What Age Can You Get a Spray Tan? A Parent's Guide

There is no federal minimum age for a spray tan. New York bans anyone under 18 from UV tanning beds, but spray tans use no UV, and New Jersey’s tanning law was reported to set 14 as the minimum age for spray tanning at tanning facilities. Because research on DHA exposure in young teens is thin, waiting until at least 14, keeping a parent involved and asking the pediatrician about anything unclear is a sensible approach.

The question usually arrives about six weeks before a bat mitzvah, a sweet 16 or prom. Sometimes from the teen, sometimes from a mother who is booking a family appointment and wonders whether to add her daughter. This guide is written for that parent: what the law says, what the safety research says, and how to make a decision you feel good about. For the general safety picture, start with Is Spray Tanning Safe?

What the law says in New York and New Jersey

New York

Since 2018, New York has prohibited tanning facilities from letting anyone under 18 use ultraviolet tanning devices. Before that, 17-year-olds could tan with written parental consent. The law targets UV, which is the established skin cancer risk. A spray tan is not a UV device, so that ban does not apply to it in the same way. That does not mean anything goes; it means the decision rests with the family and the artist.

New Jersey

New Jersey’s 2013 tanning law, as reported at the time, barred anyone under 17 from tanning beds and barred children under 14 from getting spray tans at tanning facilities. If you are in Deal or along the Shore for the summer, that 14 line is a useful reference point. Regulations get updated, so treat this as a starting point and confirm current rules if it matters for your plans.

What the safety research says about teens

The active ingredient in every spray tan is DHA, which the FDA approves for external application to the skin, but not for the eyes, lips or mucous membranes, and which it has not evaluated for inhalation. Those cautions are the same for every age. The details are in Is DHA Safe?

What is different for younger clients is the evidence base. In October 2024, the UK’s advisory group on consumer product safety (SAG-CS) concluded that DHA is safe for adults at set concentrations, including in spray booths, but said it could not reach a conclusion on use by children, because there are no exposure studies or usage data specific to them. That is not a finding of harm. It is an honest “we don’t know yet,” and it is a fair reason for caution with younger kids.

Why a spray tan beats the alternatives teens actually try

The realistic comparison is not spray tan versus nothing. It is spray tan versus a teenager lying out on the roof or at the beach, or finding a salon that does not check ID. Against those, a spray tan is clearly the safer choice. The American Academy of Dermatology’s indoor tanning statistics cite research that indoor tanning before age 35 can raise melanoma risk by 59 percent. A spray tan is a chance to teach a teen that looking tan and getting tan are two different things.

How to make a teen’s spray tan as safe as possible

• Talk to the artist first.Tell her your child’s age, skin type, and any allergies or skin conditions. A careful artist will ask for a parent’s okay for anyone under 18.
• Be there. For younger teens especially, a parent in the room is reassuring for everyone and means you hear the aftercare directly.
• Go light. A first tan should look like a good week of summer, not a different person. Photos from the event will thank you.
• Protect the face. Eyes closed, breath held for the face passes, lip balm on, nose filters if she wants them. Many parents prefer to skip the face spray for younger teens; see the face spray tan guide.
• Patch test if her skin is sensitive. A small test on the inner arm a week or two before is easy insurance.
• Mind the acne. Teen skin often breaks out at the worst moment. Read does spray tan cause breakouts for a plan.
• Sunscreen stays. A spray tan provides essentially no sun protection.

Timing for bat mitzvahs, sweet 16s and prom

A spray tan develops over about eight hours, and the first rinse comes after that with lukewarm water and no soap. It looks its most natural on the second day and lasts roughly seven to ten days with care. So for a Sunday event, a Friday tan is ideal; for a Saturday-night event, aim for Thursday, since the Midwood studio is closed on Shabbat.

If it is her first tan ever, consider a short trial a few weeks before. It answers the shade question, shows how her skin reacts, and takes the nerves out of the real thing.

Group tans for the family or the friends

Bat mitzvahs and sweet 16s are rarely solo events. When there are five or more people, Rosie can come to you. Her mobile spray tan service has a minimum of five people and is quoted per booking. For a teen, being tanned at home with her mother and sisters around is often the most comfortable way to do a first tan. In the studio, the standard Spray Tan is $100 and takes about 20 minutes.

The short answer for parents:there is no single magic age. Fourteen, the line New Jersey’s law draws, is a sensible reference point, with a parent involved, a light shade, a protected face and the pediatrician’s blessing for any health concern. Questions about your own teen? Call or text Rosie at (917) 326-0303.