Frequently asked questions
Spray tan questions answered kindly.
Every question here has been asked in the studio more times than anyone could count. None of them are silly, and every answer is written for you.
Most asked
The six questions we hear most.
Topic 01 of 10
The basics
Start here if you have ever wondered how any of it works.
What is a spray tan, and what is DHA?
A spray tan gives you a natural-looking tan without the sun. The ingredient that does the work is DHA (dihydroxyacetone), a simple sugar that reacts with the outermost layer of your skin over the following day and builds a warm, natural tan. Because the tan lives in that surface layer, it renews away gradually, just as your skin does.
Is a spray tan the same as tanning in the sun or a tanning bed?
Not at all. A UV tan is your skin's response to damage, while a spray tan is a cosmetic reaction in the skin's surface, with no sun, no tanning bed and no UV exposure involved. Many clients come to deSoleil after a dermatologist asks them to stay out of the sun, and they find they can keep the tan they love without paying for it in sun damage.
Will my spray tan protect me from sunburn?
No, and it's worth remembering on the first warm afternoon at Seacliff. A spray tan contains no sunscreen and offers no protection, so wear sunscreen outdoors exactly as you would without it. Your tan makes you look as though you've spent time in the sun, but your skin still needs the same care.
What is a guide bronzer?
It's the cosmetic color you see the moment your tan is applied. The guide bronzer shows exactly where the solution has landed, so every contour is covered evenly, and it gives you instant color to wear home. It rinses away in your first shower while the real tan keeps developing underneath.
What's the difference between rinse time and full development?
Your rinse time is when you first shower off the guide bronzer; full development is the tan finishing in your skin, which takes about 24 hours with every formula. Depending on your formula, the first rinse comes after 2, 4 or 6 hours, or after 8 to 12, and Jana gives you your exact time before you leave. The color running toward the drain is only the bronzer. The tan you came for stays, and it keeps deepening through the rest of the day.
Why does my tan look darker before the first rinse?
Before you rinse, you're wearing two layers: the developing tan and the guide bronzer on top of it. Once the bronzer washes away, the tan underneath is softer and closer to your own skin, and it keeps settling over the next day. It's one of the most common surprises with a first tan, and usually a welcome one.
Why does a spray tan fade?
Your skin sheds its outermost cells every day, and because the tan lives in that layer, it leaves gradually along with them. Hydration decides how gracefully that happens. Skin that is well moisturized sheds evenly, so the tan softens evenly too, right to its final days.
How long will my tan last, and why does it vary?
Most deSoleil tans last 7 to 14 days. Where yours lands depends on how you prepare, how faithfully you moisturize and how you spend the week. Long hot showers, swimming, hard workouts and friction all shorten a tan, while a gentle routine lengthens it. The Bronze Protocol, which comes with every appointment, shows you how to stay toward the longer end.
Free guide · made for your dates
Your First Custom Tan
Your first spray tan, with no surprises.
Most first-timers have the same questions the night before: what to wear, whether to shave, when to rinse, and why the brown that rinses away in the shower isn't the tan you keep. Your First Custom Tan answers each one before you book, then takes you from the week before to the day your tan begins to fade. A few short notes from Jana follow by email.
- What a spray tan is, and how your formula is chosen for your skin
- How to prepare, step by step, including when to book waxing, facials and nails
- Your own plan, dated from the occasion you choose
Topic 02 of 10
Booking and visiting
Getting on the calendar, getting there and getting on with your day.
How do I book?
Book online at desoleiltan.com/book, where you choose your formula and time. Online booking is open seven days a week until 12 hours before your appointment. deSoleil is appointment only, which also gives you time to prepare your skin.
Can I get a same-day tan?
Yes. Call or text (831) 479-8266 and Jana will find you a spot if one is open. Text is the fastest way to reach the studio during business hours; the contact form and email can take up to 24 hours for a reply.
What if I need to reschedule or I'm running late?
