Here Comes The Sun
Sun Sunless Tanning Colors Profits For Spas
by Judie Bizzozero
 Life
moves fast. People want to look and feel their very best, but there’s just not
enough time. They need an instant fix and a healthy looking tan can boost even
the busiest workaholic’s confidence and self-esteem. Since UV tanning isn’t
for everyone and traditional tanning beds can’t perform 24-hour miracles, today’s
sunless alternatives— particularly spray tanning—are ideal options for health-conscious
individuals who want to feel good and look good. Sunless is a natural
extension of spa services because it completes the overall body treatment experience.
Adding sunless services also allows spas and salons to attract a new base of
customers who either cannot or do not want to tan indoors or outdoors.
Over the past few years, we’ve watched sunless tanning position itself for
explosive growth in the spa, beauty and indoor tanning industries. Reinforcing
this fact is the media. In the past year, sunless tanning has been making headlines
in some of the nation’s largest entertainment and fashion magazines and garnered
noticeable play on prime-time television shows including “Friends” and the smash-hit
“Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” Spas and salons that capitalize on the sunless
boom are sure to see glowing profits for years to come.
Sunless products provide immediate gratification because they yield a cosmetic,
tanned look in a matter of hours. Individuals who choose not to tan indoors
or outdoors now can get the desired healthy-looking glow of a golden tan. Businesses
that recognize this can boost profits with a tailor-made pitch.
Customers use sunless products for a number of reasons including a quick fix
when they are pressed for time, a booster between indoor tanning sessions, to
touch up delicate or hard-to-tan areas such as faces, hands and feet, and to
even out any pressure points, tan lines or uneven spots on the body.
Even the American Academy of Dermatology has touted the popularity of self-tanners.
“Significant improvements have been made in the formulas of self-tanners in
recent years, making them easier to use with better results,” said Stanley B.
Levy, M.D., speaking at the AAD’s 2000 annual meeting.
Indoor tanning salons have helped usher in the era of sunless tanning by offering
another way to achieve a healthy-looking tan. Industry insiders believe sunless
has the potential to bring billions of dollars worth of additional business
to indoor tanning salons and other beauty-related businesses.
Business-savvy salon owners understand that their retail sales will skyrocket
if they present themselves as total suncare and skincare specialists, able to
fulfill every related need of their clients.
Tanning salon operators offering ancillary services report that their businesses
don’t suffer the ups and downs of the tanning off-season. In fact, a large number
report that incorporating sunless into their services has increased traditional
UV tanning sessions.
It cannot be stressed enough that sunless should be promoted as a complement
to traditional UV tanning. The sun-scare coalition spends billions of dollars
each year promoting the dangers of UV exposure. Spas or other beauty-related
industries should refrain from blatant scare tactics about UV in order to profit
from selling other products or services.
If a salon owner can cross-sell and educate clients about the healthful benefits
of UV tanning and provide them with the cosmetic benefits of sunless, then it
is a win-win situation. Salons also have the opportunity to introduce a whole
new group of customers to the luxurious skincare products formulated specifically
for this industry.
Adding sunless tanning to spa and beauty services is a great way to provide
clients with another menu offering and a perfect method to gain new customers
looking for a healthy-looking tan, says Ken Meeker, chief marketing officer
at California Tan, Inc.
“Spas offer consumers a sense of wellbeing, specifically looking and feeling
their best. By using the highest-quality sunless products and offering professional
application, spa-goers receive a beautiful, flawless tan that enhances their
overall look and well-being,” he says. “Sunless systems have become popular
because they are very effective, can be applied in a matter of minutes and deliver
a natural-looking tan within only a few hours.”
Modern technology finally has transformed sunless tanning into what it was
meant to be, says Bill Hopkins, president of MagicTan Manhattan, Inc. Many spas
and salons have added stand-up spray equipment and/or airbrush-tanning equipment
to their services.
“Spray tanning is a phenomenon that is driven by customers demanding this service,”
he says. “Spas and salons are in a unique position to become trendsetters by
adding spray tanning to their menu offerings. This allows spas an opportunity
to capture a whole new generation of people who choose only to tan cosmetically.”
Alison Sagese, marketing director for BreeZe Products, agrees: “Looking good
is addictive. The additional benefit of offering these systems is that they
bring the client back to the spa every week. There are many reasons your clients
will love this service. They provide instant gratification; they offer an option
for clients who want color while avoiding UV rays, an alternative for clients
who have skin problems, and one for clients who are claustrophobic.”
“Clients love to feel as though they are receiving the highest level of attention
that only a spa or salon environment can deliver,” says Denise Crask, owner
and CEO of VenturaTan. “Airbrush tanning at its best is just that—a one-to-one
service that is private, personal and professional.”
