What are ‘Parabens & Sulfates’ and Why are They Bad for my Spray Tan?

Okay, so if you’ve ever gotten a spray tan before, you’ve surely heard all the buzz about ‘paraben-free’ and ‘sulfate-free’ … but what exactly do these buzz words mean? This is SUCH a good question that hardly ever gets answered. However, today you’re in luck because we are about to finally give you all the answers you’ve been looking for!

What are Parabens and Sulfates?

Parabens are chemicals that act as preservatives and can be found in most beauty products. They were invented to prevent bacteria in products such as deodorants, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, body washes, etc. Parabens are most commonly used to preserve the shelf-life of these beauty products.

Sulfates are a form of salt from sulfuric acid. Sulfates are commonly known to as cleaning/foaming agents and are normally found in toothpaste, body washes, shampoos, and conditioners. Yes, sulfates are what enables products to “foam” or “lather” more easily.

Why are They Toxic for a Spray Tan?

While there are many reasons that experts have found parabens and sulfates to be harmful to daily health (that’s another blog post for another time), we want to avoid them because they have been found to very easily strip a spray tan!

These harsh chemicals can smudge, strip, or streak a tan… all of which are huge no-no’s! If you’re looking to increase the life of your tan, we HIGHLY recommend seeking alternative beauty products post-spray tan!

What Products CAN I Use?

At Bronze Beauty Spray Tanning, we have a multitude of product options for you to purchase before you even leave our studio! Some of our all-time favorites are: Sunstyle Catwalk Body Wash, Sunstyle Catwalk Sunless Tan Extending Lotion, and AYU Moisturizing Lotion. All of these options are sulfate-free & paraben-free, smell heavenly, and can extend the life of your spray tan for up to 10 days!

So what are you waiting for? Now that you know what parabens and sulfates are, you can educate yourself when you’re shopping for your new fav post-tan products! The more organic the product, the better it is for your spray tan! Happy tanning!