5 Best Exfoliators Before A Spray Tan – 2025
You will never be ensured a flawless spray tan without proper preparation. Preparing your skin before a spray tan cannot be overemphasized!
Without getting your skin ready for the spray tan, you will likely end up with a blotchy tan that doesn’t last long.
One essential step in preparing your body for a spray tan is exfoliating your skin.
As simple as this may seem, all exfoliators work differently on your skin.
To prepare your body for a spray tan, which is the best exfoliator to use?
The best exfoliator is gentle on your skin but effective at buffing away all of the dead skin so that the spray tan will be streak-free.
Below are our top picks of exfoliators to use before a spray tan, which will not only help to prepare your skin but give it some extra love and nourishment as well.
5 Best Exfoliators Before Spray Tan
Below are the absolute best body scrubs to use before a spray tan.
1. Sol De Janeiro Bum Bum Body Scrub
The Bum Bum Body Scrub is one of the best-smelling body scrubs out there.
Their signature Cheirosa 62 fragrance is a heavenly combination of vanilla, salted caramel, and pistachio.
The main exfoliating ingredients are ultra-fine sugar crystals and crushed cupuaçu seeds, which are the perfect combination for a gentle but effective body scrub.
This body scrub is also formulated with guaraná, which has a high caffeine content and is great for firming the skin.
The coconut oil will nourish your skin and help the scrub to be evenly spread so that you can get every single inch.
2. DermaDoctor KP Duty Body Scrub
This dermatologist-formulated body scrub is the perfect choice for rough, bumpy skin. If typical body scrubs don’t work for you, then give this one a try.
What makes it so amazing for dry, bumpy skin? It’s formulated with 10% AHAs and PHAs, powerful chemical exfoliants that make skin more radiant.
Don’t let the word “chemical” scare you away. Chemical peels are actually gentler on the skin than traditional exfoliants.
So many other ingredients are packed into this clinical body scrub, including gluconolactone (which, in my opinion, is better than hyaluronic acid), evening primrose oil, and willow bark.
A little goes a long way, so although the initial cost is high, it is a great value for what you get.
3. Jack Black Turbo Body Scrub
The Jack Black Turbo Body Scrub is my favorite exfoliator for stretch marks.
It’s formulated with arnica, which is known to help in reducing the appearance of stretch marks.
It also contains eucalyptus, which smells fantastic and works with arnica to reduce muscle soreness. If you are an athlete or do a lot of exercise, this is a great body scrub for you.
You can use it in a warm bath for the ultimate body treatment. Not only will you prepare your skin for your spray tan, but you will give your muscles a nice treat.
4. Mario Badescu Coconut Body Scrub
This coconut body scrub is great for all skin types and is formulated with Niacinamide and Salicylic Acid.
It hydrates and moisturizes your skin while gently exfoliating away dead skin. It’s a good choice for sensitive skin and smells dramatically of coconut.
Other great additions to this body scrub are Rosehip Oil and Vitamin E. These ingredients nourish the skin, while Meadow Seed Foam Oil works to restore plumpness.
This scrub is best applied to damp skin, so the best place to use this exfoliator is in the shower.
5. Sun Laboratories Exfoliant Body Gel Purifier
You can never go wrong with Sun Laboratories products.
They are trusted in the sunless tanning industry and promise incredible results time and time again.
The exfoliating body gel helps to scrub away excess dead skin cells that accumulate on the skin, leaving you with healthy, silky smooth skin.
The exfoliating body gel can be used on all skin tones and all skin types, resulting in an all-around healthy glow that sets the stage for a flawless spray tan.
A blend of natural ingredients gives the skin everything it needs to hold a sunless tan while also revitalizing, nourishing, and hydrating it to enhance elasticity, giving your skin a youthful feel and appearance.
This body gel exfoliator includes an exfoliating mitt, which will give you even better results.
This is definitely an exfoliator to keep at home for all skin types. It will not only perfectly prepare your skin for a spray tan but also nourish it with each use.
The Importance Of Exfoliating Before A Spray Tan
Your skin naturally produces new cells and sloughs off dead skin cells.
These dead skin cells can often build up, resulting in dryness, which is more common in areas such as the ankles, knees, and elbows. These areas of build-up can cause a very patchy tan.
Spray tans use an ingredient called DHA.
DHA reacts with the outer layer of skin cells, causing them to turn darker, giving you a sunless tan.
A build-up of dead skin cells can turn darker than the rest of the body, making the tan look very unnatural.
Dead skin cells stick to the skin with natural oils, sebum, and sweat.
Even though this causes problems, resulting in a build-up of dead skin cells, this layer of natural oils and sweat helps to protect the skin from pollution and toxins and lock in lipids and moisture, which further nourishes the skin.
These oils can also prevent the spray tan from reacting evenly with the skin and can be removed with exfoliation.
To combat this build-up of dead skin cells, you must scrub them away with a good exfoliator before your spray tan.
Using an exfoliator will help to even out your skin, removing any excess skin cells to provide a clean, smooth canvas for the spray tan to give your skin a flawless looking tan.
Besides removing dead skin cells, exfoliation will also help remove any excess product left on your skin, such as a moisturizer, perfume, or deodorant build-up.
These can also hinder the spray tan from effectively reacting with your skin, as they will act as a barrier.
Without exfoliation, your skin will not be smooth enough to evenly hold a spray tan, and you will be robbing your skin of the perfect summer glow!
Related Questions
When should I exfoliate before a spray tan?
Exfoliating straight before a spray tan is not a good idea, as your skin might still be a little sensitive. Instead, it is recommended to exfoliate the day before the spray tan application.
This gives your skin some time to recover after the exfoliation.
It also allows you to use a moisturizer to lock in some much-needed hydration.
It does not give your skin enough time to build up an excess of dead skin cells, which might affect the even application of your spray tan.
Should I exfoliate after a spray tan?
You should avoid exfoliating soon after your spray tan.
This will strip the color from the skin and leave streaks or patches in your new tan.
If the spray tan hasn’t set correctly, this could completely ruin the overall results.
Once you see the spray tan starting to fade, you should start exfoliating your skin again.
This helps to remove the old color and prepares your skin for the reapplication of the spray tan.
Should I use an exfoliating mitt?
Most exfoliators can be used without an exfoliating mitt, but using one makes the job much easier.
It helps you exfoliate your skin deeply and is especially effective in areas that need more attention.
Together with a good body scrub, an exfoliating mitt will give you the best results.
Best Exfoliators for A Spray Tan
Acknowledging the importance of exfoliating before a spray tan is one thing, but choosing the right exfoliator to get the job done is just as important.
Without exfoliation, you will be left with an unnatural-looking tan, drier areas darker than the rest of your skin.
To give yourself the best results possible, choose one of the exfoliators on this list and get scrubbing!
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