Crask believes spas and salons should invest in training their spray technician
staffs and offer reputable product lines that can advance the success of the
service.
“When clients experience a sunless tan for the first time, they get hooked
on the process because they feel as though they have discovered the fountain
of youth,” she says. “Customers feel energized and confident and look forward
to their next treatment.”
Achieving That Beautiful Glow
Today, sunless products can be found everywhere from indoor tanning salons
and day spas to department stores and drug stores. Professional spas and salons
have the ability to offer superior self-tanning formulas as well as the latest
in application processes that include stand-up spray booths and portable airbrush-tanning
systems. While bottled self-tanners have led the sunless race for years, innovative
delivery systems and customized solutions have made interesting inroads over
the past few years.
Emerging onto the scene a few years ago, spray-on tanning units have become
popular in the spa, beauty and indoor tanning industries. Today’s systems feature
sophisticated designs and advanced technology that provide an even, all-over
tan to customers and offer spas and salons a whole new revenue center that ultimately
will increase traffic and profits. Customers enjoy the privacy of the spray-on
booths, as well as the results, while salon owners welcome automated systems
that don’t consume employees’ time with cleaning and setup.
Increasingly popular is the demand for airbrush sunless-tanning systems. These
units are relatively inexpensive, compared to their spray-on booth counterparts,
and provide spas and salons with portable compressor units and sunless solutions
that allow them to get up and running immediately. Companies supplying these
units and formulas have reported phenomenal demands this season and anticipate
the interest to continue.
The airbrush system seems to appeal particularly to customers who desire a
quick fix for their face or uneven tan lines. While airbrushing does not have
the same privacy factor as the spray-on booths, customers don’t seem to mind.
Salons can apply airbrush applications right at the front counter in a matter
of minutes and make a nice, little profit. However, spas and salons that provide
full-body airbrushing should have a private room or designated area in the salon
reserved for this service. Many spas are finding huge success by offering a
complete sunless experience that includes a full-body exfoliation and application
of a sunless tan.
Since a salon employee administers airbrushing, fatigue can be a factor for
a busy salon. Many manufacturers are introducing new innovations including airbrushes
that provide a larger spray for use on the torso, back and legs, as well as
ventilated booths that address privacy and overspray issues.
Whichever method of delivery a salon chooses, there is no debate that spray-on
booths and airbrush systems provide a faster, even and more consistent color
thanks to advancements in technology.
The Science Of Sunless
The Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology defines dihydroxyacetone
like so: “CH2HOCOCH2OH, a colorless, hygroscopic, crystalline powder; soluble
in water and alcohol; melts at 80°C; used as an intermediate and in fungicides
and cosmetics.”
The tanning industry recognizes dihydroxyacetone, or DHA, as the colorless
sugar that makes the magic happen in the self-tanning process. DHA reacts with
skin proteins, including amino acids, in the outermost layer of skin called
the stratum corneum. The reaction develops brown skin coloring that looks very
similar to a natural tan.
DHA was discovered as a skin-coloring agent in the 1920s and appeared commercially
in the 1960s. Unfortunately, some of the first over-thecounter products left
consumers with streaks, splotches and orange skin. These cosmetic problems,
as well as an unpleasant odor from the DHA, left a bad taste in some of the
public’s mouth.
However, the Food and Drug Administration added DHA to its list of approved
cosmetic ingredients in the 1970s. Afterward, cosmetic companies began to refine
the process to ditch the orange skin coloration for a more healthy looking brown.
As the refining process evolves, companies continue to produce higher-quality,
more predictable sunless products that provide a more naturallooking, golden
tan.
Noticeable skin coloration takes anywhere from two to four hours and lasts
five to seven days—depending on skin type and the DHA concentration in the lotion
or spray solution. The entire exfoliation cycle—from bottom of the epidermis
to the stratum corneum— takes roughly 28 days. It is important to realize that
the exfoliation cycle of the stratum corneum—where the DHA reacts with proteins—is
about seven days, depending upon the individual.
To achieve optimal results, the skin should be properly exfoliated prior to
applying a sunless product. Research has shown that the smoother the surface
of the skin, the more evenly the tan will fade. About three to four hours after
the DHA-containing product is applied to skin, a tan color begins to appear.
The reaction is complete in approximately 24 hours. Areas of thicker skin, such
as elbows and knees, react more with DHA and produce a stronger color. To achieve
a more uniform tan, loose cells should be exfoliated prior to tanning and consumers
should use a professional salon-grade moisturizer.
It’s In The Solution
Although available at any retail outlet, bottled sunless lotions and sprays
continue to sell well at the spa and salon level. Industry manufacturers produce
some of the finest products formulated specifically to provide a luxurious finish
and more appealing fragrance.
