Why has my spray tan solution turned green?

Over time, when exposed to oxygen, spray tan solution can turn green. Known as oxidation, this process tends to happen if you’ve left your solution out in the open air or haven’t tightly closed the bottle it comes in.

It’s unlikely that your solution will spoil overnight if you leave it in the reservoir of your spray gun. Having said that, because it won’t be in an airtight container, it could speed up the oxidation process and turn the solution green if left for a number of days.

Applying spray tan that’s turned green on a client’s skin won’t affect their final tan (once the greenish tinge is washed off in the shower their glow will look golden beneath). However, it’s unlikely your client will want to walk around looking green until their tan fully develops. And they won’t be the best walking advertisement for your salon! You are best off disposing of the green tanning solution and starting afresh with a new bottle.

Next time, to avoid turning your solution green, ensure you decant remaining solution from your gun reservoir into a clean, airtight container that sunlight cannot get into. It’s best to use the original bottle it came in because it’s designed to keep the air out and will also be labelled correctly, so you’ll always know what percentage of solution is inside. Here’s more on how to store leftover tanning solution.

Clear tanning solution, which is particularly useful for bridal tanning, never turns green because it doesn’t contain the same bronzers that are in traditional tanners. It never stains clothing either but it can be trickier to apply if you’re new to tanning because it doesn’t have a guide colour that shows you where you’ve been.¬† If that sounds up your street, here’s more on how to use see-through tanning solution.