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A woman in a red swimsuit and open white linen shirt steps onto a balcony above the harbor and marshes, a canvas bag at her feet

Travel · Santa Cruz

A tan that’s already there when you arrive.

Book the tan when you book the trip, and it’s one less thing to pack. A drive down the coast, a cruise, a train or a flight: Jana chooses a formula for your skin and your departure, so you arrive looking as if the vacation started a week ago. After your first shower the tan stays on you, not your clothes, and the swimsuit and the sundress come straight out of the bag.

Your trip ticketSanta Cruz wherever you’re headed
Time in the studioAbout 20 minutes

A short chat about your skin and the trip comes first.

Departs from1515 Capitola Road, Suite N

Upstairs, with parking behind the building.

Rinse2 to 12 hours

Can’t rinse until later? Rapid Development and Unity NR rinse in 2, 4 or 6 hours; Bronze Organics and Classic Bronze at 8 to 12.

Last call12 hours ahead online

After that, call or text (831) 479-8266.

Your dates

Enter your departure, see when to book.

The planner shows the window to book in, with time for the rinse and for the tan to finish developing before you go.

Your date stays in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Choose a date and your plan appears here.

Free · planned around your trip

The Travel Tan Guide

Your tan, packed before your suitcase.

A vacation tan looks its finest when it’s timed to the flight, not squeezed in the night before. The deSoleil Travel Tan Guide plans yours around your departure: when to book, how to prepare your skin that week, and how to keep it even through salt water and long days in the sun. Add your dates and the reminders arrive right on time.

  • Your plan, dated from your trip
  • When to book, and which formula fits your departure
  • The preparation week, including when to book waxing, facials and nails
  • A carry-on list you can tick off
  • While you’re away: pools, salt water and sun
First tan or returning client?

By requesting the guide, you'll also receive Letters from the studio, deSoleil's email to clients. Unsubscribing takes one click, any time. deSoleil never shares or sells your email.

Nine kinds of trip

Wherever you’re headed.

By car, by ship, by train or by plane, one tan fits every kind of trip, and you step into the first photo looking like you’ve been there all week.

Keep scrolling Swipe for all nine

  1. A woman in a cream swimsuit sits on a linen towel at the water’s edge
    01

    Beach and resort

    A swimsuit on the first afternoon, with no week of easing into the sun first.

  2. A couple laughs together at the rail of a cruise ship at sunset, she in a green sleeveless jumpsuit, he in a linen jacket
    02

    Cruises

    Formal night and the pool deck are both covered from the moment you board.

  3. A redheaded wedding guest in a cobalt one-shoulder dress walks barefoot down a flower-lined beach aisle, sandals in hand
    03

    Destination weddings

    Every photo shows a tan that matches your face and suits the dress you packed.

  4. Four friends in bright slip dresses above the harbor in Positano
    04

    Girls’ trips

    The group photo on night one, and every one after it.

  5. A blonde woman in a black halter swimsuit and open white linen shirt steps onto the sand among palms
    05

    Winter escapes

    Land somewhere warm in January looking like you’ve had a few days of it already.

  6. Two old friends hug and laugh on the steps of a beach cottage, a suitcase beside them
    06

    Reunions

    Everyone will have a phone out. You’ll be glad you planned ahead.

  7. Two friends share cherries on the hood of a vintage convertible above the Highway 1 coast
    07

    Road trips

    Highway 1, short sleeves and the windows down.

  8. A woman in an emerald halter dress blows out her birthday candles as friends raise their phones
    08

    Big birthdays

    The fortieth in Tulum or the sixtieth in Sonoma deserves photos you’ll keep.

  9. Two friends with rolling suitcases laugh together on the wharf
    09

    Just because

    A trip doesn’t need a reason, and neither does the tan.

I get a tan before every tropical vacation and it lasts the whole trip even when swimming a ton.

M E. · Tropical vacations

Before you go, while you’re away, after you’re home.

A woman laughs as she packs a carry-on on her bed at home, a swimsuit, sandals and a bottle of lotion laid out beside it

The countdown

Before you go

  1. Book when the trip is booked.

    The evenings before a long weekend fill first, so claim your time as soon as the dates are set and the tan can fit the departure.

  2. A big trip and a first tan? Do a trial.

    Book it at least two weeks ahead to see how the tan develops and fades on your skin.

  3. The preparation week.

    Gentle exfoliating gloves every day, plenty of water, daily moisturizer and sunscreen. Shave or wax at least a day before your tan.

  4. Tan as close to departure as you can.

    Leave time for the rinse. If you can’t rinse for a long while after your appointment, ask for Rapid Development or Unity NR, which rinse in 2, 4 or 6 hours. Arrive clean and dry, with no lotion, oil, deodorant or makeup.

A fair redhead in a cap and short-sleeve sun shirt smooths sunscreen onto her shoulder in a small boat on a marsh channel

On the trip

While you’re away

  1. Moisturize morning and night.

    A hydrating lotion every day, and nothing that’s 100% oil.

  2. Keep wearing sunscreen.

    A spray tan isn’t sun protection.

  3. Wait 24 hours on heat and water.

    Saunas, hot tubs, hard workouts, pools and the ocean wait while your tan develops. After that, swim as much as you like.

  4. Rinse after every swim.

    Lots of time in the water can fade a tan sooner, since sand and salt are abrasive, salt pools are drying and chlorine fades color. Fresh water and moisturizer within 10 minutes of each swim help, and a Glow on the Go mist evens out face, hands and feet, which fade first.

