Here at MELT we’re big believers that everyone feels lighter, brighter and more radiant with a healthy sunkiss! It’s true – everyone feels that boost of golden goddess confidence with a touch of tan.

We also care deeply about long-term skin health, protection from excess UV exposure, and the ingredients we choose to put on our precious bods. That’s why we’ve been offering the happiest, hand-airbrushed spray tans here for years!

For such a no-brainer service, the details really DO make a huge impact on the finished results. So, we’re writing this Blob as a thorough guide to all things MELT spray tans to help our clients achieve the most gorgeous, natural looking glow for every skin type and occasion.

You’ll learn the difference between our natural golden vs deep bronze solutions, our classic vs rapid development times, how to know which option is best to book, how to prepare for appointments, and all the pro tips for taking care of your skin post-spray.

Here we glow!

OUR ORGANIC SOLUTIONS

We offer four different spray tan solutions that you’ll have the opportunity to choose from in our booking system or the day of your appointment. 

They’re all 100% organic + non-toxic, pregnancy + nursing mamas safe, and provide 7-12 days of golden goodness with a subtle, gradual fade (aka no speckly, visible breakdown).

First, you'll choose your color. Then, you'll choose your solution's wear-time. 

1. Natural Golden or Deep Bronze 

Here, you're selecting the depth of color you'd like to achieve with your tan. We'll break down the deets below.

2. Rapid or Classic 

Here, you're selecting your development time, or how long you'll wear the solution on the skin before showering. As we'll expand on below, each of these options also has a range for further customization of your dream result. 

CHOOSING YOUR SOLUTION

“How do I know which solution is right for me?”

Natural Golden 
Perfect for all skin types for a softer sun-kiss that gives everyone a golden pop of subtle color. 

Deep Bronze 
Ideal for warm and olive skin tones to achieve a darker, richer tan. 

Classic Wear Time
We recommend 3 to 8 hours of wear-time before you shower. The longer you wear, the darker you’ll get.

This solution develops while in contact with the skin, so you’ll achieve most of your color by the time you shower though you may see some continued color for the hours following your first rinse.

The solution results in a bit of a softer, natural sun-kiss that gives anyone a healthy pop of subtle color. We love it before pictures, weddings and special events.

Rapid Wear Time

This express solution develops faster on the skin, so it gives you the option to shower sooner. We recommend 2 to 5 hours of wear-time before you shower. The longer you wear, the darker you’ll get.

This solution continues to develop for up to 10 hours after you’ve showered, so you’ll achieve most of your color by the time you wake up the next day. That means that once you rinse, you may not see a noticeable difference right away but you’ll wake up as the glowing goddess you came to be!

This solution is a more concentrated formula so it gets darker in less time and results in more depth and saturation. We love it for your next vacation or bachelorette celebration!

This formula is perfect for anyone looking to achieve a more dramatic change in color, for anyone pressed for time (needing to shower sooner), and for anyone who simply prefers not to wear the solution for very long.

WEAR TIME GUIDELINES

Classic
Light / Fair Skin = 3 to 4 hours
Medium / Olive Skin = 4 to 5 hours
Tan / Deep = 6 to 8 hours

Rapid
Light / Fair Skin = 2 to 3 hours
Medium / Olive Skin = 3 to 4 hours
Tan / Deep = 4 to 5 hours

HOW TO PREP FOR YOUR GLOW (PRE CARE)

1. Fuzz Free – remove any unwanted hair ahead of time so that you don’t need to shave, sugar or wax over your fresh tan, which leads to faster fading. We offer body sugaring at MELT and you are able to book immediately before your spray. Do not body wax same day / immediately before as wax can leave a barrier on the skin.

2. No Body Oils, Lotions or Deodorants – come with clean, product-free skin. We don’t want anything on the skin that will create a barrier and interfere with the solution bonding and developing properly in the skin.

3. A Note on Showering – give yourself several hours before your appointment to shower and/or end your shower with a quickie cold blast to close pores. This will help ensure you don’t have any patchiness or spotting.

4. Self Care – book all other self care services beforehand (brows, lashes, facials, pedicures and manicures, hair removal, massages, etc) to avoid your fresh spray tan from being disturbed. Give yourself a day / a shower after any services that leave products on the skin.

5. Exfoliate – remove dead, dull skin cells to create a smooth canvas. Be sure that any body scrubs you’re using are oil-free and do not leave a residue on the skin if you’re using them the day of your spray.

Our favorite is Lin Body Scrub (available in studio and online) -- learn why we love it HERE -- we recommend using this the day before since it does have a leave-on moisturizing oil when rinsed.

6. Wear Flowy Clothing – loose fitting, dark clothing that’s breathable is best for immediately after your service. Think ahead for any tight socks and shoes, bra straps and underwires, or garments that can rub away in areas while the solution is developing.

7. Glow Time – we recommend giving yourself 2 to 3 days before a special event or occasion to let the tan fully develop and look its freshest. For brides, these 2 to 3 showers can prevent solution from transferring to your white wedding dress though both do solutions wash out of clothing and bedding.


HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR GLOW (POST CARE)

1. Don’t Sweat It – plan accordingly to avoid too much physical activity before you can rinse. Obviously, no workouts but think ahead about things like running errands all around town in and out of a steamy car mid-summer, doing a bunch of dishes or house chores, etc. We want the spray tan to marinate on the skin undisturbed with no dripping.

2. Shower Time – shower within the appropriate window for the solution you’ve selected. In this first rinse, we recommend avoiding any body washes and hair products, using cooler water, and gently patting dry with your towel. Before stepping out of the shower, be sure the water running behind you is clear with no remaining solution coming off the skin.

3. Lather Up – definitely be sure to moisturize skin head-to-toe everyday to keep skin looking dewy and healthy without drying out. This will result in a more even, natural-looking tan and a better fade.

4. Hydrate – drink plenty of water to keep your skin juicy from the inside out.

5. No Exfoliation – until you are ready to remove the remaining tan.


SOLID GOLD, BABY
extra tips and tricks for your best spray

1. The Fairy Dust – for extra insurance, we finish all of our sprays with a magical anti-crease finishing dust that acts like a “makeup setting powder” but for your entire body. It helps the solution dry faster on the skin and keeps it locked into place to help prevent any creases or flaws. Bonus: it smells delish!

2. The Sweet Spot – we recommend giving yourself at least 2 days before a special event for your tan to fully settle in. We also recommend 2-3 days before a special event so that your tan looks as fresh as possible – the spray will gradually fade day by day and typically lasts 7-12 days total.

3. Sleep At Your Own Risk – if you can avoid it, we actually recommend NOT sleeping in your spray tan. While some of the time frames could allow for 6-8 hours of z’s, we’ve discovered that many people end up sweating too much in their sleep or over-developing during the night.

4. Our facial skin naturally tends to fade the fastest so we love using a tinted moisturizing SPF to help create a more appropriate tone from head-to-toe. Our healthy favorites are the 100% Mineral FaceShield in GLOW, FLEX or MATTE – all available in stores and in our online shop!

5. Live Your Best Life – and also just know that excess sweating, saunas, steam rooms, chlorine pools, and anything with extra skin friction can fade your tan more rapidly.

6. Golden Hour – we’ve launched an ALL DAY Spray Tan Special. Come experience the melty glow and get $10 off every Thursday at The Mothership!


Come see us in Scottsdale for your next spray tan! -- BOOK HERE