Due to an increase in spray-on tanning, DHA spray solutions have experienced
tremendous growth. Many manufacturers report that their phones are ringing off
the hook for these solutions that provide a customized range of colors. These
solutions can be clear for a delayed tanning effect or tinted with different
levels of bronzers for immediate results.
With or without the addition of bronzers, the solutions use roughly the same
ratio of DHA—3 percent to 5 percent—and are available in different viscosities
for the various applications. For example, airbrush solutions generally are
thinner in viscosity for a fine-mist result and spray-booth solutions are thicker
in viscosity for more body coverage.
Advancements in the quality of finish and color are driving forces behind the
popularity of solution. One ingredient receiving much attention is erythrulose,
which experts say enhances a sunless tan’s finish. Four to five times the cost
of DHA, erythrulose is very similar chemically to DHA and works synergistically
with it very well to give a more natural-looking tan. It also reduces the dryout
associated with DHA products and, as a result, diffuses more uniformly into
the stratum corneum to produce an even tan and alleviate the extreme drying
effects associated with DHA.
While DHA changes the color of skin within four to 24 hours, erythrulose needs
about two to three days for the skin to show a color change. Experts agree that
in addition to providing a more luxurious color, it may help lengthen a sunless
tan’s life for a day or two. However customers should be reminded that many
factors, including shaving, pool chemicals and other environmental factors affect
the life of a sunless tan.
Another important advancement this season is in the area of fragrance. Sunless
tanning products have battled the DHA smell for years, and many manufacturers
are addressing this with the addition of materials that flatten the odor or
add delicate fragrance. It is important to note that many fragrances are incompatible
with DHA, as well as erythrulose, and manufacturers must take caution not to
improve the odor problem on one side and alter the formula’s stability on the
other.
Many suppliers are introducing prep products that help level the pH of the
skin and hydrate cells to get them ready for the sunless process. The skin’s
pH balance is extremely important to how DHA products function with the skin.
An alkaline pH causes the tan to orange, whereas a slightly acidic pH reduces
this color problem. Additionally, there are a host of tanextending products
to lengthen the life of the sunless-tanning experience.
Selling Sunless The Spa Way
“There’s great news and bad news,” says Art Defell, owner of Airbrush
Salon, an airbrush equipment distributor in Billerica, Mass. “The great news
is that the technology behind these innovative creations delivers a streak-free,
golden brown tan. The bad news is that spas often don’t market them properly.”
Spa owners often miss a chance to turn a good profit from sunless-tanning systems
when customers, new or established, don’t get suitable answers to their sunless
questions from the spa or salon employees. The best way to explain the sunless
process is with an analogy: When you take a bite out of an apple and set it
down, the fruit begins to turn brown after it is exposed to the air for a while.
This is a very similar chemical reaction to what takes place with the DHA and
your skin after an airbrush/spray-tan session. So you can see that you are not
applying a dye or color to your skin but rather creating a situation where your
skin develops a beautiful, natural bronze color on its own through a natural
chemical enhancement.
The target market for these systems is women over the age of 30, according
to Hopkins. This fits nicely with the existing spa demographic. A good way to
initially promote spray tanning is to package it with other spa services like
a facial or a massage. Also, offering specials that are event-driven such as
weddings and proms is a good way to form a customer base.
“Once you have a base, the repeat business will grow as customers want to maintain
the natural color they receive from a cosmetic tan,” Hopkins says. “Spray-tanning
systems instantly give spas a piece of the huge indoor tanning market without
a large investment. The fact that the tan is cosmetic—UV-free— fits the healthy
product offering that spas present their clientele.”
However, it should be re-emphasized that spas and beauty-related businesses
should refrain from blatant scare tactics about tanning—indoors and outdoors—
in order to profit from selling sunless products or services.
Over the years, the indoor tanning industry has made great strides in educating
the public about the benefits of sensible, responsible and moderate tanning.
Indoor tanning also helped usher in the sunless phenomenon by cross-selling
and educating clients about the healthful benefits of UV tanning as well as
the cosmetic benefits of sunless. Savvy salon owners realized that they could
introduce a whole new group of customers—who either choose not to tan or cannot
achieve a tan—to the luxurious skincare products formulated specifically for
this industry. Imagine what sunless will do for the spa and beauty industries.
A Symbiotic Relationship
Sunless tanning is a perfect addition to the spa and beauty industries because
today’s time-deprived consumer wants to look good now. If they can stop
by for a massage or facial and walk out with a tan as well, they’ll be back—and
they might even tell a friend. Spas that wish to stay relevant in this increasingly
competitive market need to take a closer look at spray tanning while the trend
is hot.
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