Spray tan aftercare
Mystic Booth Spray Tan Aftercare: Timeline and Rinse Times
You have stepped out of the booth, the colour looks dark and you want to know when you can wash. Mystic Tan's published guidance gives a range, so here is the range, what we ask of customers, and what to expect over the first week.
Aftercare at a glance
- Before you rinse
- Mystic Tan’s published guidance says 4 to 6 hours in one article and at least 4 to 8 hours (24 hours best) in another. At the studio, ask for the time for your shade.
- Clothes
- Dark and loose, once you feel dry. Tight clothing can rub colour off.
- Swimming and baths
- We ask you to skip long baths and swimming for the first 48 hours. Mystic’s guidance says avoid the pool for 24 hours.
- How long it lasts
- Five to ten days with a daily moisturiser is our advice. Mystic says about a week.
- Every day
- Moisturise. It helps the colour fade evenly.
Your first day, step by step
The order matters more than any single number. This is the sequence most people follow after a session in our booth.
- In the first few minutesYou are dry within a couple of minutes, according to Mystic. Dress in dark, loose clothes, because tight clothing can rub colour off.
- Before your first rinseKeep off water, sweat and the pool. Mystic's guidance gives 4 to 6 hours in one article and at least 4 to 8 hours in another. Ask at reception for the time that goes with your shade.
- First showerThe cosmetic bronzer washes away and the developed tan shows underneath.
- The first 48 hoursWe ask you to avoid long baths and swimming. Mystic's guidance says to keep out of the pool completely for the first 24 hours.
- Every day afterMoisturise. It keeps the colour fading evenly.
When can you shower?
The honest answer is a range, and it comes from Mystic Tan's own published guidance rather than from us. Two articles on sunless.com, the site mystictan.com now redirects to, were published four days apart in July 2021 and give different figures.
| Source | What it says about waiting | Published |
|---|---|---|
| What Should I Do After a Spray Tan? | Wait 4 to 6 hours before getting wet, such as working out or showering, so the tan develops its best colour. | 23 July 2021 |
| 8 Questions You're too Afraid to Ask about Spray Tanning | Do not shower for at least 4 to 8 hours, with 24 hours being best. Avoid sweating or swimming during this time. | 27 July 2021 |
| Luxe Glow Studio | Ask at reception when to take your first rinse for the shade you chose. | Current advice |
Both articles are from 2021, so treat them as guidance for the product family and not as a rule for every shade. The time that applies to you is the one reception gives you, and if you are unsure, wait longer.
Mystic's own pages do not give a single figure for every solution, and we have not guessed one. If your plans depend on the exact hour, such as an event the same evening, tell reception when you arrive.
When the colour shows
What you see in the mirror straight after the booth is partly a cosmetic bronzer. Mystic's guidance says the bronzer washes off in the shower, and that the natural-looking tan underneath lasts about a week.
The tanning ingredient is DHA, which is made from sugar. It reacts with the outer layer of your skin and darkens it over the hours after your session. That is why the colour you see first can look different from the finished result.
The days after
Expect five to ten days with a daily moisturiser, which is what we tell customers. Mystic's guidance says about a week. The solution and your aftercare decide the length, since the booth itself makes no difference.
- Moisturise every day. Dry skin sheds faster, and the colour goes with it.
- Expect hands, feet, elbows and knees to fade first. They are the driest areas, so exfoliate them before your session.
- Keep scrubbing and long soaks to a minimum. Both lift colour unevenly.
- Chlorine fades colour. Mystic's guidance says to be careful in pools even after the first 24 hours.
A spray tan gives no protection from UV. The NHS sun safety guidance still applies after a booth session.
New to the booth? Read how a booth tan differs from a hand-sprayed one, or the first visit checklist before you come in. Tanning for a trip or a wedding? The holiday and wedding spray tan checklist puts these rinse times on a countdown.
Where this guidance comes from
Timings for the wait, the first shower, clothing and the pool come from two articles published by Innove, Inc. on sunless.com, the site that mystictan.com now redirects to. The links are in the table above. We read both on 31 October 2026. Everything about our own advice, including the 48 hours for baths and swimming and the five to ten days a tan lasts, is what the studio already tells customers.
Questions on your own session? Call 01709 212515 or ask at reception.