BEST Spray Tan Solution on the market [Updated March, 2024 ] (2024)

The main difference being that the overnight products are typically kept on the skin for 8-12 hours, while the rapids can be washed off in 1-4 hours (in most cases). These times will vary widely as every product and manufacturer is different. We advise that you ask the company to make sure you follow their proposed guidelines.

So what’s the difference in these products?

The rapid solution has a different type of DHA in the product which helps to adhere to the skin more quickly, thus allowing you to shower a lot sooner.

Now, the confusing thing for most people is the fact that the overall color does not develop any faster. In fact, when I worked at Sjolie Sunless, I use to field calls all the time of people worried saying they had no color after the initial shower. This is completely normal.

While you can shower sooner than the normal overnight solution, it still will take 24+ hours to fully develop. The benefit, of course, being that you can shower within the 1-4 hour window.

So you might ask, why would anyone want to leave the solution on for longer than 1-4 hours?

For the most part, we see a lot of mobile tanning business owners using regular solutions because their clients are already in the comfort of their own home. Therefore, they don't need to rush or worry about rubbing the product off their skin. Whereas salon-based businesses have clientele coming to them so they can use a rapid for their clients to wash off more quickly.

What’s the difference between the regular product and the rapid product?

To be completely honest, it really comes down to your personal preference and the preference of your clients. Most of the products will be pretty consistent as far as the color and ingredients go.

Something to consider if you are running a spray tanning business is whether or not your clients will listen to you when you give them instructions on when to shower.

Since the rapid solution is typically only one “color”, there is a range for shower time depending on the color you want to achieve. Here’s a simple example:

• 1 hour = light tan
• 2 hours = light/medium tan
• 3 hours = medium tan
• 4 hours = dark tan

As you will find, most products will work similarly in this regard. With that being said, let's say the client that comes to you has fair skin and they will need to shower at 2 hours to achieve the best color for them. In that case, you want to make sure you find the best spray tan solution for fair skin.

You give them instructions and tell them when to shower, and instead of waiting 2 hours, they wait 4 and then shower it off. Their color may be too dark for their skin tone and thus provide unfavorable results.

To avoid a situation like this, you could use an overnight solution because these products will only get as dark as they made to be.

For instance, if you were to use the Sjolie #9, it will only get to 9% DHA and then it will not develop anymore. That means that even if you were to leave it on for 48 hours, it would eventually hit a wall and stop developing.

Additional types of sunless tanning products

Bodybuilding spray tan solution

One type of product that we won’t go into too much detail about in this article is solution made specifically for bodybuilders.

While this solution has some similarities with regular solution, it is also developed with a very high concentration of bronzers so that the bodybuilder can have the dark color necessary for being on stage.

These products are great for what they are made for - bodybuilders on stage. Otherwise, we advise that you steer clear of using these products.

Clear spray tan solution

Another thing you may see from time to time is a clear solution. These products are made the exact same as the regular solutions, but they do not have cosmetic bronzers in them, meaning as you apply them you won’t be able to see where you are spraying and your client will not get the immediate gratification they usually do.

We don’t recommend using a clear solution unless you are a seasoned pro because it can be challenging to apply flawlessly since there is no bronzer guide.