Back from her trip, a brunette woman in a white tank and denim shorts unpacks a sundress on her bed

Back home

After you’re home

  1. Let it fade on its own.

    It softens evenly. Gentle exfoliating gloves in the last few days ready your skin for the next one.

  2. Book the next one.

    Many clients come back the week after they get home, or before the next trip. A package of three tans is good for twelve months.

Everything about making it last: the Bronze Protocol →

A friend brought me along for a pre-vacation session before a girls' trip to Hawaii, and I was hooked immediately. I’m super fair-skinned and usually just burn, but my technician customized a shade that looked so authentic, never orange, never splotchy.

Jessica P. · Girls’ trip to Hawaii

Find the formula for your trip

Two answers, one starting point.

Answer two questions and see where Jana would likely start. She confirms the formula with you at the appointment.

Can you rinse 8 to 12 hours after your appointment?
Which tan are you after?

Answer both questions for a good place to start. The choice is always made with Jana at your appointment.

The formulas

Formulas that travel well.

Each one comes with the same expert hands and aftercare written for the trip ahead. Jana confirms your formula when you arrive.

Rapid Development

Most Popular

A violet-based bronzer that cancels brassy undertones and develops into a cool, even brown.

SuitsTight departures, since a rinse in 2, 4 or 6 hours fits between the studio and an evening departure.

Rinse at 2, 4 or 6 hoursFully developed in about 24 hours

Book Rapid Development

Unity NR

New

A neutral bronzer for almost any undertone, with niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and peptides.

SuitsHumid destinations and active trips, where it helps that the maker describes it as sweat-resistant.

Rinse at 2, 4 or 6 hoursFully developed in about 24 hours

Book Unity NR

Bronze Organics

Certified organic

A certified organic, warm golden-brown bronzer with plant extracts, hyaluronic acid and vitamins A, C and E.

SuitsAnyone who prefers organic ingredients and has room in the plan for a rinse at 8 to 12 hours.

Rinse at 8 to 12 hoursFully developed in about 24 hours

Book Bronze Organics

Classic Bronze

Traditional

A natural brown with a soft pinkish undertone, the look of a relaxed week outdoors.

SuitsA plan with a long gap before the rinse and a taste for a classic, natural brown.

Rinse at 8 to 12 hoursFully developed in about 24 hours

Book Classic Bronze

Pack it with you

Small things for the hotel shelf.

None of these are needed for a beautiful tan. They help it go a little further while you’re away, and the studio has them ready to pick up.

In a sunny hotel bathroom, a blonde woman in a white robe over a coral bikini touches up her face, travel tubes on the shelf
  • A tube of Tan Me BB Cream on a marble counter

    Tan Me BB Cream

    A tinted cream for the days your face fades ahead of the rest of you, and a light tan top-up anywhere else.

    Live priceView →
  • A can of Glow on the Go mist on a marble counter

    Glow on the Go mist

    Touch up your face, hands and feet on the road. The 3.4 oz bottle fits in a carry-on.

    Live priceView →
  • A tube of PHydra-Luxe body wash on a marble counter

    PHydra-Luxe body wash

    Cleans without stripping your tan, so the hotel shower works with you.

    Live priceView →
  • A bottle of Extend Hydrating Serum on a marble counter

    Extend Hydrating Serum

    A daily moisturizer for tanned skin that adds two to three days to your tan.

    Live priceView →

Before a trip

Travel tans, answered.

How long before a trip should I get my spray tan?

As close to departure as you can while leaving room for the rinse. Every formula develops over about 24 hours, so a tan the day before you leave usually means you leave fully developed.

Will it last the whole trip?

Most tans last 7 to 14 days, depending on your preparation, your aftercare and how active the trip is. Salt water, sand, sweat and friction shorten it, so moisturize every day and rinse after every swim.

When can I swim?

After the first 24 hours. While your tan develops, skip pools, the ocean, hot tubs, long baths and hard workouts. After that, swim as much as you like; 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, so rinse and moisturize within 10 minutes of each swim.

What if I can’t rinse for hours after my appointment?

Choose Rapid Development or Unity NR, which rinse in 2, 4 or 6 hours depending on depth. Bronze Organics and Classic Bronze rinse at 8 to 12 hours. Jana sets your rinse time around your departure, and the tan keeps developing for about 24 hours either way.

Will it get on my clothes?

Before your first rinse the bronzer can rub onto fabric. After you shower the tan stays with your skin, and any guide color comes out of most fabrics in the wash.

Can I get a tan right before I leave?

Yes. Online booking stays open until 12 hours before an appointment; for anything sooner, call or text (831) 479-8266. Leave yourself time to rinse before you head out.

Can I switch formulas at the appointment?

Yes. Book the formula that sounds closest, and if another suits your skin, undertone or departure better, Jana will switch it with you at the appointment.

Do I need a trial before my trip?

Not required. For a first spray tan before a trip that matters, a trial at least two weeks ahead lets you see your tan and how it fades before you pack. Returning clients usually skip it.

Do I still need sunscreen?

Yes. A spray tan isn’t sunscreen, so wear your usual protection the whole trip, and in the weeks before your appointment to avoid new tan lines.

A woman in a swimsuit walks the beach beside a weathered wooden pier

Book the tan when you book the trip.

Jana sees one client at a time, and the evenings before a long weekend go first. Couples and friends often book back to back, each with a formula chosen for their own skin, and the same hands that have chosen every travel tan here since 2007 choose yours.

Reserve your appointmentPlan