How to prepare for a professional spray tan

After a professional spray tan you feel completely transformed and ready to take on the weekend. In order to achieve an even skin tone there are a few tips and tricks to follow before your appointment.

Week before spray tan:

-The outer  layer of skin is called the epidermis which sheds dead skin everyday. Exfoliation ensures all dead cells are evenly removed leaving the skin smooth. We all love a hot shower and while it opens the pores and relieves tension in our muscles it can be extremely drying and strip our skin of its natural oils leading to dry, itchy skin.

The best way to judge the temperature is to pay attention to your skins reaction. If it becomes red the temperature is to high. Apply an exfoliator all over the body with a glove. Move it in circular and length way motions paying special attention to the elbows, knees and ankles. Before finishing your shower blast your skin with cold water, this will close pores and prevent them from getting blocked.  

-Moisturize after every shower when the pores are open allowing the product to absorb. Apply it liberally at night and wake up with soft hydrated skin every morning. 

- Hair removal and tinting should be carried out 48 hours prior to tanning.

Day of appointment:

Ideally shower the night before and don’t apply any moisturizer or deodorant to the body. If you do shower the same day as your spray tan finish with a cold blast of water to close the pores. Wear loose clothing and sandals to your appointment with no makeup. It is also best to wear loose long sleeved clothing in bed and cover your pillow with a towel to prevent staining.

Morning after appointment:

-Shower off the guide colour the following morning. Don’t use any shower gel as this can cause the tan to wear off quicker. Wait until the water runs clear to ensure the guide colour is removed and pat the skin dry.

-Apply an oil free moisturiser in the morning and evening as tan contains DHA which can dry out the skin.

In my previous post I recommended products to help you with the steps above and you can check them out in the post titled 'How to make fake tan look real'.

Hope this helps!

Chat soon,

Edwina x

How to make fake tan look real!

Welcome to my first post on tanning. Believe it or not there are many areas I could speak about but today I am keeping it simple and starting with the basics. Over the coming weeks I will be talking about perfecting your hands and feet, tan remover and much more To make tan look so good it looks real. So lets begin :)

Have you ever wondered what tan actually is and how it develops?

The formula contains a DHA which reacts with amino acids in dead skin cells. DHA stands for Dihydroxyacetone and is an active ingredient which produces the brown colour change.

Step 1 - Exfoliate:

The main reason we need to exfoliate is to remove dead skin cells which will cause blotchy uneven tan. When you are exfoliating concentrate on the knees, elbows, ankles and arms, especially if you wear tan a lot. To get the best result start exfoliating three days before “Tan Day”. If you exfoliate the same day there may not be enough dead skin cells on the skin for the colour to develop.

Soap & Glory Exfoliating Gloves

Step 2 - Moisturise:

After a deep exfoliation I use Aveeno Body Moisturiser. I only apply it at night as it is very thick and I could not attempt to put on skinny jeans afterwards! To get the best result start moisturising every night and use a lighter lotion during the day. I use E45 or Nivea as they dry faster and have a lighter texture.

Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion

Step 3 -Tan Time:

This is also know as Tan Thursday to those of you who follow me on Instagram. Wax or shave at least 24 hours prior to tanning. (Personally I wait 48 hours just to be sure) It is best to shower 12 hours before tan. If you are having a shower that evening blast the skin with cold water to close the pores and wait around two hours if you can. This will ensure the pores are closed and prevent them from becoming blocked. I change my tan brand a lot (similar to my foundation)- sometimes you just need a change but I have included my two current favorites.

Use a velvet glove and move it in circular motions. I always think a moose is easier to work with but some people prefer a lotion. Start with your legs and work upwards. Wear long sleeves in bed and cover your pillow with a towel to prevent staining. I have yet to buy sheets specifically for tanning!

Bellamianta Tanning Mitt

Feel free to share any of your #tanningtips below and check out my daily tips on my Instagram account @edwinamcgathbeauty

#tantime #drippinggold #tan #tanprep #tanthursday #sosueme #bellamianta #aveeno #nivea

Welcome to Edwina McGrath Beauty!

Welcome to my brand new website!

For those of you who don't know me my name is Edwina and I am a beauty therapist carving my own path is this crazy (but amazing!) industry. I have a huge passion for beauty and everything that comes along with it. I have been so lucky to meet amazing clients on my journey so far and I can't wait to see what 2019 brings.

Plans for 2019

2019 has definitely started off with a bang! I have so much planned for this year and my website is just the start. For those of you who follow me on Instagram (@edwinamcgrathbeauty) you may enjoy my simple daily tips, I started them to bring us all back to beauty basics. There are so many brands, products and ingredients out there and I think we forget the simple day to day things you can do at home. Whether it is sleeping on a silk pillow case or applying dry shampoo at night that can bring beauty back to daily life!

This Blog on the other hand is where I want to delve into more detail about ingredients, skin routines, tanning, treatments and life in general! If you are interested in learning more about beauty I hope you will enjoy it. If there is anything you really want to know about then pop me a note with any beauty questions!

Looking forward to getting to know you all!

Edwina