Frequently Asked Questions

DHA, or dihydroxyacetone, is a colorless sugar compound commonly used as the active ingredient in sunless tanning products. Derived from natural sources such as sugar beets or sugar cane, DHA interacts with the amino acids in the outer layer of the skin to produce a browning effect. This reaction, known as the Maillard reaction, is similar to what happens when food browns during cooking. As a result, DHA creates a temporary tan that fades naturally as the dead skin cells are shed over time. It is widely regarded as a safe option for achieving a tan without exposure to the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun.

Yes, DHA (dihydroxyacetone) is approved by the FDA for use as a color additive in sunless tanning products intended for external application to the skin. However, it is important to note that DHA is not approved for use in areas where it might be inhaled or come into contact with mucous membranes, such as the lips or around the eyes. Therefore, when using products containing DHA, especially in forms like sprays or airbrush tans, it is recommended to take precautions to avoid inhalation and contact with these sensitive areas.

No! If you did then I’m not very good at my job. This can happen for a couple of reasons though. Poor quality or expired DHA, the active ingredient in sunless tanning solutions that turns the color of your skin. Or over-saturation. That’s why it’s important to choose the right products & level of DHA. I will only go over your skin with the airbrush machine twice, with the exception of contouring when I will use a smaller airbrush machine to accentuate your muscles & then twice with the larger machine. Anymore than twice has the possibility of over-saturation & could give an orange hue. Some clients may not even need two coats.

If you don’t think you’re dark enough, remember that the color you are seeing is purely cosmetic and the DHA needs time to develop. Same goes for after your rinse shower. If you think your color all ran off in the shower, please wait a full 24 hours for the color to fully develop before you call me disappointed. If you still don’t feel dark enough after 24 hrs then call me to discuss our options. I use top of the line products that use the highest quality DHA. I don’t usually keep enough product in stock for it to expire & I store it in a cold dry area. This makes the chance of you turning orange highly improbable if I’ve done my job right. Remember, your skin is an advertisement for me! 

If I’ve done my job right, this shouln’t happen. That’s why I’ll have you look over your tan before I depart to make sure you’re happy with your color & be sure you don’t see anything I might have missed or not blended well enough in the tent/curtain. Sometimes lighting can be tricky depending on where we choose to set up but I’d much rather you catch something I didn’t see & let me blend it before you wait until I’m gone and it sits on your skin longer. So speak up if you see anything, my feelings won’t get hurt ;) 

However, once I leave the rest is up to you! That’s why it’s important to go over the pre-treatment & post treatment advice so you can be prepared & know what to do & not to do. For streaks, it’s important to wear the appropriate clothing after your tan so you decrease your chances of skin on skin rubbing, or constricting clothes like bras or socks ruining your tan. Try not to cross your legs & arms or sit Indian style. If it’s summer & you wear shorts or a skirt and get into a hot car you should keep your legs dry & sit on a towels. Sweating on leather seats can cause streaks or patches. Better to just wear pants & long sleeves. After your rinse shower though, that tan will not budge.

Aviva Labs is the primary brand I use for my tans. They have a great reputation for not transferring color onto your clothes & sheets. However, it happens. So be prepared by wearing black or dark clothes. Put a towel down on your car seats if your legs are exposed. Use old or dark sheets if you have to sleep with your tan. In my experience though, any stains will come out in the wash as all ingredients are naturally derived! After your rinse shower the tan will not budge or transfer.

This is the #1 question I get actually, more often than even the big O question (orange) :) The answer is absolutely not, but if you want to you certainly can. Most women tan with a disposable thong that I provide and go topless. However, I’ve had some go with a full one piece, a two piece, or completely nude. I also have disposable bandeau tops I give out as well. All disposables are free of charge & wrapped individually.

For men it can get a little trickier but I’m a professional & as long as you’re appropriate with me, I try to leave that up to you. Anything inappropriate will not be tolerated and our session will end immediately. Although I can usually weed out those people before the appointment happens. Someone always knows where I am & the address of my appointment if not! Pepper spray is also a girl’s best friend for any mobile business. I once asked a man to send me a photo of his skin color to assess what shades I would bring and he sent me a fully nude & proud photo. Needless to say, communication ended after that.

