Not Sure Which Spray Tan Course to Choose?

Whether you are completely new to the beauty industry, already hold a spray tan certificate or want to specialise at a higher level, choosing the right training is important.

The right course should be based on your current knowledge and practical ability—not simply how long you have owned a spray gun or whether you already have a certificate.

Here is how to identify the level of spray tan education you genuinely need.

Foundation Spray Tan Training

Best for: Complete beginners and anyone who has never received comprehensive, supervised practical training.

A professional foundation course should give you the knowledge and practical skills required to begin working safely and confidently with paying clients.

This should include:

• Skin types, tones and undertones
• How DHA works
• Understanding solution strengths and formulations
• Client consultation
• Contraindications and patch testing
• Preparation and aftercare
• Equipment setup and maintenance
• Gun control, spray patterns, speed and distance
• Client positioning
• Professional application techniques
• Hygiene and safe working practices
• Identifying and preventing common problems
• Client records, consent and insurance considerations

Foundation training should also include supervised practice on multiple models. This gives you the opportunity to repeat the treatment, work with different bodies and receive corrections before treating clients independently.

Completing a short online course or spraying one model does not necessarily mean that your foundation skills are secure.

If you already hold a certificate but still feel nervous, struggle with inconsistent results or were never properly assessed in person, returning to foundation-level practical training is not going backwards. It is strengthening the part of your education that was previously missed.

Developing and Refining Your Technique

Best for: Qualified technicians who understand the foundations but want greater consistency, confidence and technical knowledge.

Once you can complete a safe, even spray tan, the next stage is learning how to assess each client rather than applying the same solution and technique to everyone.

Development training may include:

• More advanced colour and undertone selection
• Adapting application to different body shapes
• Working confidently across a wider range of skin tones
• Understanding different solution formulations
• Correcting uneven application
• Preventing overspray, patchiness and product build-up
• Improving hands, feet, elbows and knees
• Troubleshooting poor development or fading
• Refining consultation and client recommendations
• Creating more consistent, longer-lasting results

This level is particularly valuable for technicians who can perform a spray tan but know their results are not yet as consistent or polished as they should be.

Experience alone does not always correct poor habits. Without expert feedback, the same mistake can simply be repeated for years.

Advanced and Specialist Spray Tan Education

Best for: Competent, qualified technicians with secure foundation skills who want to offer specialist services.

Advanced education is not a replacement for foundation training. It builds on strong existing technique.

Specialist areas may include:

• Bridal tanning
• Photographic and editorial tanning
• Body contouring
• Event tanning
• Stage and competition tanning
• Working with performers, athletes or high-profile clients
• Managing specialist preparation and finishing requirements

These treatments often require a more detailed understanding of colour, lighting, body structure, timing, product layering and the demands of a particular event.

For example, competition tanning is not simply applying a darker spray tan. The technician must understand stage lighting, muscular definition, posing, federation requirements, colour depth, product layering, timing, top coats and finishing.

Likewise, body contouring is not a collection of identical dark lines copied onto every client. It requires an understanding of anatomy, proportion, blending and how light and shadow affect the finished result.

A technician should be confident and consistent in standard full-body application before progressing to specialist work.

Business Education for Spray Tan Professionals

Best for: Technicians who can produce excellent results but need help turning their skills into a sustainable business.

Being talented at treatments does not automatically teach you how to run a profitable business.

Professional development may also cover:

• Calculating treatment costs
• Setting profitable prices
• Creating clear policies
• Managing bookings, deposits and cancellations
• Attracting the right clients
• Encouraging repeat appointments
• Presenting your work professionally
• Building a credible brand
• Retail and additional revenue opportunities
• Protecting your time and avoiding undercharging

However, business and social media education cannot compensate for weak practical skills.

Marketing may bring a client through the door once. The quality of your consultation, treatment and finished result determines whether they trust you enough to return.

What If You Already Have a Spray Tan Certificate?

Holding a certificate does not always make it obvious which course to choose next.

Ask yourself:

• Did my original training include comprehensive theory?
• Did I receive supervised practical training?
• Did I spray several different models?
• Was my technique individually observed and corrected?
• Can I confidently select the right solution for each client?
• Are my results consistently even?
• Can I explain and prevent common tanning problems?
• Do I understand consultation, contraindications and correct protocols?
• Would I feel confident treating a difficult or unfamiliar client?
• Is my existing training accepted by my insurer?

If you cannot confidently answer yes to these questions, you may benefit more from strengthening your foundations than moving directly into an advanced course.

A responsible educator should help you choose the course that addresses your actual needs rather than automatically placing you at a higher level because you already possess a certificate.

How to Choose the Right Course

Before enrolling, consider what you want to achieve—but be honest about your current ability.

Choose foundation training if:

• You are completely new to spray tanning
• You have only completed an inexpensive or theory-only online course
• Your original practical training was extremely short
• You sprayed only one model
• You do not feel ready to treat paying clients
• You need an appropriate training certificate for insurance purposes

Choose development training if:

• You are qualified and regularly performing treatments
• Your results are inconsistent
• You struggle with solution or undertone selection
• Particular areas of the body cause problems
• You want an experienced educator to identify and correct your technique

Choose specialist training if:

• Your standard spray tan application is already confident and consistent
• You want to offer bridal, photographic, contouring, event or competition services
• You understand that specialist tanning requires more than simply using a darker solution or adding contour lines

Choose business education if:

• Your practical skills are strong
• Your pricing is not profitable
• You struggle to attract or retain suitable clients
• Your policies, branding or business structure need improvement

You may need education in more than one area. Building a professional career is a progression, not something that must be completed in a single rushed course.

The SkinSmart Training Pathway

SkinSmart education is designed to support professional development at every stage—from strong foundation skills through to advanced and specialist application.

Our training focuses on understanding, technique and adaptability. We want our students to know not only what to do, but why they are doing it and how to respond when a client does not fit a standard example.

We believe the correct course is the one that genuinely develops your ability—not simply the fastest or cheapest route to another certificate.

If you are unsure which level is appropriate, contact us before booking. We will help you choose according to your previous training, practical experience and professional goals.

Explore our professional spray tan training courses →