The decision to shower before going on stage depends on a few factors, such as how dark you are, how dark you need to be, and how easily you sweat. Not all categories require the same darkness, though the general rule is there’s no such thing as too dark. Most manufacturers recommend NOT showering prior to going on stage, though it is very common for competitors who get more than two sprays to lightly rinse off (using water only) all sprays EXCEPT the night before and morning of the show. Keeping the extra bronzer from spray tans will make you significantly darker. However, if you plan to go on stage without rinsing off, use extra care when drinking, urinating, sleeping, or coming into contact with anything that might smear your tan.

If you don’t need to be as dark or if you’ve done lots of pre-show tanning and sprays then rinsing off (with water only) before the show will make the show easier since you don’t have to worry about smears or tiny imperfections that sometimes creep up.

If you sweat a lot then not rinsing your spray tanning bronzer off becomes extra tricky. For some, the stress of being on stage will greatly increase your likelihood of sweating and when combined with the heat from the bright stage-lights, you may find the idea of rinsing off to be very tempting. There are no simple tricks to avoid sweating, but the time you spend on stage is generally very short meaning even if you do start to sweat, you may be able to get through your routine before it becomes noticeable or problematic.

If you are unsure, check with your coach or competitor-friends for some guidance on how dark you should be and if you should rinse off or not or consider doing some test sprays several weeks before your competition.

Protecting your spray tan comes with practice. Trial-and-error are going to be your best teachers. However, there are a few things to avoid. Firstly, don’t sweat or get wet. That means stay in a cool environment and use extra caution when drinking and urinating. After you get sprayed, wear loose clothing. Even clothes with strong elastic rubber belts, such as what you find on some sweat pants, can be problematic by leaving lines around your waist. An oversized t-shirt and loose sweats are ideal so long as they are not too tight or rubbing anywhere. If you are going to be sleeping in your spray tan, use the same loose clothing. While sleeping, we tend to move around and touch more than we realize, so covering your skin minimizing the chance of a random handprint or touch-point showing somewhere.

By the morning of the competition, many competitors are very stressed and every little thing takes on an unusual intensity. If your spray tan gets smeared then the first thing to keep in mind is not to panic. In most cases your spray tan is easily fixed. If you have an on-site spray scheduled then simply show up at your appointment as usual and get your spray. If a professional spray product (like those carried by Sun Splash Tans) is used, hand prints, water drips, or most any other minor imperfection will be covered during your on-site spray (even when only sprayed lightly).

If you don’t have an onsite spray scheduled for the morning of the show, bring a touch-up kit that matches the brand and color spray you got. For example, if you got a Pro Tan Competition spray, don’t use Jan Tana to touch up since the tones and bronzers will be different. Apply your touch-up using a sponge or soft cloth in a dabbing–not rubbing–manner. When the touch-up is first applied, it won’t match. Give it five to ten minutes to dry and the colors should match much better.

If your spray has turned green, then some extra steps may be needed. Due to imbalances from diuretics, exfoliation, and even just stress, your body chemistry can be altered in such a way (usually becoming too acidic) that your body metabolizes your spray differently resulting in a green-ish tint. If you fall into this category, your best choice is to either wash off your spray completely and get a full respray or to apply a pH balancing product. Sun Splash carries several products to help with this phenomenon should you decide NOT to rinse off your spray.

Tattoos can be distracting and can mask your definition. However, applying a concealer can also introduce problems since the color may not match the rest of your tan and concealer can easily get messy. Smaller tattoos in non-essential places are usually not a problem for regional events. For professional events, it is best to check with judges or an experienced coach for guidance. If tattoo concealer is needed, you may find it’s best to buy the brand that matches your spray tan color. For example, if you expect to get sprayed with Jan Tana then tattoo cover-up from Jan Tana is likely going to be your closest match. If unsure, we recommend doing a test spot of concealer and spray prior to your competition.

It seems every competition we see someone with a greenish tint to the skin. The active ingredient in most spray tans is organic. That means it is sensitive to your body chemistry and anything you do to alter your body’s chemistry may result in a change in the way your tan develops. For example, aggressively scrubbing your skin (exfoliating) prior to a spray strips away your body’s normal oils and may make it too acidic. This is why you should never exfoliate the two days prior to starting your sprays and never exfoliate on show day. Also, using lots of diuretics and depriving yourself of lots of water may alter your body’s chemistry making it unusually acidic. This will make your color start to take on a greenish tint by the end of the day.

Even if you do everything right, some people’s skin is naturally more acidic and even if you wash off your spray tan, you’ll notice your skin has a mild greenish tint to it on competition day. If you fall into this rare category and have time, you may find it best to rinse off your spray with cool water and respray being sure to apply a pH balancing product. While respraying will definitely help, you may find it isn’t practical. If you don’t have time or a place to shower, a quick spray of a pH balancing product alone generally makes the tan look fresh and may be enough. If you decide to respray, be sure to inquire about a pH balancing product anyway since by the end of the day it is possible your acidic skin might again start to get a green tint. If you feel you are in a high-risk category for “green” then let us know before you get your spray and we can apply a prespray pH balancing product. If you do start to turn green, Sun Splash offers several products to help, so be sure to call us if you need help.

An orange-looking tint to a tan can be due to many factors. However, “orange” most often happens when a low-quality spray is used, when an old spray solution is used, or when the competitor is very pale. At Sun Splash, we generally order our spray solutions just prior to a show ensuring it is always fresh and we only use the highest quality brands. Even with a fresh product, the more naturally light-skinned you are, the more prone you are to turning orange. The darkening ingredient in competition spray tans is especially high due to the need for competitors to be especially dark, which creates added risk.

If you are unusually pale, it is strongly recommended that you UV tan in the weeks leading up to your competition to give you a good base tan to spray on. If you fear you may still be too pale, it is best to schedule more spray tans than usual. For example, the average competitor may get just two sprays and leave the second spray on for the show. However, if you are extra pale, you may want to get 4 sprays over the course of 2 or 3 days so you can build up your color gradually while still keeping it natural looking. Applying too much spray at one time greatly increases the risk of your color looking more orange. If unsure, come into the salon and we can make a recommendation after seeing your skin tone or take our online skin type test. If you are skin type 3 or lower, you may want to consider extra sprays.

Spray tans gradually fade off over about a week meaning the day after your spray you will be your darkest and by the 7th day it is generally gone. However, competition sprays come with A LOT of bronzer. This extra color can make you look significantly darker, which can help you look significantly more fit and defined. This is also why people usually get their last spray the day before or the day of a competition.

This bronzer is NOT your skin color. The first time you shower after getting sprayed, you are going to lose that bronzer color and your spray is going to start to look more like (though still different) than a regular non-competition spray. The bronzer in competition spray tans does NOT hold up well over time meaning if you have another competition even just two days away, you should shower the old one off and get a fresh spray prior to that date.

No matter how well you prepare, there will always be more that you could have done. There are so many details that even experienced professionals struggle at times, so don’t be too hard on yourself. The best tip of all is to bring a friend with you. Ideally that friend is someone who is familiar with the bodybuilding competition environment. However, even a friend who knows nothing at all about bodybuilding will help you stay focused and can help with all the little things that you didn’t even realize you needed.