What to Wear After a Spray Tan: A Guide

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Do you have a spray tan session coming up soon? If you are confused about what to wear after a spray tan, you’ve come to the right place!

Wear loose and flowy clothes after your spray tan.

Spray tanning has recently become the preferred way of getting that gorgeous, bronzed look without spending hours under the smoldering sun or glowing tanning bed, and risking burning your skin. Remember that the traditional way of getting a tan requires increased exposure to U.V. radiation, causing severe skin damage, skin aging, and the risk of cancer! 

Getting a spray tan instead is the perfect way to give your skin a sun-kissed glow without actually involving the sun and all of its terrible side effects. Ready to head to your tanning appointment? Here is how you should prepare.


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What to Wear After a Spray Tan

Now that you’re ready to put on minimal clothing and get your spray tan done, you should also have in mind what to wear after a spray tan.

After spending so much and money, you wouldn’t want your tan to wear off quickly or become patchy just because you put on the wrong pair of jeans, right?

Loosely Fitted Clothes

Loose Fitted Dress

To make sure the tan stays for a long time and doesn’t rub off your skin’s surface, try to stick to loose clothes that don’t touch your body too much. Long dresses like this one with loose, A-line shaped sleeves work perfectly and won’t form weird-looking lines on your tan.

Also, make sure your clothes are made of cotton so you can wash off any tan solution stains that get on them.

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Dark Outfits

If you want to make sure half of your wardrobe doesn’t end up with brown stains, try to avoid light-colored clothes at all costs.

Tanning solutions have a lot of chemicals that will form weird blotches on your clothes. By wearing dark colored outfits, you can ensure they don’t react too much with the bronzer and leave your clothes and tan in perfect condition.  

Flowy Skirts

Flowy Skirt

Skirts are the perfect bottoms to wear after a spray tan. They barely brush against your legs and exposes them to the sun and fresh air – helping your tan become even and smooth.

Floerns Women's Boho Elastic Waist Scarf Print Pleated Midi Skirt Multi Scarf XS
Floerns Women's Boho Elastic Waist Scarf Print Pleated Midi Skirt Multi Scarf XS
Notice: Fabric has no stretch; Scarf print, full length, midi elastic waist boho skirt; Occasion: Suit for Spring/Summer/Fall, party, vacation, travel or just casual wear

Flip Flops

Flip Flops

Loose footwear and flip flops are always the best to slide into after a tanning session. They won’t rub against your ankles to form weird marks, and neither do they have a top band that can give you visible tan lines. 

Letting your feet breathe is a great way to make sure the tan comes out perfect and looks even with the rest of your body. 


How Long After a Spray Tan Can I Wear Tight Clothes?

Spray tans can cost a lot at a salon! To get the most out of your money and leave the salon with the perfect tan that lasts for ages, try to avoid tight clothing for at least 24 hours after your spray tan. This includes underwear, bathing suits, footwear, and even sleepwear.

Any tight clothes that fit snugly to your body will create friction resulting in awkward streaks and indentation on the tan. Additionally, the solution will rub on your clothes and ruin them.

It’s a lose-lose situation.

You can try applying baby powder after a spray tan to help your skin dry out.


What Should You Wear During a Spray Tan?

When you’re getting ready for a spray tan, it is crucial to prep your skin well and wear appropriate clothing. Try to exfoliate your body using a spray tan exfoliator. Gently scrub to remove all the dead cells, dirt, and debris that could get in the way.

Next, moisturize using a hydrating cream or lotion, and you’re good to go!

If you’re getting a spray tan at home using a spray tan machine, you’ll probably want to go naked. But if not, you’ll want to bring the right clothes with you to the salon, and for after the tanning process.

Be very careful with your hands and feet, elbows, knees, fingernails, etc. These spots are the places that give away the “fake tan” look.

Time to pick out an outfit. This is an essential step that will determine how well your spray tan turns out. Choosing the wrong clothes can cause ugly tan lines and discolored patches. Nobody wants that, of course!

The clothes you wear to the tanning session should focus on comfort. Only when you’re at ease will you be able to get your body tanned evenly and not fidget the entire time you’re there.

Let’s look over all the components that can create a comfortable outfit for you to wear during your spray tan.

A Disposable Thong

Disposable Thong

During a spray tan, the lesser clothes you’re in, the better since they will get in the way and cause tan lines. Moreover, some of the tanning solution is likely to get on your clothes, and it won’t come off. 

If you aren’t comfortable with being completely naked during the session, that’s alright! Most people opt for a loose disposable thong that they can discard afterward.

Thongs work better than regular underwear since trails of the tanning solution are likely to run down your stomach and towards your crotch area. Cotton underwears will absorb this extra solution and get ruined.

Many salons will carry disposable thongs, or provide one for free during a spray tan session. But you may want to pick up your own to be prepared.

A Dark-Colored Bra

Dark Colored Bra

For people who aren’t comfortable with being topless, a dark-colored bra is a good choice. Try to make sure your bra’s material isn’t nylon, cotton or silk, as the tanning solution easily stains these. 

Although the tanning expert will do their best not to get any solution on your clothes, chances are some will drip down or get on the edges. So it’s always advised to wear old, dark underwear that you wouldn’t mind parting ways with.

Bali Comfort Revolution Wire-Free Bra in Black, US 2XLarge
Bali Comfort Revolution Wire-Free Bra in Black, US 2XLarge
THE CLOSURE - Padded hook-and-eye back closure with three fit adjustments.
Amazon Prime

See our article Do You Wear a Bra for a Spray Tan for more information.

Sticky Feet Pads

Sticky Feet Pads

Excess spray tan on the hands and feet are always a problem. It is definitely not a cute look!

Sticky feet pads are ready to come to your rescue, though. These are made with Eva foam, making them sturdy enough to last you the entire session and ensure no trails of tanning solution get to the bottom of your feet. 

60Pairs(120feets) Premium Pink Spray Tan Feet Tanning Pads Protectors
60Pairs(120feets) Premium Pink Spray Tan Feet Tanning Pads Protectors
The cheapest and best feet on AMAZON; perfect for mobiles...perfect for salons; Simple to use, simple to wear and simple to remove.
$26.99 Amazon Prime

Final Thoughts

Spray tanning is a great way to look ready for the summer and get that J-Lo bronze without any sun damage.

By being a little cautious with your clothing and your makeup, you can easily get a smooth, natural-looking tan that lasts for ages and doesn’t get your clothes dirty. Note that you should avoid sweating after a spray tan, and be patient before washing your hair or going swimming after a spray tan.

See here for more spray tan aftercare tips. Happy tanning!

Written by Kayla Young

Kayla is the founder of LuxeLuminous. She has worked professionally in the tanning industry for years. She has been interested in esthetics since childhood, and has tried every hair, skin, and makeup product ever produced (more or less).