Can I Use Retinol and Still Keep My Spray Tan?
October Glow Guide by Après Soleil Tans – Lafayette’s Luxury Spray Tan & Beauty Boutique
If you love glowing, healthy skin, you’ve probably found yourself balancing two beauty must-haves: your skincare routine and your spray tan. But here’s the question we hear all the time…can you use retinol (or other active ingredients) and still keep your tan looking flawless?
The short answer: yes! But with a few adjustments.
Why Actives Can Fade Your Tan
Retinol, glycolic acid, lactic acid, vitamin C, and exfoliating toners are all considered active skincare ingredients. They’re amazing for promoting cell turnover, smoothing texture, and brightening skin, but that’s exactly why they can fade your tan faster.
Your spray tan lives in the top layer of your skin, so anything that speeds up exfoliation (like retinol or acids) will cause it to shed sooner.
Tan-Safe Skincare Routine
If you use actives regularly, here’s how to adjust your routine around your spray tan appointment:
Before Your Tan:
Pause Retinol + Acids 48 hours before. This helps your skin’s pH balance normalize and ensures even color absorption.
Exfoliate once using a gentle scrub or mitt the day before your appointment. We love the Après Soleil Exfoliating Mitt. It creates a clean, smooth base for color.
Avoid heavy moisturizers or oils on the day of your tan.
After Your Tan:
Wait 24 hours before returning to your actives.
When you resume, spot treat areas like your face or chest rather than applying all over if you want to keep your glow longer.
Use a hydrating cleanser and tan-safe moisturizer daily to extend your color. Try the Got Me Whipped Nourishing Body Butter or the Everyday Oil from our boutique—both nourish your skin without stripping your tan.
Try from our shop:
Our 3-Way Exfoliating Mitt has 3 unique sides for 3 different exfoliating levels.
Ensures the cleanest smoothest skin so your NEW tan is streak free and perfect
Silicone hairs give light/med exfoliation and promote circulation/blood flow
Turn inside out and use the honeycomb silicone for med/hard exfoliation and deeper circulation of skin/blood flow
3 layer buffing side promotes the most exfoliation where loosened skin will be trapped by the layers
Antibacterial and Washable
Hanging Loop for drying
TO USE:
Use mitt 24 hours before sunless tanning session.
We recommend pairing with SPRAY STUDIO BLANK CANVAS to skin per direction or soak in BLANK CANVAS Tan Removing Bath Soak for 10-15 mins to loosen dead skin and tan.
Use mitt to exfoliate skin in a circular motion. Layers of skin, old tan and impurities will roll off the body onto your mitt. Rinse skin. Finish by washing skin and moisturizing very well. Glove is washable, bleach-able and reusable.
Not getting a spray tan? We recommend exfoiating once a week for younger fresher looking skin.
Did you know that shea butter not only has amazing healing properties for your skin and your sunless tan, but that it naturally protects you against ultraviolet rays?!
Seriously cool, huh?
This unbelievable blend made of the highest quality organic shea butter, argan oil, natural plant extracts and vitamins will have your skin GLOWING from head to toe! It's consistency is like pudding...not greasy at all...your body will drink it up!
The bonus of every day protection makes this body butter a must-have in your skin routine.
FRAGRANCE: Unscented
VEGAN | NO PARABENS | NO PETRO-BY-PRODUCTS | NO MINERAL OIL |NO PHTHALATES | NO PROPOYLENE GLYCOL | NO NASTIES!
A Best Seller! Certified organic and microbiome-friendly skincare for your whole body + whole family. Organic and wild-harvested botanical oils that are balancing, hydrating, cleansing and nourishing for the face, body + hair. (Everywhere).
Everyday Oil is an all-purpose moisturizer and refresher for face, body and hair, and an oil cleanser for the delicate microbiome of the face. It is a concentrate and is best used with water or on damp skin after a shower or swim.
Everyday Oil is Third-Party Certified Organic, Microbiome-Friendly, Cruelty-Free and Non-Comedogenic.
2oz.
Face Care Tips for Active Lovers
Your face naturally fades first because of cleansing and skincare. To maintain an even glow:
Use the Loving Tan Deluxe Face Tan between tans to refresh color.
Choose gentle, hydrating serums like hyaluronic acid or ceramide blends instead of exfoliating acids.
If you can’t live without retinol, apply it every other night and tan in the morning to rebalance your glow.
The Bottom Line
You don’t have to give up your actives for a beautiful tan, you just need to use them wisely. Schedule your retinol nights strategically, focus on hydration, and use tan-safe skincare that supports both your skin goals and your glow.
Your best glow comes from balance, and we’re here to help you find it.