The wonderful thing about a spray tan is you can enjoy it at any time of the year which means that you can look gorgeous, healthy and glowing whenever you want.

Maybe you have a night out so you want to look your best, or maybe it's your wedding, or perhaps you just don't want to look the whitest on the beach when you go on holiday.

If you want your tan for a special occasion then it is best to have your spray tan at least two days before. For instance if you are getting married on Saturday then have your spray tan on Thursday. This allows for any white patches to be taken care of before your big day it also gives the tan a day to settle, therefore much softer in appearance.

Before Your Spray Tan

• exfoliate your body the day before.
• don't wear any make up, moisturiser or deodorant
• wear loose dark clothing and flip flops on your feet

When You Arrive At The Salon

Your therapist will normally instruct you on what clothing to remove, normally she will ask you to remove everything except your underpants. This is a personal choice but if you would rather keep your bra on, tell her, or if you would rather have an all-over tan, ask her if she minds you removing your pants. You may be given disposable flip flops to protect the soles of your feet from colouring or Vaseline may be applied.

You will stand in front of your therapist and she will simply spray you all over with tan. This should only take 5-10 minutes and is  quite a pleasant sensation.  After spraying is finished, you will be asked to stand for a few minutes to dry before dressing.

How Does Spray Tanning Work? (the technical bit)

The principle tanning agent used in all self-tanning formulas is dihydroxyacetone (DHA). This ingredient does not produce a "real tan" by increasing the skin's melanin levels, rather it creates a tanned appearance by developing a brown color on the surface of the skin.

The action of DHA is limited to the upper layer of the skin and involves a reaction between DHA and skin proteins that produces brown compounds. The development of colour takes anywhere from 2 to 4 hours and the intensity of colour is dependent upon the DHA concentration in the product as well as each tanner's individual skin characteristics. The colour developed by the DHA usually lasts 5 to 7 days and begins to fade as the top layer of the skin naturally exfoliates.