Barrier Cream for Spray Tanning

SalonGeek

Help Support SalonGeek:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Nic1980

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2011
Messages
52
Reaction score
0
Location
Essex
I always use barrier cream before spray tanning my clients, but I know some technicians don't use it. What are your thoughts on this - to use or not to use? Also, do you think using E45 cream would make a good substitute (works out cheaper than the brand I use)?

Thanks everyone!


OMG! Why didn't I think of Aqueous cream - brilliant!
Thanks everyone :)
 
Last edited:
A barrier cream should ALWAYS be used no question! However you are right some therapists do not use it but in my opinion this makes them look very unprofessional! I use Vaseline and find its better than any other barrier cream or smoothing spray I have used in the past!:biggrin:
 
What do you use a Barrier cream for?
I don't do spray tans (yet), but hoping to learn soon ..
 
I just use normal moisturiser as a barrier cream. Currently cocoa butter and mallow stuff from boots. It works great. I use it on the palms, elbows, knees and the backs of heels. I also put a small amount on the backs of hands and tops of feet to stop them taking too much tan x
 
i use aqueous cream, cheap as chips from chemist and because it used for eczema etc there very little chance of anyone reacting to it or any chemicals reacting with tan x
 
I too use aqueous cream. It gives the same results as the tanning barrier cream I had in my starter kit but is a lot cheaper.

I get big tubs of it from my local chemist then decant it into a pump bottle to ensure it doesn't get contaminated during use.

Please note that Vasaline gives a total barrier so shouldn't be used in the same way a moisturiser barrier cream would be used.
Vasaline should only be applied to areas you do not want to tan at all, where as a barrier cream would be applied thinly to any dry skin to allow the area to tan but to stop the solution grabbing at dry skin and going orange and would be applied in a thicker layer to areas you don't want to tan, then wipe away the excess barrier cream after spraying.
 
I find Vaseline fine on dry areas BB, esp my ezcema :) I agree with aqueous cream too though thats also a fab one!
 
Nat-Nat, I said what I did above because I saw the results of a tanning party where someone used vasaline as a barrier cream and it had caused all the tans to have white patches.

I was called in to see if I could fix the resulting tans as the therapist who tanned them refused to see them again and told them 'they are whinging over nothing & she knew their tans were fine :eek:'.

To be fair to the girls they definatley had lots of white patches and as I didn't know what solution had been used or what percentages, I told them all to use microfibre cloths and remove as much of the tan as they could over the next few days and I'd spray all of them at a discounted price as I knew them and they were all so gutted at their experience with the other therapist.

It worked in my favour as I gave them all the pre tan leaflets and booked them in for a week later, I tanned them all and they loved their tans and are now regulars. :biggrin:
 
i use aqueous cream, cheap as chips from chemist and because it used for eczema etc there very little chance of anyone reacting to it or any chemicals reacting with tan x

What a great idea using aqueous cream. I will start using that too I think xx
 
Aqueous cream all the way:biggrin:
 
i just use barrier cream from nouvatan....but....i only ever put barrier cream on the palms of the hands....thats how i was trained....and it is always fine!! but think im probably one of the few that do....i know applying it on knuckles, knees and elbows is common, but i honestly havent had any problems before.
 
our local pound shop sells aqueous cream in a whacking great 500ml tub! Fabulous size lasts ages for...thats right.. a £1.00! Works a treat all I use. Get down to your pound shops ladies and gents!
 
ha-ha I wasn't moaning BB, just saying works fine for me, least I know that wasnt my tans you had to rescue!! You do have to use a very sparing layer, she prob smothered it! In Sunless training now we have switched to an Oil free moisturiser anyway! xxx:Love:
 
Last edited:
I know you wern't moaning Nat-Nat I just felt I should explain to anyone reading the thread (now or in the future) why I had said what I did, my experience with vasaline and tanning wasn't great lol, I know it wasn't me that applied the vasaline but it defo put me off ever using it if I could ever end up with those results. I'm happy with Aqueous cream and can get it cheaply from any local chemist. :Love:
 
The lady that trained me doesn't use barrier creams at all and that's obviously how she trained me but I have bought some to use, will probably just use for the palms of hands, I'd be worried about knees and elbows being white compared to the rest????? Or is there no need to worry?? My trainer said it leaves white patches and that's why she doesn't use it
 
The lady that trained me doesn't use barrier creams at all and that's obviously how she trained me but I have bought some to use, will probably just use for the palms of hands, I'd be worried about knees and elbows being white compared to the rest????? Or is there no need to worry?? My trainer said it leaves white patches and that's why she doesn't use it

i only use it on palms and it works for me.....although, you can usually see if someone has really dry elbows/knees so i usually apply a small bit then if thats the case x
 
Barrier cream doesn't act as a full barrier, the solution still gets through, it just stops the dry skin absorbing more of the tan than necessary which can result in darker patches of skin.

I ALWAYS use barrier cream on elbows, knees, backs of heels, palms and a little bit on the wrist area and I have never had a client complain of white patches. :biggrin:
 
100%!!!! I've had clients come to me after spray tans from other salons (I don't spray tan at my current place of work but I did for a couple of years..) and they have tan all around their ankles, finger nails, elbows etc etc.. when I spray tanned clients I always did it for them.. much quicker and easier to do it yourself than have to explain to them where to put the cream before you leave them to get changed or whatever. Literally takes a couple of seconds of your time but makes a HUGE difference to the result!

Important areas being: palms of hands, fingers, nails, knuckles, elbows, knees, back of ankles, heels and around the toenails too.

I just used Vaseline Aloe Vera cream (Im sure the non aloe vera one is fine too, I just like the smell lol). Its much cheaper than branded barrier creams, does a fantastic job, and isn't thick and oily like some creams, which I find a lot of clients don't like. Anyhow, I was the only person spray tanning at my previous salon and had lots of repeat business! Hope that helps!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top