Inclusive Spray Tanning: What Every Spray Tan Artist Needs to Know
Updated: May 5
Inclusive spray tanning is not a specialty service. It is the standard. Every client who walks through your door -- or lets you into their home -- deserves a confident, knowledgeable artist who is ready to work with their body, their skin, and their unique needs. If you are building a spray tan business, this is not optional knowledge. It is foundational.
Here is what inclusive spray tanning really looks like in practice.
Working With All Skin Tones
This is where so many new spray tan artists feel uncertain, and it is completely understandable. Spray tanning has historically been marketed toward lighter skin tones, which means a lot of training programs do not cover deeper complexions with the depth they deserve.
Here is what you need to know. DHA, the active ingredient in spray tan solution, reacts with the amino acids in the top layer of skin. That reaction looks different depending on a client's natural undertones, skin thickness, and how much melanin is present. For clients with deeper skin tones, a spray tan can beautifully enhance natural warmth, even out areas of hyperpigmentation, and add a polished, radiant finish. It is not about making skin darker -- it is about enhancing what is already there.
As an artist, your job is to choose the right solution for each client. That means understanding undertones -- golden, olive, cool, warm, red -- and knowing which solutions complement each. It also means being honest with clients about what a spray tan can and cannot do, and setting realistic, beautiful expectations.
Working With Every Body
Inclusive spray tanning means being prepared and comfortable working with bodies of all shapes, sizes, ages, and abilities. This is a skill set, not just a mindset.
Practically speaking, this looks like knowing how to blend seamlessly in skin folds, under the breasts, and in areas where skin overlaps naturally. It means taking your time and not rushing a client who needs extra care or extra time to get comfortable. It means never making a client feel like their body is an inconvenience or a challenge.
For clients with physical limitations, it might mean adapting your process entirely -- working with a client who is seated, adjusting your positioning, or allowing extra time in your booking so there is no pressure.
Every client who books with you is trusting you with something vulnerable. Honoring that trust means showing up prepared for the full range of human bodies, not just the ones that fit a narrow idea of what a spray tan client looks like.
Working With Every Identity
Your clients will come from all walks of life. Some will have gender-related concerns about the experience. Some will have trauma connected to their bodies. Some will be nervous first-timers and some will be seasoned clients who have had bad experiences elsewhere and are giving it one more try.
Inclusive spray tanning means creating a session that feels private, affirming, and completely centered on the client in front of you. Ask what they need. Offer modesty options without making it a big deal. Follow the client's lead on language and preferences. Create an environment where they do not have to explain or justify themselves -- they just get to feel good.
This kind of experience is not just the right thing to do. It is also what builds an unshakeable reputation. Clients who feel genuinely seen and cared for do not just come back -- they send everyone they know.
Working With Skin Conditions
Scars, stretch marks, uneven texture, burns, surgical sites, skin conditions -- your clients will have all of these. A well-executed spray tan can minimize the appearance of many of these concerns and help clients feel more comfortable and confident in their skin.
What it requires from you is technique, patience, and a calm, matter-of-fact approach that normalizes what the client may feel self-conscious about. The more comfortable you are, the more comfortable they will be.
For Skin Concerns
While a spray tan won’t erase imperfections, it can minimize the appearance of scars, stretch marks, and uneven textures. Our custom techniques gently blend these areas to create a smoother, more balanced finish.
Unsure if a spray tan will work for you? Let’s talk about your skin and give it a try. You might be surprised at the results.
Tailored Techniques
Our tailored techniques consider your unique skin concerns. We’ll work together to find solutions that enhance your natural beauty. Our goal is to help you feel confident and radiant.
What Inclusive Spray Tanning Means for Your Business
Building an inclusive practice is one of the smartest business decisions you can make. The spray tan market is enormous and diverse, and artists who can confidently serve every client have a significant advantage over those who cannot.
It also means being intentional about how you present your business -- your photos, your language, your booking process. If every image on your website looks the same, you are quietly signaling to a large portion of your potential clients that this space might not be for them.
Inclusive spray tanning starts with your training. It deepens with every client you work with. And it is one of the things I am most passionate about teaching in my one-on-one training program, because I believe the spray tan industry is better when it genuinely welcomes everyone.
If you are ready to learn spray tanning the right way -- technique, business, and the full client experience -- let's talk about training.
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