Everything You Need to Know
About Spray Tan
Sunless tanning, custom: everything you want to know before your first glow.
What Is a Spray Tan, Exactly?
Reviewed by Ana Maria, NUDA Certified Artist · Updated July 23, 2026
A fine mist, sprayed over your whole skin, one gesture at a time. The product contains DHA, a molecule derived from sugar cane that reacts with the surface cells of your skin and tints them gradually, over 8 to 24 hours. The colour reaches its best around day two, then fades gently at the pace of your skin's natural renewal, over 7 to 14 days.
No UV rays, no tanning bed: just a gentle reaction on the surface of the skin, with a shade mixed on the spot for your skin type and your undertones. The session takes one hour door to door, wherever you are, with NUDA formulas. The result: a warm, even complexion designed for a natural, non-orange finish, the kind people credit to a week down south.
- A fine mist applied with a spray gun, zero UV rays
- A natural active made from sugar cane (DHA), which bronzes the surface of the skin
- The colour develops over 8 to 24 hours
- NUDA formulas, designed to hydrate
- A warm, natural glow that lasts 7 to 14 days
The Result and How Long It Lasts
Your glow is first what you see in the mirror and what you feel walking out. Here is what to expect for finish and longevity, with no inflated promises.
Yes, a well applied spray tan looks perfectly natural. The shade is mixed on the spot for your skin tone and undertones, then blended evenly over your whole skin. No streaks, no orange, no lines. The result looks like a warm, luminous vacation tan, as if you just came back from down south.
A spray tan generally lasts 7 to 14 days. The colour develops over 8 to 24 hours, peaks around the second day, then fades gently at the pace of your skin's natural renewal. How long it lasts depends mostly on your hydration and how you care for your skin after the session.
To make your glow last, moisturize your skin morning and night starting the next day, take lukewarm showers rather than hot ones and avoid scrubs, chlorine and long baths. Pat your skin dry instead of rubbing. Well hydrated, your colour stays even and fades beautifully for up to ten days.
Yes, a spray tan is beautiful on mature skin. Since there are no UV rays, it spares your skin the damage and premature aging that UV exposure causes. The shade warms the complexion, evens out uneven areas and gives a luminous finish. We simply adjust hydration beforehand, since drier mature skin holds colour differently.
Safety and Health
I will tell you straight: tanning without damaging your skin is possible. Sunless tanning was designed for exactly that, and here is what you need to know.
No. A spray tan gives no sun protection at all. The colour sits on the surface cells of your skin and offers no SPF, so you burn exactly as fast as you would with bare skin. Wear a broad spectrum sunscreen every day, tanned or not. Sunscreen also protects the evenness of your glow.
Spray tanning is considered one of the safest ways to tan, because it uses no UV rays at all. The colour comes from DHA, a molecule derived from sugar cane that reacts with the surface cells of your skin. I use NUDA for the colour, and Norvell for the prep and the finish.
Yes, dermatologists generally present sunless tanning as the safe alternative to tanning in the sun or in a booth. Dermatology societies advise against UV exposure, which increases the risk of skin cancer and premature aging, and point to self tanners and sunless sprays as the way to get colour without UV risk.
The healthiest sunless tan is the one that exposes your skin to zero UV rays, like a professional spray tan. Unlike the sun and tanning beds, it involves no UV exposure, which is what causes burns and DNA damage in the first place. Applied by an artist with natural products, it is the gentlest option for a sun-kissed look.
Honestly, yes, there are a few downsides. A spray tan is not permanent, you need to redo it every one to two weeks. It asks for a little preparation and some patience while the colour develops. Poorly applied at home, it can turn or streak. That is why a professional application makes all the difference.
Spray tanning is generally considered safe during pregnancy, since DHA acts only on the surface cells of the skin and does not enter the body. Many moms to be get one, especially for maternity photos. To be careful, talk to your doctor, especially in the first trimester, and we protect your airways during the session.
Sources: Canadian Cancer Society · FDA, Sunless Tanners & Bronzers
Your Appointment, Step by Step
A first appointment can feel intimidating. Here is how it goes, from choosing what to wear to the morning after.
You wear whatever you feel comfortable in. Most clients keep dark underwear on, others prefer nothing at all, it is your call and nothing is required. I guide you with respect and discretion the whole way through. After the session, slip into loose, dark clothing so you do not disturb the colour while it develops.
