Sponsored. This post features spraytan.me, a spray tan directory owned by the publisher of I Love South Florida. The tips below apply wherever you book.
Our high season is starting. Between holiday photos, Art Basel parties, winter weddings and the first visitors who want to hit the beach, a lot of us want a glow right now, and a lot of us also know better than to bake in the sun for it. A spray tan is the easy answer. It just works a little differently down here, where it is humid, the pool is always open and the ocean is ten minutes away.
Here is how to get one that looks good and lasts in South Florida.
Pick your timing
- Book one to two days before the big event. The color keeps developing for several hours, and a day of wear softens any streaks. That gives you a buffer if something needs a touch-up.
- Book early in peak weeks. The weeks before Thanksgiving, Art Basel (early December), the holidays, New Year’s Eve and spring break fill up fast across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.
- Plan your beach day after, not before. Salt water, chlorine and long hot showers all fade a tan faster. If the trip to the sandbar is on Saturday and the wedding is on Sunday, save the tan for Friday and keep the swim short.
Prep the day before
- Shave or wax and exfoliate at least a day ahead so the solution goes on smooth skin.
- Skip lotion, deodorant, makeup and perfume on the day of the appointment. They can block the solution and leave patches.
- Wear loose, dark clothes and flip-flops to the appointment. Tight waistbands and sneakers are where most smudges come from.
Beat the humidity
Sweat is the enemy of a fresh spray tan, and South Florida does not do dry. A few local tricks:
- Book a morning or evening slot, and blast the AC in the car on the way home.
- Skip the gym, yard work and outdoor plans until after your first rinse.
- For a mobile tan at home, set up in the coolest room with a fan running, not on the lanai.
- Wait the full time your artist gives you before that first rinse. It is usually several hours, and it depends on the solution, so follow their instructions.
Mobile or studio?
A mobile artist brings the tent, airbrush and fan to your home, hotel or venue. That is the move for a bridal party getting ready together, a bachelorette weekend in a Miami Beach or Fort Lauderdale hotel, or anyone who does not want to drive home in loose sweats through I-95 traffic. A studio is a good pick when you want a quick appointment on your way somewhere.
Don’t skip the sunscreen
A spray tan is color, not protection. It does nothing against our sun, so keep wearing sunscreen at the beach, on the boat and on your walk to lunch.
Finding an artist with spraytan.me
Spraytan.me’s Florida page lists mobile spray tan artists and studios around the state. You can filter by mobile or studio, price, rating, distance, and solutions like organic, vegan or fragrance-free, then check each business’s own details before you book. In South Florida it currently lists artists in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, with more of Florida covered from Fort Myers to Jacksonville.
The site also has short guides worth reading before your first appointment, including how to prepare, what a spray tan costs, and mobile versus studio.
Do spray tans in Boca, West Palm, Hollywood, the Keys or anywhere else in South Florida? Basic listings are free. Add your business so locals can find you.