Bat Mitzvah Spray Tan & Sweet 16 Tans: A Parent’s Guide

A bat mitzvah spray tan should be light, even and done one to two days before the event, so it has developed and been rinsed before she puts on her dress. For a girl’s first tan, the goal is not color. It is looking rested and a little sunny in photos you will keep for forty years.

This is a guide for parents. It covers whether a tan makes sense at twelve or sixteen, how light to go, how to time it around Shabbat and a Sunday party, and how to fit in the mother of the bat mitzvah, her sisters and, if she wants one, her grandmother. If you are planning to tan the whole family or a group of friends at home, the spray tan party guide covers the room setup and running order in detail.

First question: is she ready for one?

There is no law and no medical rule that sets one age for a spray tan. The question is really about her skin and about her. Rosie has written a separate article for parents on what age you can get a spray tan; read that first if you are unsure.

The short version for a bat mitzvah or sweet 16:

• Start lighter than you think. A first tan is a test of how her skin takes color, which is why the blend for a twelve-year-old is usually lighter than for her mother.
• Skin conditions come first. If she has active acne, eczema, or takes a medication that affects her skin, speak to her pediatrician or dermatologist before booking. Rosie’s article on spray tans and breakouts is a useful starting point, not a substitute.
• She should want it. Some girls love the ritual. Others hate standing still in a room with an adult they do not know. Both are fine.
• A parent is involved. For anyone under 18, ask Rosie about her policy for minors when you call, including whether a parent needs to make the booking or be there.

How light to go

Lighter than she will ask for. Every time.

A twelve-year-old’s idea of a good tan often comes from a phone screen: someone older, with a different skin tone, photographed in perfect light. Rosie’s approach is to look at the actual girl in front of her and mix for that skin, usually aiming only a shade or so above her natural color. On a young face, an even, soft tan looks healthy. A deep one looks like makeup.

The same logic applies to a sweet 16, with a little more room. At sixteen she probably has an opinion, and that is part of the fun. Rosie’s guide to choosing your spray tan shade explains how undertone shapes the result.

Timing around Shabbat and the party

A tan develops over about eight hours, then gets a first rinse with lukewarm water and no soap. It looks most natural on Day 2 and, with care, lasts about seven to ten days. Rosie is shomer Shabbat, works Sunday to Thursday 9 AM to 8 PM and Friday until one hour before sunset, and is closed on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. That gives a clear calendar:

• Shabbat-morning bat mitzvah, kiddush in shul: tan on Thursday. She will be on Day 2 for shul.
• Shabbat bat mitzvah plus a Sunday party: Thursday still works and lasts through Sunday easily. If the Sunday party is the one with the photographer, Friday morning puts it closer.
• Motzei Shabbat or weeknight party: Thursday for Saturday night; two days before for anything midweek.
• Sweet 16 on a Sunday: Friday morning.

In winter, Friday hours are short, so book early in the week and early in the day. The reasoning behind the Day 2 rule is in the Day 2 phenomenon.

The rest of the family

In a lot of Brooklyn families, the bat mitzvah tan is not one tan. It is the girl, her mother, two sisters and sometimes a grandmother who decides at the last minute that she wants one too.

The mother

You will be in nearly every photo, standing next to her. A soft, natural shade is almost always right, and it should be close to her color so the two of you look related in pictures. If your skin has changed in the last few years, say so; drier, more mature skin may do better with a gentler blend and more moisture beforehand. The advice on the mother of the bride page applies here too.

Sisters

Older sisters often want to be deeper. Younger ones want to be exactly what the bat mitzvah girl is. Each should get the shade that suits her own skin. Matching everyone is what makes family photos look strange.

Booking the family together

Five or more people, including friends or cousins, meets the minimum for a mobile spray tan at home. Rosie sets up in a private room and does everyone in turn; mobile sessions are quoted per booking based on headcount, location and timing. Fewer than five, come to the Midwood studio and ask Rosie whether she can schedule you close together. A Spray Tan is $100, a Spray Tan+ with a take-home kit is $150, and Face Only is $50. Grandmothers who only want a little color in photos sometimes find Face Only is plenty. Prices are on the services page; for how they compare with the wider market, see how much a spray tan costs.

Sweet 16 parties: when the friends come too

A sweet 16 tan party at home is a lovely idea and a real responsibility. If guests under 18 are getting tanned, their parents need to know and agree before the day, not after. A short message to each family with the date, what will happen and what to wear saves a lot of awkward phone calls.

What she should wear, and what she should not

• Loose, dark clothes and flip-flops to the appointment.
• Old dark underwear or a dark swimsuit. Whatever is comfortable.
• No lotion, deodorant, body spray or makeup that day.
• Shave or wax, and exfoliate, at least a day before.
• Hair tied up.

Light and white dresses are fine for the event itself, because by then the tan has developed and been rinsed. Just keep her out of the dress for the first night. The longer list is in what to wear to a spray tan.

A parent’s checklist

1. Talk to her about it. Make sure she wants one.
2. If she has a skin condition, check with her doctor first.
3. Decide who else in the family is getting tanned. Count heads.
4. Count back one to two days from the photos, around Shabbat.
5. Call or text Rosie at (917) 326-0303. There is no online booking. Changes need at least 24 hours’ notice; see the policies page.
6. Two days out, send everyone the prep and what-to-wear list.

A bat mitzvah or sweet 16 is often a girl’s first time in front of a photographer for a whole evening. A light, even tan helps her feel put together. What helps more is a family that is relaxed about it.

If prom is next on the calendar, the prom spray tan guide picks up where this one leaves off.