Spray Tan for Sensitive Skin, Eczema & Rosacea

Yes, many people with sensitive skin can get a spray tan. The active ingredient, DHA, rarely causes reactions on its own; trouble more often comes from fragrance, certain preservatives and other additives, or from tanning over skin that is already inflamed. Patch test first, avoid active flares, and check with your dermatologist if you have eczema, rosacea or psoriasis.

Rosie has sprayed a lot of clients who arrive with a sentence ready: my skin reacts to everything. Some of them are right. Most of them have simply learned to be cautious, which is the correct instinct. This guide is about turning that caution into a plan, especially when a wedding, bar mitzvah or vacation is on the calendar and there is no room for a surprise rash. For the broader safety picture, see the pillar guide, Is Spray Tanning Safe?

What sensitive skin is actually reacting to

A professional spray tan solution has a few jobs: deliver DHA, carry a temporary guide color so the artist can see coverage, keep the formula stable, and feel pleasant. Each job adds ingredients. For sensitive skin, the suspects are usually not the DHA.

• Fragrance. Cleveland Clinic dermatologist Jennifer Lucas, MD, notes that fragrances in tanning products can irritate sensitive skin or trigger allergies. Fragrance is one of the most common causes of allergic skin reactions to cosmetics generally.
• Preservatives. Some people react to specific preservatives. Parabens are well studied and the FDA has said it has no information showing they harm health as used in cosmetics, but anyone with a known preservative allergy should check the label.
• Alcohol and drying agents. These can sting reactive or compromised skin.
• Botanical extracts and essential oils.“Natural” is not the same as gentle. Plant extracts are a known source of allergies for some people.
• DHA itself. Reactions are uncommon, but DHA can be drying, and some people do react to it.

Rosie’s solution is vegan, paraben-free and custom-blended per client, without harsh additives. That narrows the field, but it does not make anyone’s skin predictable. If you have a known allergy, ask to see the ingredient list and bring it to your dermatologist. The guide to what is in a vegan, paraben-free solution explains each ingredient category.

How to patch test before a spray tan

The American Academy of Dermatology’s guidance on testing skin care products is the template most dermatologists use. Applied to a spray tan, it looks like this:

1. Ask your artist for a small sample of the solution she would use on you, or book a short test appointment.
2. Apply it to a quarter-sized area where it will not be washed off right away, such as the inside of your arm or the bend of your elbow.
3. The AAD suggests repeating the application on the same spot for 7 to 10 days. Some reactions take time to appear.
4. Watch for redness, itching, swelling, burning or stinging. If any appear, wash the area gently and stop. If the reaction is significant, call your doctor.
5. If the area stays calm, the solution is much more likely to suit you.

A home test is not the same as formal patch testing in a dermatologist’s office, which can pinpoint which ingredient you react to. If you have reacted to cosmetics before and never found out why, that appointment is worth making before your next tan.

Eczema

Eczema changes the skin barrier, which is the very layer DHA works on. Dry, flaky patches tend to soak up more color and look darker or blotchy, and any open or cracked skin will sting. A few practical rules:

• Do not tan during an active flare, or over broken, weeping or freshly scratched skin.
• Ask your dermatologist whether your current treatment plan has any timing considerations.
• Moisturize consistently in the days before, but skip heavy creams on the day of the tan so the color can take evenly.
• Tell your artist where your patches are. She can lighten the application over them so they blend.

Rosacea

Rosacea mostly lives on the face, which is also the area the FDA asks you to be most careful with. The AAD’s rosacea skin care tips list fragrance and alcohol among the ingredients that commonly irritate rosacea-prone skin, and recommend testing new products on the inside of the arm for 7 to 10 days. Many rosacea clients choose to skip the face spray and let the body carry the color, or to tan the face separately and lightly. The face spray tan guide lays out those options.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis plaques have a thicker, faster-turning surface, so color often grabs more there and fades unevenly. Plaques that are cracked or tender should not be sprayed. As with eczema, the dermatologist who knows your skin is the right person to ask, especially if you are on a prescription treatment.

Acne-prone sensitive skin

If your sensitivity shows up as breakouts rather than rashes, the questions are a bit different: heavy oils, sweat, and how quickly you cleanse afterward. That is covered in will a spray tan make you break out.

On the day

• Shower and exfoliate gently the day before, not the same morning.
• Skip deodorant, perfume and body lotion before the appointment.
• Wear loose, dark clothing so nothing rubs on fresh color.
• Protect your eyes, nose and lips. The reasons are in Is DHA Safe?
• Rinse after about eight hours with lukewarm water and no soap, then pat dry.
• Moisturize daily with something fragrance-free that your skin already tolerates.

When to skip it

Postpone the tan if you are mid-flare, have open or broken skin, have a new rash you have not had looked at, or have recently reacted to any cosmetic. If you develop swelling of the face or lips, or any difficulty breathing after any product, treat it as urgent and get medical help.

Sensitive skin is not a reason to give up on a glow. It is a reason to plan. If you would like to talk through a patch test before an event, call or text Rosie at (917) 326-0303, or read more about spray tans at the Midwood studio.