Look, I’ve seen it all. I also have three children. So apologizing for your weight, your stretch marks, your body parts, anything you consider imperfect, etc. isn’t allowed! You are beautiful & I’m here to reveal/enhance your beauty & make you feel as comfortable & confident as I possibly can!

Absolutely! I even keep disposable boxers in my supplies!  Like I said earlier in the tanning naked question, I will leave that option up to you, but no inappropriate behavior will be tolerated. Unwanted advances will end the appointment immediately. Thank you!!

No, airbrush tans do not provide protection from the sun. The tanning effect created by airbrush tans is purely cosmetic and does not offer any barrier against ultraviolet (UV) rays. It's important to continue using sunscreen with an appropriate SPF to protect your skin from sunburn and long-term damage whenever you're exposed to the sun, even if you have an airbrush tan. Remember, the primary benefit of an airbrush tan is to safely achieve a sun-kissed glow without UV exposure, but it does not replace the need for sun protection.

The tent/curtain that I set up is about 6 ft and some inches tall & about 5 ft wide. Lighting is the most important factor. Natural light is the best but I don’t expect you to tan in front of your window half naked. I bring some of my own lights but a room with a lot natural light is best, or bright artificial light second.

I love kids, I have three. I have a husky & cat too. So I don’t mind yours. However, they might get scared of the airbrush machine because it’s kind of loud. They also get excited or curious & I don’t want them to trip on a wire & get hurt. So it would be best to keep them in a separate room with a baby gate at least while I’m working. That also gives you time to dry as best you can in case they want to be picked up or jump on you. Keep that in mind also while your tan develops. You have to take care of your children & pick them up at times, just be mindful of your tan!

Ok, so an airbrush tan can be a spray tan, but a spray tan cannot be an airbrush tan. A spray tan is when you go to a booth spray tan machine and it tells you different positions to stand in. It cannot be an airbrush tan though, as you need an airbrush tan machine to create one.

Airbrush tans are superior for a number of reasons. In my opinion, it takes a number of visits to a booth to get all the positions down in the amount of time given. I’ve seen a number of bad outcomes including everything from orange color to black hands & feet to big patches. With an airbrush tan, you choose the shade you’d like and I match the solution to your undertone. I spray you from head to toe by hand and blend certain areas. I apply barrier cream to the dryer parts of your body such as elbows & knees. I use sticky feet to prevent black feet and lightly go over your hands. I tan your face last and give you time for every position. So as you can see, your chances of walking away with a flawless airbrush tan as opposed to a spray tan are absolute! This is not a “one size fits all”. We all have different color skin and you deserve a custom color and to be able to see that top tier solution was used. 

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I use a number of sunless solutions depending on my client and what we’re trying to achieve. However, my favorite brand right now is Aviva Labs. Most sunless solutions have either an oil or alcohol base, but Aviva’s is water based. Meaning you get the same fantastic quick drying effects without having to dry your skin out! It’s also fragrance-free! Yup. No strong smell that is known to come from  sunless tanning products! On top of that, 

Proper skin prep, application & maintenance all play critical roles in both of these questions. If you come to your appointment with what I like to call a “clean canvas”, be sure not to unevenly redistribute the solution by rubbing your skin or crossing your arms & legs AND take good care of your tan after it develops then your tan will last 7-10 days. For pre-treatment think of your skin like an art canvas. If you dont prepare your skin by exfoliating then you’ll have lots of layers of dirt, dead skin cells, residue from makeup, lotions, or perfumes & some parts that are more oily or dry. If you try to paint over layers of other paint how can you be sure you’ll get the right shade? Will your artwork last as long or maybe peel off? Will the color look right? Maybe it doesn’t even work on the parts with the most paint build up. Without the right skin prep there’s no way to know what your tan will look like when it develops, how long it will last or if it will fade evenly: Your artist could do an absolute perfect job, but if you didn’t come prepared theres not much control she will have over the outcome. Chances are she’ll notice you didn’t prep too, but by then she’ll already have started and will have to pray for a miracle the finished product looks good. Your best bet is to be honest with your artist & reschedule. She’s going to be a lot happier you were honest that you got busy and forgot to shave then making her tan on unprepped skin. Remember your tan is a walking advertisement for her business & bad tans are hard to forget. You could ruin someone‘s reputation easily. Plus your tan won’t look good or fade evenly. So save both you & your artist’s time and reschedule if you forgot or ran out of time to prep. 

