Going Green

October 2008

by Alisa Hostettler

www.HotSpotSarasota.com

Hi everyone. Alisa Hostettler here again with Hot Spot Tanning. This month I would like to talk about 'going green'. And not the eco-friendly way!
Every once in a while, we in the business of spraying competition color will either see a competitor on stage with green undertones on their skin or have one of our clients 'go green'. The first thing that we think is that the client 'did something wrong'. Either they didn't prepare their skin correctly before getting their color on or that the color itself reacted badly with their skin, or they ate something that changed the pH balance in their skin. The Client, on the other hand will think that the product itself was bad and caused the greenish tint. Well, I am here to tell you that there could only be a couple of things to make that happen and if you follow my direction, then you most likely will have your color turn out perfect.

First let me tell you my own personal green story. We were spraying at the Southern States in Ft Lauderdale earlier this year and I had sprayed a client the night before with JanTana and when she came to me the next day, I noticed that her wrist/arm was turning green. When I took her into better light I could tell that her whole body was starting to turn green right in front of me. I questioned her on what she had done differently before her color was applied and she could not think of anything. Now, I was Mortified! Here is one of the top competitors turning green right before my eyes and there was nothing I could do about it. There was no time for a shower and another application did not seem to help. I had used the same gallon of JanTana solution on at least 20 other girls and not one of them was having a problem, .......yet. All of a sudden another one of my clients came up to me and said, "Alisa can you spray me again, my RED shorts are turning me green." She had red boy shorts on and that very same area had turned a shade of green. No where else on her body, but there. Then it hit me. I ran to my other client and said "Kristi, what are you wearing?" And wouldn't you know it, she pulled out a full red NPC sweat suit from her bag. The red dye in the cotton was what was making her whole body turn green. I was flabbergasted! And since then I have had a couple of more green experiences with clients wearing something red on top of their JanTana spray and that part of their body had turned green. Now this anomaly could have happened before but we in the industry did not recognize it being the red dye because allot of competitors just don't wear red clothing to a show. They usually wear black, brown or dark blue clothing. Now, in all fairness, so far only the clients wearing the JanTana color have turned green. And this is not saying that there is anything wrong with the JanTana color, it is a great color, but something in it reacts badly with the red dye in cotton. I do not know about the other competition colors out there, but I advise everyone not to wear RED when they have any color on,

A couple of other things could also turn your skin green. Let’s address the client's worry first. That the technician spraying on the color, that their solution might be bad. Now, that can happen. But for the most part, we that spray tan, treat our competition color like our babies. I know that mine goes with me everywhere I go. It is never left in the car and is always in a climate-controlled environment. I also check the color before every show. That color is our livelihood and costs too much money not to treat it with the utmost respect.

Some people have a real problem with the pH balance in their skin and though this is rare, they will have a problem with their color every time they go on stage. First, what is skin pH? Well, pH refers to the balance of acid and alkali in your skin. That is, how acidic your skin is. Naturally, your skin is slightly acidic: at around pH 5.5. Unfortunately many foods and skin treatments have the effect of changing our skin pH slightly and putting it out of balance. Soaps in particular are alkaline, and therefore this can increase skin pH above its natural levels. The best foods to eat to keep skin pH at the right level are those that contain so called alpha-hydroxy acids. Foods in this category include foods like apples, blackberries, any citrus food at all, and also tomatoes are a good source. Competitors that are having reoccurring problems with their skin turning green with their color need to see a doctor/nutritionist to get them on the right path to detoxify their body.

Now all that said, that is why we ask that every client 'prepare' their skin before they come to us. The better that your skin is prepared, the better your color will go on. It will look smooth, flawless and last longer. You need to prepare for your Spray Tan by showering and exfoliating your body from head to toe. Do not forget to scrub your back. Come to us with clean, dry skin. No body lotions, deodorant, or make-up. We suggest ProTans’s “Get Buffed” or JanTana’s "Neutralizing Scrub" or “Pre Tan Scrub” (same products) to exfoliate. Also JanTana has a great moisturizer that you use directly after the shower. Your Competition Color will go on better and last longer if you are using these products starting 3-5 days out. (No LIE!) The Neutralizing Scrub evens out the pH balance in your skin and the Moisturizer helps condition your skin to take your color better. Also, it will reduce that 'muddy' effect that competitors seem to get after wearing their color for long periods of time. If you are using other scrub products, make sure that they do not have any perfumes or oils in them. Also, DO NOT put on deodorant Before or After applying Color. Deodorant will raise the skin's pH and turn your armpits green!

Well I hope I eased everyone's fears and have enlightened everyone on the 'green effect'. Take care of your skin and your skin will take care of your color!