bath will take days off it.
Pools and the gym. Chlorine strips it faster than anything. If you’re swimming, expect five days rather than ten. Heavy sweating is much the same.
Shaving. Every shave takes a layer off. Stretch to every other day rather than daily and you’ll notice the difference.
It also depends on your skin
Some people just hold a tan better. Drier skin sheds faster so it fades quicker. Oily skin can hold longer but sometimes fades less evenly.
If you’ve always found tans fade fast on you, it’s usually a moisturising thing rather than a you thing.
How long before a big event?
Don’t get tanned the same day.
Two days before is the sweet spot. It’s had time to settle, the colour has fully developed, and you’ve had your first shower so there’s no risk of it transferring onto a dress. The day before works fine too. The morning of is asking for trouble, and I’ll usually try to talk you out of it.
Making it last longer
- Exfoliate the day before, not the day of
- Moisturise daily after your first shower
- Lukewarm showers, keep them short
- Pat dry with a towel, don’t rub
- Skip the long baths and the pool
- Loose dark clothes for the first night
None of that is complicated. It’s just consistent.
When it starts to go
A good tan fades rather than flakes. If yours is coming off in patches it’s nearly always prep or moisturiser rather than the tan itself.
When you’re ready to start again, get it off properly first. Our guide on removing fake tan will save you scrubbing yourself raw.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a spray tan take to develop?
Most develop in four to eight hours depending on the shade. We will tell you exactly when to rinse based on what we have used on you.
Can I make a spray tan last two weeks?
Realistically no. Ten days is about the ceiling, and that is with good prep and daily moisturiser. Beyond that you are usually looking at a top up.
Does a darker tan last longer?
Not really, but it looks like it does. A darker tan has further to fade so it stays visible longer, even though it wears off at the same rate.
Why did my last spray tan only last three days?
Nine times out of ten that is prep. Exfoliating on the day, moisturising before the tan, or a hot bath in the first 24 hours will all do it.
Does swimming ruin a spray tan?
It does not ruin it, but chlorine speeds up the fade a lot. If you are in the pool regularly, expect closer to five days than ten.
Fancy a tan that actually lasts? We come to you, anywhere across Ayrshire.
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