To provide a competitive edge to salons offering spray tanning sunless services. Sun Cocktail offers the industry’s first program specifically designed for HVLP technicians. Based on research and testing conducted by some of the leading manufacturers of sunless spray systems, this course takes the technician from set up to application while discussing technique, safety, pricing and more. Professional tanning salons and spas now has the ability to offer superior sunless HVLP services delivered by well trained and certified sunless HVLP/technicians.
Business Success with Sunless:
The mention of “sunless tanning” used to raise the hackles of many indoor tanning salons and spa owners. The whole concept—tanning without the use of ultraviolet radiation—went against everything salons stood for. Maybe it still does in some cases. After all, why would a customer come to a salon when her or she could stay at home and apply a lotion for an instant tan? The question isn’t as perplexing as it once was. In fact, the truth is sunless can be a salon owner’s friend.
As sunless-tanning technology improves and education about it spreads through the industry, salon owners are beginning to understand the relationship between salons and sunless. By offering these products, including self tanners and bronzers, salons can satisfy yet another group of potential customers. They can build upon the trust of their existing tanners and become an authority for all their skin care needs. When marketed correctly, sunless products can be an excellent ancillary profit center.
Those skeptical of adding sunless to their facilities should remember this: Tanners and non-tanners want to look good and feel good. Only a few percent of the Canadian population, currently tan indoors, so consider the possibilities. What better way to double or even triple your client base than by introducing them to non-UV tanning?
Science behind How Sunless Solution Works
Due to an increase in spray tanning, DHA solutions have experienced tremendous growth in the past few years. Typically, there are three types of bronzers that are used in sunless spray solution. A cosmetic bronzer is visible immediately after being sprayed, but will wash off after showering. A DHA bronzer initially has no visible effect, but will begin to react with the skin in two to four hours and develop color. Erythrulose is slower-reacting bronzer and is similar to DHA.
The tan that is produced is absolutely water resistant and diminishes only has dead cells of the stratum corneum flake off. It should be noted, though, that the tan is purely cosmetic and does not provide the protection that SPF would.
The compositions of sunless tanning solutions are generally mixtures which produce a natural brown “Tan color” to the outer layer of the skin. Sunless tanning solutions usually consist of two main active ingredients, Dihydroxyacetone and Erythrulose. They both work on the same principle, reacting with the free amino groups of the amino acid, peptides and proteins from the upper most layer of the stratum corneum.
This reaction is known as the Maillard reaction also known as “nonenzymematic browning”. It can be influenced by several factors such as skin type, thickness, medications and dryness of the skin. The total composition of the sunless tanning solution greatly influences consistency, hue, intensity and substantively of the final tan. To optimize this reaction certain conditions need to be met. As far as skin condition is concerned, it is important that exfoliation is carried out to remove loose/dead skin from the surface.
The reaction is also affected by pH both on the skin and in the product itself. The development of the color takes anywhere from 2-4 hours, the intensity of the color is dependent on the formulation concentration of the Dihydroxyacetone and Erythrulose in the product.
– Article written by Sandra Myatte/Founder and Manufacturer of Sun Cocktail, Sunless products.
