So, how soon can I shave after a spray tan and will it irritate or affect my skin in any noticeable way?
I have occasionally used a spray on tan but never even considered the question until I came across people asking online. I didn’t actually know the answer myself so I thought the best to thing to do would be to go directly to the source.
So I contacted several major spray on tan companies and asked for their advice. I sent each company the same form email with the following comments:
| Is there anything to be aware of regarding using your sunless tanning products and then shaving? I’m a guy who shaves my head and face and wonder if you can still shave as usual after using the product on your skin? I didn’t know if there might be some skin irritation or anything to be aware of. Thanks in advance for your help. |
Here is what they told me.
Skinerals Organic Skin Solutions
Skinerals makes a number of organic skin products for various uses including tanning, acne, sunburn, eczema, bug bites and more.
Their Self Tanner products are for people who want the tanned look but want to avoid the sun or have no interest in tanning beds.
Here’s their advice which they provided in response to my question within an hour of me emailing them, which I really appreciated.
There shouldn’t be skin irritation, but do let the product “cure” and shower before shaving. We normally recommend shaving a day before applying self tanner and exfoliating during your shower the day of. Apply the self tanner in the evening to dry skin without any moisturizers/product on it and then shower and shave the next morning as usual.
So they don’t expect skin irritation if you shave after applying their tanning products but they do recommend waiting until the tanning product has completely dried and cured. Notice they also referred to exfoliating the skin in question during your shower.
They also suggest applying the tanner in the evening when you are likely to have already shaved for the day. That way you can shave the next day as planned and there should be no issues to concern you.
St Tropez
St Tropez is owned by PZ Cussons which was founded in 1884 in Sierra Leone to facilitate trading between this African nation and the UK. Today PZ Cussons owns a variety of brands in men’s and women’s skincare, food, household goods and more.
They have a wide variety of self tanning products including self tan, gradual tan, instant tan and tanning essentials.
Here is their response:
Thank you for reaching out to us. We recommend that you shave before applying our products in order to get the best results. We are not aware of our products causing skin irritation but please keep in mind that everyone’s skin is different. Please conduct a patch test in order to verify the product works well with you.
To do so, simply apply a small amount of product to your skin that isn’t as easily visible. Once you confirm that you get the results you are looking for, feel free to apply all over.
St Tropez suggests shaving before applying their tanning products which makes sense. They also remind us that each person’s skin is different and testing a small amount of product before using it in earnest makes sense too.
Sounds advice just to be safe.
COOLA
I contacted COOLA regarding their Organic Sunless Tan Luminizing Body Serum and asked them the same question. Here is their response:
This is a topical product, so it is on the surface of the skin and there is a possibility of the tanner coming off but there should be no skin irritation.
My Personal Experience
I have used self tanning sprays a few times in the winter where we weren’t getting sun. I typically used the spray on my head and neck area. Since I shave my head it’s similar to applying sunblock since I don’t have any hair in the way.
As with putting sunblock on your shaved head, it’s easiest to have a cleanly shaved head since the lotion or mousse is clearly easier to apply on a smoothly shaved surface rather than one with some stubble.
Don’t forget to either wear disposable gloves or at least wash your hands well after applying self tanning spray. Otherwise you’ll end up with a nicely tanned palm and fingers on whichever hand you applied it with.
Depending on the product you choose, self tanning products tend to have a strong unique smell to them.
While higher end products often have a pleasant scent – think berries, – many tanning products have a very strong, somewhat unpleasant smell?
Why Do Tanning Products Smell So Strong?
The active ingredient in self tanning products is Dihydroxyacetone (DHA). DHA causes your skin to get the tanned look that you’re after and the smell is a result of the interaction between DHA and your skin.
If you would prefer to avoid the funky smell that cheaper tanning products often have, check out the products by the companies above who were kind enough to respond to my query. Each have interesting products with scents that you may find more agreeable.
If you find strong smells bother you, do some extra research to find a nice organic product – such as the ones provided by Skinerals as mentioned earlier – that may suit you.
The better quality self tanning products tend to give you a tan lasting between 3 and 7 days before you might need to reapply it to keep the look.
As always, check each product for their specific instructions and advice in this regard.
Conclusion
- How soon can I shave after a spray tan? Major spray tan companies I contacted suggested shaving the day before you apply self tanning products.
- If you choose to shave afterwards, make sure the tanning spray has cured first before shaving.
- If you shave before you apply spray tan, try to avoid cutting yourself which could irritate your skin if you apply spray tan to the affected area afterwards.
- Ideally apply the tanning spray at night, presumably hours after you’ve already shaved assuming you shave in the morning.
- Unless you want the palms of your hands tanned, wear disposable gloves when applying self tanning spray. Or ensure you properly wash your hands immediately after applying tanning spray.
- A good quality tanning spray may provide a fake tan between 3-7 days in length.