You can cancel or reschedule online at any time, right up to your appointment, and at least 24 hours' notice is appreciated, since with one technician an empty appointment is hard to fill. If you're running late, please let the studio know; arrivals more than 10 minutes late may need to reschedule so the next client isn't kept waiting. If illness or an emergency comes up, just let Jana know.
What forms of payment do you accept?
Whatever suits you best. When you book or shop online, checkout takes debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and Venmo. At the studio, all of those are welcome, along with cash and Zelle.
Where is the studio, and where do I park?
deSoleil is at 1515 Capitola Road, Suite N, in Santa Cruz, upstairs near 16th Avenue. Parking is free in the lot behind the building, and the suite is reached by stairs.
How long does an appointment take?
About twenty minutes, sometimes a little longer. That includes choosing your formula with Jana, the tan itself and a few minutes to dress before you head out with your rinse time.
Topic 03 of 10
Formulas and labels
What each formula does, what the words on a label mean and which one is yours.
What does "rapid" actually mean?
It means a shorter wait before your rinse, not a faster tan. With Rapid Development or Unity NR, you rinse after 2, 4 or 6 hours, depending on how deep you'd like your tan, and then go about your day. Meanwhile the tan keeps developing for the full 24 hours, like every other formula. The first rinse is still water only, and the day stays free of heat.
What's in my formula?
Every formula's ingredients are printed on its label, and Jana can walk you through what's in yours, from the tanning ingredient to the hyaluronic acid, vitamins and botanicals in the base. deSoleil has worked with Infinity Sun solutions since 2007. If you're curious about a particular ingredient, ask before your appointment so you have the answer in hand.
What does a "clear" formula mean?
A clear solution sprays on without a guide bronzer, so nothing tinted sits on your skin while the tan develops. deSoleil offers a clear formula by request for clients who have tanned before. It isn't offered for a first tan, and Jana can tell you whether it suits your plans.
Does a stronger formula mean a better tan?
No. A formula sets how much color a tan can build, but a beautiful result depends on much more: the undertone of the bronzer, the hydrating ingredients around it, how your skin was prepared and, above all, the judgment of the person applying it. A formula chosen for your complexion at the right depth will always look better than the strongest one on the menu.
What's the deepest tan you offer?
Ultra Dark, a very deep, competition-stage tan applied in two coats, with a rinse after 8 to 12 hours. It's made for competitors, ballroom dancers, performers under stage lighting and experienced tanners who already know they love a deep tan. Jana talks it through with you at the appointment.
What add-ons can I choose?
A few finishing touches can be added to any tan. Normalize is a pH-balancing pre-treatment sprayed first. The Anti-Aging Elixir is simply misted on. Dolce Dust, a fine, silky powder in shimmer or matte, is dusted on within minutes of your tan, so you leave dry and comfortable. Shimmer Hydration adds a soft shimmer that washes off with your first shower, so most clients come back for it after they rinse, often on the day of an event. A Double Spray gives you two coats of any formula. Each can be added when you book.
Gloves, a deep tub and a little patience: the day before, in full.
Topic 04 of 10
Preparation and aftercare
Small steps before and after your appointment that keep your tan looking its best.
How should I prepare for my appointment?
Preparation starts the moment you know a tan is coming. Exfoliate gently with exfoliating gloves every day beforehand, and again on the day of your appointment. Moisturize regularly, drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen and avoid new tan lines. Then arrive with clean, dry skin and no lotion, oil or deodorant. Preparation is advice rather than a requirement, but it's the part of the result in your hands, and skipping it can change how evenly your tan develops and how long it lasts.
When should I shave, wax or book my other appointments?
Shave or wax at least a day before your tan, so your skin has time to settle. Waxing, massages, facials and nails all belong before your tan, so you get their full benefit. Lash appointments come after your first rinse, and a thorough lash cleansing after your tan is a must.
What should I wear?
You don't need to bring a thing. The private dressing room is stocked with disposable undergarments, hair caps, clips and ties, and sticky foot pads, and you're welcome to wear whatever feels comfortable. What to put on for the trip home is set out on the Instructions page, because the guide bronzer can rub onto fabric before your first rinse. It washes out of most clothing.
