By Ivy Potter

Self tanners are in demand, so much so that they have garnered permanent shelf space at most major retail and specialty beauty stores. That means salon clients are buying these products. As experts in sunless, they should buy them from us.

 Unlike tan extenders or gradual tanners that add a hint of color each day, self tanning products are applied at home and offer the same amount of color in one use as a typical spray tan. Don’t worry, clients won’t stop getting spray tans in the salon. It is a common misconception that selling self tanners will decrease sunless sales but the opposite is true. By highlighting targeted features and benefits, you can make self tanning products are a must have for anyone!

Regular spray tanners can freshen up color between appointments or replace color lost on fast-fading areas like legs or faces. While these client may be using a gradual tanning product, pairing that with a self tanner will keep them drenched in sunless perfection! Introduce seasonal tanners who disappear when the weather turns cold to self tanners before they stop coming in the salon. Target these same clients with an “end of season stock up” sale, giving them a reason to use a salon-quality product at home during those winter months.

Don’t limit the bronze only to spray tanners! Suggest them as an add on to UV clients who need to fill in tan lines or have trouble keeping areas like legs as dark as they desire! People who suffer from the skin disorder vitiligo are using self tanners are an easy way to minimize the appearance of depigmented skin. Unlike any other product on the market, self tanners provide the ability to add color just to areas that don’t have pigment, making this a game-changer for these clients. Use social media to target this group of clientele by posting videos and before and after pictures.

Keep these facts in mind to maximize your sales: Tans applied at home will not last as long a spray tan applied in the salon, and while it is possible to do your entire body, it is not easy. Just like any other sunless tan, results are better when a client has prepared skin. Applying a self tanner can be intimidating; tutorials and self tanning tips make great social media content and boost sales. Beauty tools are hot. Capitalize on this market trend by retailing a specialty blending mitt for sunless tanning. Self tanning products sold at mass retailers are stored for longer period of times and not always in optimal conditions. This causes the main ingredient, DHA, to break down, compromising the quality of the product. Purchasing sunless tanning products from a salon will guarantee the freshest product and better result.

Everyone loves a healthy glow, so you can say yes to self tanners and hello to higher retail sales!