Discover Top 5 Best Airbrush Tanning Solutions (2019)

For hundreds and thousands of years if you wanted to get a beautiful golden tan, you had to spend time in the sun. As medical understanding has improved in the 20^th century, we now know that the sun—more specifically its UV rays—can cause a lot of damage to skin. From dark spots and wrinkles to skin cancer, the medical problems associated with tanning are widely discussed.

But, just because people know about the problems that can happen when you tan doesn’t mean that they have stopped wanting the tan look. The problem becomes: how to get that beautiful golden tan without damaging your skin.

Thankfully, today there are many answers to that important questions. You can choose to get a spray tan, airbrush tan, or rub a sunless tanning solution on your body. These products remove the need for the sun. Today we will look at airbrush tanning in particular and help you decide which of out top five picks for the best airbrush tanning solution to purchase. No matter what option you choose, you can rest assured that you will get the tan you’ve always wanted quickly and easily.

Airbrush tanning is performed by another person, either a salon technician or a friend depending on where you are receiving the tan. An airbrush machine—think airbrushed paintings or make-up—sprays on the tanning solution. This is a popular option because it creates an even tan without any streaks.

Most often a professional airbrush technician administers solution to your body. This allows for constant feedback, since the technician can see exactly where and how much solution has been sprayed on your body. They can also avoid certain area that do not need to be sprayed, like your palms.

Airbrush tanning is preferred by most celebrities because of the customization and care inherent in the procedure. So, if you want a tan that is professionally done, and that could make your skin look as good as your favorite celebrity, then airbrush tanning is the right option for you.

You may have confusion about the difference between airbrush tanning and spray tanning. In fact, many people actually confuse the two. However, they are not the same procedure for sunless tanning, even though they have a couple similarities.

Both airbrush tanning and spray tanning uses DHA to create the brown layer on your skin. These two popular sunless tanning options also most often employ bronzing agents. The bronzers work immediately so that you or the technician can see uncovered spots—which ensures your entire body is tanned evenly. However, the similarities stop at the ingredients.

Airbrush tanning is done in person by another human—either a salon employee or friend. This creates a tan without streaks. Also, if you get the airbrush tan at a salon the technician can help you customize the tanning solution to your own skin tone.

Spray tanning, on the other hand, is usually performed in a booth. You step in and the machine administers the solution. The fumes form this process can be intense, and the body is often not covered in the tanning material evenly. You cannot customize the tanning solution in this option. You can only choose one of the offered options. Thus, it is very common to look orange when you have gotten a spray tan.

Just because you are not being exposed to UV radiation does not mean that you cannot get a beautiful golden tan. Sunless tanning products use a chemical called dihydroxyacetone (DHA) that browns the outer layer of your skin. This is what makes you brown without changing the composition of your skin.

Airbrush tans are much better for your skin because you are not exposing yourself to the sun’s harmful UV rays. Skin cancer, wrinkles, fine lines, and dark spots are not side effects of sunless tanning.

You should keep one thing in mind however. When you tan in the sun, you skin turns brown because it is attempting to protect itself. The overproduction of melatonin—the pigment in our skin—creates a protective layer on your skin. This protection is not produced when you get a sunless tan like an airbrush tan. Therefore, when you go in the sun, even if you are tanned, you will need to wear sunscreen.

Any person can receive an airbrush tan and look good, no matter your skin tone. Because most airbrush tans are given in a salon by an experienced professional, they can match your skin tone to the correct tan color.

For example, an extremely fair person would not want to receive a tan that uses the darkest tanning solution. This would look out of place for their coloring. Likewise, if you have dark skin already, an airbrush technician would likely deter you from picking a light-colored solution, since it would not be visible.

With the internet and trial and error, most people can learn the correct tanning solution for their body type. However, the ability to rely on a professional—instead of a machine as in spray tanning—ensures that you will look your best every time you tan.

Some airbrush tanning solutions are now made with organic ingredients. If using only organic products is important to you, then you should choose a product that uses those ingredients.

Aloe vera is a wonderful ingredient to see in an airbrush tanning solution. It has a healing effect on our skin—which is why you see it in products that treat sunburns. But, it also allows the DHA to penetrate deeper into your skin, which provides a darker and longer lasting tan.

Certain vitamins are beneficial for your skin. If you see the vitamins A, C, or E included in a tanning solution, then you know that the company puts your skin’s health first. Vitamin A accelerates the production of fibroblasts, which keeps your skin taut. Vitamin C synthesizes collagen, our skin’s structural protein. Finally, Vitamin E blocks free radicals.

If you are planning on applying the airbrush tan yourself, or are learning about being an airbrush tan technician, there is a specific way to apply the solution to allow it to create the fullest effect. You will always want to follow the instructions that come with the solution. If you apply too much of the solution the tan may appear to be orange or it could build-up in crevices like the knees, elbow, etc.

The application process of the airbrush tan should take around 15-20 minutes.

There are a few steps you can take before your airbrush tan that will help the solution go on evenly and look its best.

Keeping your airbrush tan looking great will likely be a top priority for you. You did spend hard earned money to receive it after all. Follow these steps to keep your airbrush tan looking good and smooth as long as possible.

With the proper care, an airbrush tan can last over a week (7-10 days on average). Although this may seem like a short time to have a tan, it is longer then the expected 5-7 days you receive from a spray tan.

When you receive a tan using UV radiation—either from the sun or a tanning bed—the length of your tan will be much harder to determine. Some people lose their tans in just a couple weeks, while other people can have tans that last for around a month. Genetics play a large role in your skin rejuvenation process, something that you will not have to worry about with a sunless tan. 

An advantage of the airbrush—and other sunless tanning options—is that they appear instantly. You do not need to wait for days for your skin to produce more melatonin or shift your skin cells around. Instead the DHA browns your skin completely in just a couple of hours.

Sunless tanners, and airbrush tanning in particular, will not cause the skin problems that are associated with suntanning. Sunless tanning does not employ the UV radiation that suntanning uses to brown your skin. UV rays, especially UVB rays, are the cause of skin damage and cancer. So, staying out of the sun will save you from these problems.

As the most active ingredient in airbrush tanners, DHA, may sound like a scary chemical to some people. But, rest easy. There have been no reported issues with DHA. A very few people may have a DHA allergy, but this is quite rare.

As far as current studies have shown, DHA is safe for pregnant women. Yet, we always recommend that pregnant women consult a doctor before changing their skin care regimen or airbrush tanning. It is better to be safe than sorry.