What should I avoid before my first rinse?
Keep water, sweat and products off your skin until your rinse time. Heat matters too: a sauna, steam room or hot yoga class speeds development during that first day, so if Tuesday is your hot yoga night, book your tan around it rather than hoping it works out.
When can I shower normally after a rapid formula?
Your first shower comes at 2, 4 or 6 hours. It's a lukewarm, water-only rinse, and then you pat your skin dry and moisturize right away. From then on, keep showers lukewarm and brief, use a gentle wash, and apply moisturizer while your skin is still slightly damp. The tan keeps finishing for the full 24 hours, so keep that first day free of heat.
How should I plan workouts, swimming, saunas or travel?
Do your workout before your appointment, since sweat before the first rinse can disturb the developing tan. Stay out of pools and the ocean for the first 24 hours, while your tan develops. After that, swim as much as you like; just know a tan can fade a little sooner with lots of time in the water, since sand and salt are abrasive, salt pools are drying and chlorine fades color. Rinse and moisturize within ten minutes of every swim. Keep saunas and steam rooms out of the first day. If you're traveling, book so that your rinse and the full 24 hours of development are done before you leave.
What about body products and fragrance afterward?
Moisturizer is what makes your tan last. Right after your first rinse, smooth a hydrating moisturizer or lotion onto slightly damp skin for the best hydration, then repeat every morning and night for as long as the tan lasts; after that first rinse, your usual products are fine. The one thing to set aside is pure oil, such as coconut oil, baby oil or body oil. During the first day, a spritz of fragrance on your clothes or hair keeps it off the developing tan.
How often should I book, and how do I keep my tan going?
Most clients book their next tan as the current one reaches its last few days, somewhere in that 7 to 14 day window. Between appointments, Tan Me BB Cream, a gradual tan extender sold in the studio, keeps the tan going. If you tan regularly, the three-, six- and ten-tan packages arrange a season of tans in one decision, and each is good for 12 months.
When to rinse, formula by formula.
Most aftercare questions come down to one thing: when the first rinse is. Choose your formula to see it, with the rest of the day laid out after it.
Choose your formula, and your instructions will appear here.
Free checklist · yours to keep
The Spray Tan Checklist
Every step of a beautiful tan, on one page.
A good tan becomes a beautiful one in the shower, days before your appointment. The free Spray Tan Checklist lays out preparation, the appointment and aftercare on one printable page with your name on it, so nothing is left to memory before a trip, an event or an ordinary Thursday.
- Preparation, the appointment and aftercare in the order you need them
- Boxes you can tick on screen or on paper
- Printed with your name, for every tan after this one
Topic 05 of 10
Results and fixes
How your tan settles in, why it fades and what to do if you want a change.
How do I get the most natural result?
A natural result comes from three things working together. Jana has applied thousands of tans since 2007, and she chooses a formula and depth for your skin and undertone rather than a default shade; your preparation gives the tan a fresh, even surface to develop on; and Jana's hands take care of the rest.
Why do hands, feet, elbows, knees and ankles get extra attention?
Those are the places where skin is drier or thicker, or washed more often, so they take a tan differently from the rest of you. Jana adjusts her application at every joint, along with your hands and feet, so they match the rest of your tan. Keeping those areas well moisturized in the days before your appointment helps too.
Why do some areas fade faster than others?
Skin that sees more friction, washing or water sheds its outer cells faster. That includes your hands, your feet and anywhere a waistband or bag strap rubs. Consistent moisturizing evens out the pace considerably, which is why the Bronze Protocol puts so much weight on it.
What if my tan is darker than I wanted?
Wait for your rinse first, because much of what looks dark at that stage is guide bronzer. If the tan still feels like more than you wanted once it has developed, let Jana know within 24 hours and she'll take care of it. She keeps notes on every client, so your next tan can be set to the depth you prefer.
What if something isn't quite right?
It rarely happens, and when it does, it's simple: let Jana know within 24 hours and she'll take care of it. She'll look at what happened with you and set your next tan so it's exactly what you want.
