With personalisation a key trend for 2018, one tan no longer fits all. FIONA VLEMMIKS explains how to make your bronzing services bespoke

FIONA VLEMMIKS

The desire for bespoke products and treatments is set to gain even more traction in 2018. Industry analyst Mintel has forecasted that the beauty industry will witness the end of consumer targeting according to age, gender and skin type as we inch even further towards personalised products.

In the pro tanning market, consumers are already demanding more than a simple choice of light, medium or dark shades, says James Harknett, Fake Bake’s global creative consultant, who counts numerous celebrities as clients. “As a spray tanner, I see around 250 clients a month and the demand for a bespoke tan is bigger than ever,” he explained. “To stay ahead of the game, I tailor the tan to the individual’s requirements.”

The starting point for custom-built bronzing is, of course, an effective client consultation. “I find out whether the client has any specific needs,” says Michelle Wilson, MoroccanTan trainer who is based at Sweet Squared’s Leeds head office. “Would they like their legs to be a little darker? Maybe the client doesn’t like a lot of tan on their face? An experienced therapist will be sure to take these details into account to offer a perfectly tailored tan.”

STAY HYDRATED

One aspect that is often overlooked in tanning is skin type, which can be as important as tone, and the newest tanning products offer sophisticated options for all complexions. Older skins, for example, need to be treated with more care. “Mature skin can often be drier, so I advise clients to exfoliate thoroughly ahead of their treatment, and choose a lower percentage DHA solution for this type of skin”, says Wilson. “I also advise that age spots may be slightly more visible with a tan and suggest that they take particular note of their aftercare, moisturising regularly to help with a gradual, natural wear off.”

Lifestyle factors should also be taken into account when selecting the correct product for an authentically bespoke tan. Australian brand MineTan, for instance, offers a range of fitness tans for exercise lovers. Workout Ready boasts a formulation that allows perspiration to pass through the tan instead of taking it off, while, the brand’s Endurance Ready long-wear tan lasts from seven to sometimes upwards of 10 days.

For time-pressed clients, express tans offer convenience. Many brands now offer a fastdeveloping option, like MoroccanTan’s Moroccan Accelerated, which has 16% DHA and can be rinsed off after just 30 minutes.

DEPTH OF SHADE

Contemporary tanning formulas also offer a range of options that allow the therapist to express their creativity. With the rise in popularity of tantouring – contouring on the face and body using fake tan – many product houses have developed tanning drops to intensify the tan used for shading.

Abbie McCann, celebrity tanner and Crazy Angel brand ambassador, suggests using the Crazy Angel 34% DHA Take Me Higher drops to highlight and shade. “These highly concentrated drops are several shades darker than the base shade to enable you to add definition where required,” she adds.

In 2015, Fake Bake took the concept of a bespoke tan one step further with the launch of Fake Bake Signature. This innovative product helps bronze areas of the body that don’t tan as well due to less pigment in the skin, whether it’s the legs, chest, face or another area of the body. “After an extensive client consultation, the formula is blended with the client’s chosen tanning product to create a perfectly bespoke and flawless tan,” says Harknett.

While most brands now offer a multitude of shades, for clients that require the most natural-looking tan, Vita Liberata has developed intelligent formulas that ensure consumers no longer need to pick a shade based on their original skin colour. “No matter what your base or desired shade, the formula works with your own skin, meaning you can never be too dark, or worse, orange,” says Clara Anderson, Vita Liberata VIP tanner. “Our advoganic technology ensures the tan always looks real on the skin, and it is bespoke to each person using it.”

New Look

MADE-TO-MEASURE MARKETING

Social media – including before and after images, with client permission – and loyalty schemes are impactful ways to sell personalised tanning services. “Demo videos are also a great asset. Visual posts boost interaction and improve reach, helping new clients know what to expect from the treatment,” advises McCann.

Another viable option is to offer packages targeting specific groups. Kissed by Mii tanning expert Shelley Henderson explains how wedding parties can offer vast revenue opportunities.

“A Kissed by Mii professional treatment is ideal not just for a bride, but also for her entire bridal party,” says Henderson. She also suggests that a lengthy consultation, followed by a tan trial, perhaps suggesting that the bride-to-be have her first professional spray tan before her first wedding dress fitting, should be the norm in bridal services, instead of simply offering a tan before the big day.

“A tan can make someone look healthier and slimmer, so it’s the perfect opportunity to see the wedding dress for the first time in the most flattering light,” adds Henderson. “A trial will allow you to choose a shade that the bride is happy with, keeping in mind the season she’s getting married, the tone of her dress and preferred make-up style (as this may affect the shade choice). Discuss how much skin will be on display – dependent on the style of the wedding dress. A trial also enables you to see how the colour takes to the client’s skin and determine how many days before the wedding is ideal for the bride to have her tan.”

RISE OF THE MACHINES

Tanning via automated booth or sunbed can also offer clients a surprising array of customised options. With the Mystic Tan Kyss spray booths, as well as the option of bronzers and accelerators, clients can select different colour cartridges to obtain the perfect hue, as well as opting for Myxers – fragrance choices that can be added to the solution for a sweetsmelling tan.

The latest technology ensures that a bespoke approach can also be taken to UV tanning, as Gary Lipman, managing director at Ergoline UK, explains. “Such features range from the aesthetics – for example, recording a client’s favourite colour and then personalising the LED and light effects for each session - through to software that allows clients to store all their personal tanning settings so the sunbed immediately adjusts to their preferences at every visit and can even welcome them personally,” he says. “This gives clients VIP status and is a perfect way to enhance customer loyalty.”

Be it UV or spray tanning, as with all treatments, personalisation should be more than just a buzzword. It offers the opportunity to showcase creativity and give clients a truly individual service, which will keep them coming back for more.

Dorothy Perkins