Posted by Lindsay on 10/28/2011

When doing a custom spray tan, there is one thing I can't do without.... a fabulous plastic foam brush. Anyone who spray tans and doesn't use one is missing an important perfecting step!

The inexpensive foam brushes are the BEST!! With these brushes, you virtually can't make a mistake (unless you miss an entire area). Here is what I do. Spray the client head to toe, starting with the back. If the guest would like to be pretty tan, I tan them until I see the color that they want to achieve. I am careful not to let the solution "bead" up to much to where it can drip. But drips are inevitable, especially if you are tanning someone fairly dark. Or some people are just drippers!

Here is how to effectively blend out any problem area.

1. If the drip occurs as you are tanning and you catch it right away, simply tap the area to blend in the solution. If you start wiping, you will create a bigger mess spreading the solution and brush marks to a larger area. Everything is fixable and this way works, but is not the most efficient. If the solution has not dried at all, it's best to pat it to blend, rather than brushing it around.

2. If the drip has dried, it's best to brush it out. You can be a little aggressive here, it won't hurt the guest and will blend out the area quickly with a brisk motion. Any drip can be blended out, the key is to make sure you catch the drip before the guest leaves.

3. If the skin is "beading" but not dripping, you can either tap to blend or let it be. Often times the solution will dry nice and evenly and blending is not necessary. If you think there is a little too much product on the skin and it may form a drip, go ahead and tap it to absorb the extra solution.

4. If the guest moves and forms lines (usually by moving neck or arms), brush out the line as soon as you see it.

You can also use this brush if you need to speed up the drying process. Our tanning solution tries within a minute or 2 but if someone has a good amount of body hair, it can take 3-5 minutes. It soaks in perfectly if you let them stand and try but if someone is in a hurry, you can brush the solution in to get them out sooner.

These blending brushes are available in our start-up kit. You can purchase them here.

Even if you are used to doing tans without this brush, you have to give it a try. It makes your job easier and gives guests better tans!