When should I contact the studio about a correction?
Within 24 hours of your appointment. That window lets Jana see what's happening while it can still be fixed simply. Text is the quickest way to reach the studio during business hours.
Can I wear body makeup or bronzer over my tan?
Yes, once your tan has fully developed. Many clients find they wear less foundation and skip leg makeup altogether, but body makeup or bronzer layers easily on top when an evening calls for more.
Topic 06 of 10
Choosing your tan
Your tan starts as a conversation, and these answers help you begin yours.
What does "custom color" mean at deSoleil?
It means your tan is decided in conversation, never picked off a chart. Before anything is sprayed, Jana considers your complexion and undertone, what you want the tan to do and where you'll wear it. Then she chooses the formula, the depth and the rinse time to match. The result belongs to your skin alone.
How do I explain how much color I want?
However it comes naturally. Some clients describe a feeling, like a long weekend in Carmel, some bring a photograph, and some simply say "subtle." Jana has heard every version and will translate yours into a formula and a depth. If this is your first tan, starting softer is always an option, and everything about your tan can be adjusted next time: lighter, deeper, warmer or cooler.
What does "natural-looking" mean?
It depends on you, which is why the conversation comes first. For one client, natural is warmth no one would ever trace to a studio. For a dancer under stage lights, natural means deep enough not to wash out. A natural result looks like your own skin on its best day, at the depth you chose.
How does lighting change the way my tan looks?
More than most people expect. Late sun over Monterey Bay flatters almost any tan, office lighting can flatten it, and a camera flash reads color in its own way. If your tan is for an occasion, tell Jana where it will be seen, whether at a candlelit dinner in Capitola Village or on a stage, and she'll choose the depth and tone with that light in mind.
Can my hair, makeup or clothing change how I see my tan?
Very much. A new hair color, a different foundation shade or a crisp white shirt will each change how your tan reads in the mirror. If you have a makeup trial before an event, book your tan a day or two ahead, so your makeup artist can match your foundation to your tanned skin.
Topic 07 of 10
Safety
Comfort and health questions, and when your doctor is the right person to ask.
What about breathing in the mist?
The studio has an excellent ventilation and air extraction system that draws the mist away while you're tanned. If you have a breathing condition or any concern about your health, please check with your doctor before booking.
What if I'm expecting, nursing or taking medication?
Jana has tanned expecting and nursing clients for nearly two decades and plans each appointment around you. If you're expecting or take medication, check in with your doctor first, then let Jana know.
When should I ask a health professional instead of the studio?
Whenever the question is about your health. Questions about medications, allergies, skin conditions, past reactions to cosmetics or breathing, or about tanning while expecting or nursing, belong with your doctor, and Jana will always point you there; the ingredients on your formula's label are a helpful thing to bring to that conversation. She's happy to answer anything about the tan itself.
Topic 08 of 10
Choosing a service
What a visit includes, who it is for and how to give one as a gift.
Why choose a hand-applied tan?
A hand-applied tan is adjusted to you as it happens, softened at the wrists and ankles and attentive to every contour, with a formula and depth chosen for your skin rather than a default setting. It's the difference between a tan that was simply applied and one that was made for you, by someone watching every inch as it goes on.
What privacy can I expect?
Your appointment is reserved for you alone. Jana works with one client at a time, you change in a private dressing room, and you wear whatever feels comfortable. After nearly two decades, she has seen every kind of body and treats each one with the same calm professionalism.
What's included in a deSoleil tan?
Every appointment includes the same expert hands every time, a formula and depth chosen for your skin, and the Bronze Protocol for preparation and aftercare, all in about twenty minutes. Prices are for a full-body tan; upper-body, lower-body and face and décolletage tans are priced for the area they cover, and add-ons can be booked with any tan. For regulars, the three-, six- and ten-tan packages arrange a season of tans in one decision.
Can teens come in?
Yes. Every service is open to younger clients, and teens come in for cheerleading, dance competitions, vacations, prom, graduation and everything in between. A deSoleil gift card makes an easy prom gift.
