How to Transition Clients from DIY Tanning to Professional Spray Tans

In today’s world, many clients start with at-home self-tanners: lotions, mousses, or drugstore bronzing drops. While these quick fixes have their place, they rarely deliver the flawless, long-lasting glow of a professional spray tan.

If you’re a spray tan artist, DIY tanners are not competition—they’re your biggest opportunity. With the right education and experience, you can easily convert self-tanners into raving fans of your professional services.

Let’s break down how to make that transition smooth, empowering, and results-driven.

1. Educate, Don’t Shame

Many DIY tanners stick with self-tanning because they don’t know any better. They’re unaware of what a custom, professional spray tan can offer in terms of longevity, fade quality, and skin benefits.

Instead of making them feel wrong, lean into education:

1. ✨ Blog posts or reels comparing DIY vs pro results

2. ✨ Before + after photos showing streaks vs smooth blends

3. ✨ Stories or lives discussing common self-tan struggles (patchiness, color transfer, orange undertones)

Use phrases like “professional spray tan vs self tanner”, “is professional spray tanning worth it?”, and “how to fix streaky fake tan” in your content to attract organic traffic. This will allow the DIY tanning lovers to naturally find you when looking into tips and tricks on perfecting their sunless tanning routine.

2. Offer a Low-Risk Trial Experience

To transition a DIY tanner into your studio, give them a “first-time” offer that doesn’t scream discount but feels like luxury entry access.

Ideas include:

1. 💛 “First-Time Glow Package” with a signature tan + consultation

2. 🧴 Self-Tan Detox Session including exfoliation tips + professional tan

3. 🎁 Retail Special: Schedule your first spray tan and get $10 off an at-home tan or aftercare product

 This allows them to test your service without a big commitment while still respecting your value. Most clients who have been self-tanning obsessed for years like to apply self-tanner at home because it's what they know and are used to. Sometimes they just need a little push and a bit of an incentive to take a step out of their comfort zone and try a new way to get that sun-kissed glow they love.

3. Address the Convenience Myth

Many DIY clients stick to self-tanners because they think it’s easier. In reality, they’re spending more time reapplying, fixing mistakes, and covering uneven spots.

Here’s how to reframe the conversation:

1. “A custom spray tan takes 20 minutes and lasts up to 10 days”

2. “No more messy mitts, orange palms, or waiting hours to rinse”

3. “Our formulas are fast-drying, odor-free, and tailored to your skin type”

By positioning your service as the easier, more effective option, clients will start to see the DIY method as more hassle than it’s worth. There's truly nothing more easy or convenient than popping into a spray tan appointment and leaving 20 minutes later with a fresh, flawlessly applied spray tan. Your clients can get all the confidence a sunless tan offers without the work that it takes applying it themselves. It's really a win-win opportunity—you just need to find a way to communicate that experience effectively.

4. Showcase Natural-Looking Results

One major hesitation for self-tanners? Fear of looking “too dark” or “unnatural.”

Professional spray tanning offers color customization based on:

1. Skin type

2. Undertone

3. Occasion

4. Desired depth

Use your website, social, and email marketing to showcase:

1. 💬 Client testimonials saying “this is the most natural tan I’ve ever had”

2. 📸 Real photos with different skin tones + bronzer bases

3. 🎨 Tips on choosing the best bronzer base for their undertone

There's still a stigma around spray tanning that makes people think that it's going to turn out looking crazy. DIY tanners feel like they have more control over the outcome. What they don't always realize is that a professional spray tan is applied by a trained technician who has education on solution ingredients and skin types. Showcase through your marketing how natural a spray tan can look on all different skin types and tones.

5. Sell the Experience—Not Just the Tan

DIY tanners are used to standing in their bathroom with a sticky mitt. You offer them more than a tan—you offer them a moment of self-care, confidence, and luxury.

Highlight the difference:

1. Spa-like experience

2. Relaxing studio or mobile service

3. Professional skin prep + aftercare guidance

4. Hydrating, skin-nourishing formulas (especially if using products like X-Tan Sunless!)

Remind them: “You’re not just getting a tan—you’re investing in how you show up.” One aspect to booking a professional spray tan over doing a self-tan session at home that may be a barrier for some people is the difference in price. Some DIY tanners may wonder if it's really worth it to book a spray tan when they can just tan at home for "free." This is where it's important to communicate through your marketing that they're not just paying for a spray tan; they're paying for a premium sunless experience that saves them time, hassle, and improves their results.

Final Thoughts: They Don’t Know What They’re Missing—Until You Show Them

Transitioning clients from DIY to professional spray tans doesn’t require convincing. It requires clarity, confidence, and care. With the right education, experience, and trust, most DIY users become lifelong spray tan loyalists. Not only that, but just because a client comes to you for a spray tan doesn't mean they need to ditch their self-tanner altogether. Sunless tanning mousse can be a great option to have on hand to prolong the life of a spray tan or touch up areas like the hands, feet, and face that tend to fade more quickly.

If you’re using X-Tan Sunless solutions, you’re already ahead of the game—with skin-loving ingredients, bronzer base variety, and customizable blends that help you deliver the kind of glow no bottle on a drugstore shelf can compete with.

Ready to help clients leave the mitt behind?

Explore our full line of spray tan solutions, prep products, and training to elevate your business and deliver a glow that keeps them coming back.

👉🏼 Shop X-Tan Sunless Now

P.S. If you have customers who won't cut ties with their self-tan routine, make sure you're the one they're coming to for a quality product. Offer your customers X-Tan's ultra-hydrating Sunless Tanning Mousse so they can bring the premium tanning experience home.