Prepare your skin the day before: exfoliate gently, shave or wax at least 24 hours ahead, and arrive with clean skin, free of lotion, oil, perfume or deodorant. Smooth, residue free skin holds the shade more evenly and makes your glow last longer. I send you all the instructions before your appointment.
The fresh solution can leave a temporary mark on light fabrics, but it washes out. Wear something dark and loose after your session and sleep on old sheets the first night. The rinse is what sets the colour: the care belongs to the window between the application and that first rinse.
The GLOW17 Glow
Our glow has a name: NUDA. It is the product behind every shade we create for you, and the reason your blend never turns orange.
NUDA is the line of sunless tanning products I chose for the shade itself. Its formulas are designed to respect and hydrate the skin. They give a colour with no orange tones, an even blend and a soft scent. That is what lets us create a natural, warm, custom glow, session after session.
At GLOW17, the LE GLOW17 full body spray tan is $95 plus tax. The duo package, LE GLOW BFF, is $149 plus tax for two, which comes to $74.50 per person when you bring your best friend. Mobile service is included, I come to you. You will find all the details in my packages below.
Prepare Your Skin,
Then Keep Your Glow
Most of the result is decided before the artist arrives, and the rest in the days that follow. Here is the short version of both, with the full guides one click away.
Step one
How to Prepare for a Spray Tan
Smooth, clean, dry skin holds the shade evenly and makes it last longer. Everything happens in the 24 hours before your session.
- Exfoliate gently 1 to 3 days before, insisting on knees, elbows and ankles
- Shave or wax at least 24 hours ahead, never the same day
- Moisturize the days before, but nothing on the day itself
- Shower no later than 3 hours before, lukewarm water, no product left on the skin
- Arrive with no makeup, cream, oil, sunscreen, deodorant or perfume
- Bring loose, dark clothing and dark flip flops
Step two
Aftercare, Day by Day
The shade keeps developing for 8 to 24 hours after the session. What you do during that window, and the following week, decides how long your glow lasts.
- Wait the time I give you before your first shower
- First rinse with lukewarm water only, no soap and no scrubbing
- Pat your skin dry with a towel, never rub
- Moisturize morning and night starting the next day
- Avoid scrubs, chlorine, long baths and very hot showers
- Protect your skin with sunscreen: a spray tan is not an SPF
Spray Tan, UV or Self Tanner?
Three ways to get a sun-kissed complexion. Two of them use no UV rays, and only one is applied by a professional. Here is how sunless tanning compares, line by line.
| Criterion | Spray tan | UV bed | At home self tanner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural result | Even, shade mixed on the spot | Variable, risk of redness | Streaks are possible on the back |
| UV free | Yes, zero rays | No, UV rays | Yes, zero rays |
| Longevity | 7 to 14 days | Fades as the skin renews | 3 to 7 days |
| Application | By an artist, even | Booth, timed | Yourself, hard on the back |
| Price / effort | $95 plus tax, zero effort | Membership, health risk | Cheap, lots of effort |
Spray Tan or UV Tanning, What Is the Difference?
The difference is fundamental: a spray tan colours the surface of the skin without any rays, while UV tanning forces the skin to darken by exposing it to rays that damage it. A spray tan involves no UV exposure, so it avoids the burns and the skin cancer risk that come with tanning rays, and it is immediate and even. UV tanning damages the skin and makes it age faster.
Sunless tanningSpray Tan or at Home Self Tanner, Which Should You Choose?
At home self tanner is convenient and affordable, but hard to apply without streaks, especially on your back and around your joints. A professional spray tan gives you a shade adjusted to your skin and an even spray application, back included. For an event where the finish matters, that is what we recommend. For quick upkeep between sessions, self tanner does the job well.
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Your Glow,
By Occasion
Bridal
A trial to validate your shade, then the session 1 to 2 days before the day.
Discover
Before Departure
Two sessions timed around your flight. You step off the plane already tanned.
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Mobile spray tan
On your own or with someone, at home. The shade is mixed on the spot, for your skin.
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Bachelorette
The whole group at the same address, in the same visit. From 3 people.
DiscoverLaval, Montréal, and the Whole North Shore
From Laval, I come to you, anywhere on the North Shore.
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