Do you offer gift cards?
Yes, for every occasion, from birthdays and bridal parties to proms. Choose from a range of amounts or a custom amount at desoleiltan.com/gift-card, and the person you give it to books their own tan whenever they like.
Topic 09 of 10
Bridal and events
For the weeks around your wedding and every celebration along the way.
Do I need a bridal trial?
It isn't required, and it's the surest way to walk into your wedding week without questions. A trial lets you see the tan in your own mirror and at your dress fitting, and it gives Jana time to refine the depth or tone. Book it any time at least two weeks before the wedding so it has fully faded by then. It can also serve as your tan for any event before the welcome party.
When should my final wedding tan be?
Two to three days before the ceremony, never the night before. That timing lets the tan fully develop and settle, puts your first rinse well behind you and leaves nothing but the tan itself in your photographs. For showers, rehearsal dinners and other celebrations along the way, a tan one to two days before each event is ideal.
Will my tan transfer onto my dress?
After your first rinse, your tan stays off your clothes, which is exactly why the final tan comes two to three days before the wedding. Before that rinse, the guide bronzer can rub onto fabric, though it washes out of most fabrics, so the hours after your appointment call for the clothing advice on the Instructions page.
What should I test with a white or ivory dress?
Use your trial to see how your tan reads against the fabric, ideally at a fitting and in light similar to where you'll be photographed. Notice whether the depth feels right against the warmth of ivory or the brightness of white, and tell Jana. She'll adjust the depth or undertone for your final tan.
How should I plan for a destination wedding, water or humidity?
Book so that your first rinse and full development are done before you travel, and pack a gentle body wash and a good moisturizer. Stay out of pools and the ocean for the first 24 hours, while your tan develops; after that, swim as much as you like, and rinse and moisturize within ten minutes of every swim. In humid places, Dolce Dust finishing powder, dusted on right after your tan, helps keep it smooth. Wear sunscreen every day, because a tan is not sun protection.
Topic 10 of 10
Specific clients
Every skin tone, age and complexion is welcome. See how Jana plans for yours.
Does mature skin need a special formula?
Not so much a special formula as a different kind of attention. Skin that has changed with time often runs drier, so preparation leans on hydration, and Jana chooses a softer depth and a formula that sits gracefully on fine lines and texture. Unity NR, with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and peptides, is a frequent choice. The aim is warmth that looks rested and entirely like you.
Do men need a different formula?
No. Men choose from the same formulas, and most prefer a subtle depth that suggests a good weekend outdoors rather than a tan. The appointment is private and takes about twenty minutes. Preparation is the same as for any client, and Jana will tell you exactly what to expect before she begins.
What about deeper skin tones?
Every complexion is welcome, and a spray tan has as much to offer deeper skin as fair: more even tone, warmth for skin that turns ashy in winter, and a luminous finish in photographs. Bronze Organics has a warm brown bronzer made to wake up ashy or lackluster skin, and Unity NR has a neutral base built to flatter every undertone. Jana chooses the depth and tone with you, as she does for every client.
I'm very fair or a redhead. Will it look natural?
Yes. Fair and red-haired clients are often the most worried about looking unnatural, and the answer is usually a lighter depth in a formula chosen for your undertone. Unity NR is made to keep fair skin from picking up red tones. A tan is easier to deepen at your next visit than to wait out, so a first tan can start a shade lighter and build from there.
In a client's words
At 60+, I sometimes feel out of place in a typical tanning salon. deSoleil feels different. Jana listened to what I wanted and chose a tan that warmed my skin without making me feel overdone. I walked out feeling like a more confident version of myself.
Free guides
A guide for your occasion.
Each card opens a free guide written for one kind of tan. Tap the one that sounds like you.
Answers in hand, and nothing left to do but enjoy the walk.
Where to next
Answered; now the next step.
Still wondering? Ask Jana.
Text (831) 479-8266 during business hours for the quickest answer, or book your tan and bring your questions with you.