There are a few tricks I have to fix small accidents, but some problems might be too large to blend. Such as wearing constricting clothes like bras or elastic. However, small streaks, spots, or raindrops might be fixable. If this happens, the faster you call me the better. Then you can take photos & I’ll decide if it’s something I need to come back for or something I can walk you through. Sometimes, if the oops happens late enough in development that you may see it then, but once you take your rinse shower it doesn’t show up at all. What I love about the solutions of today is that all the color melts together so well you probably wont even see that thong line I have you pose for after you shower! 

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I think the states should require artists to be certified to be able to use sunless tanning solution on a paying customer’s skin. Unfortunately. it’s easy for someone to lie about these things & even easier to make fake certifications today. That’s why if I were a paying customer I would definitely ask to see an airbrush artist’s certification if I’m going to her for the first time & not feel bad about it. I don’t take mine with me to every appointment but if a client asked to see mine I would be more than happy to oblige. That’s why I’m so transparent about my certifications & what they are online, so my clients can rest assured I’ve had the proper training & education. They can prove it by taking just a couple minutes to find it on here or my social media.

Another thing to think about as well is that there are no training hours required to get certified. So you may do the work to make sure they’ve got a proper certification BUT you could still be their first client. So I’d ask how experienced they are too. If you have a friend trying to become an airbrush artist let her practice on you (preferably in the winter months!) because it’s really hard when we’re starting out at this! When you do it right & you’re honest, you won’t find many people willing to risk their skin for you to get some hours under your belt (so now that I’m experienced those friends tan for free today!) However, if it’s something important like your wedding day and you’re paying for a tan then do your research please.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tan someone but it takes more than a few days & a couple clients to not be painfully obvious you’re new at the game. It takes time & education to get the Fitzpatrick scale down & undertones, the different combination of mixtures & additives, the level of DHA. It’s certainly not something you should ever just pick up one day or have the right to be dishonest about. You should be certified by the most credible sunless tanning education institute that you can find. You get what you pay for with this but don’t worry you’ll make your money back fast & gain loyal customers because you did it the right way. If you take shortcuts. people will know & you’ll destroy your reputation before you even get started. Buy the best machine, and the best solutions  and start by being mobile. That’s my best advice, There’s enough people out there who already don’t sunless tan because they think they’ll turn orange or streaky, so they risk their health and the appearance of their skin just to get that bronze color they desire.

Help us get more people over to team sunless! Because when the day comes that everyone experiences the benefits of sunless tanning for themselves & stops going to tanning beds & booths then there will be MORE than enough clients to go around & a lot less people developing cancer! If anyone has any questions about certifications or starting their own sunless tanning journey, I’m an open book & always willing to help! #TeamSunless #WomenEmpoweringWomen

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Tanning beds are considered harmful to your health for several reasons:

1. **Increased UV Exposure**: Tanning beds emit ultraviolet (UV) radiation, primarily UVA and some UVB, which can be stronger than natural sunlight. This exposure increases the risk of skin damage.

2. **Skin Cancer Risk**: The use of tanning beds has been linked to an increased risk of skin cancer, including melanoma, which is the deadliest form. Research indicates that using tanning beds before age 30 increases the risk of melanoma by 75%.

3. **Premature Aging**: UV radiation from tanning beds accelerates the skin's aging process, leading to early signs of aging such as wrinkles, fine lines, and loss of skin elasticity.

4. **Eye Damage**: Without proper eye protection, the UV radiation from tanning beds can damage the eyes, potentially leading to conditions such as cataracts and photokeratitis.

5. **Immune System Suppression**: Excessive UV exposure can suppress the skin's immune response, reducing its ability to protect against infections and diseases.

To avoid these risks, experts recommend using sunless tanning alternatives, such as airbrush or spray tans :) 

Also, spray tans are created in a tanning booth where you’re told to stand in different positions for a few seconds until you need to change your position again. All kinds of bad things can happen with this. Most of the time your tan comes out uneven and your feet and hands turn orange. Plus unless you ask, you don’t know what products they’re using or the quality of the DHA. You don’t know what shade they’re using & it it’s right for your skin & undertone. It’s like a one size fits all when our skin is anything but! So while booths might not be dangerous like tanning beds but if you want to feel safe about the quality of products being used on your skin  & that your tan will come out flawless, then airbrushing IS the ONLY SAFE TAN!