Pregnancy & Spray Tanning
Can you have a spray tan when pregnant?
The honest, professional answer — what Sunkissed does for pregnant clients, what to ask your midwife first, and the precautions we take across Hertfordshire and NW London.
A note before you read on
This page shares professional guidance based on widely-accepted cosmetic and beauty industry standards. It is not medical advice. Always speak to your midwife or GP before booking any treatment during pregnancy — every pregnancy is different, and they know your specific circumstances best. Sunkissed will always ask you to confirm you have done this before we book a tan during pregnancy.
First trimester (weeks 1–12)
Generally not recommended. Sunkissed will not spray-tan clients in the first trimester regardless of midwife approval.
Second & third trimester
Generally considered safe with midwife approval, a face mask, and a hypoallergenic solution like Sienna X.
Breastfeeding
Generally considered safe — wipe chest before feeding and keep solution away from the nipple area.
The Detail
What the science (and the cautious common sense) actually says
The active ingredient in every professional spray tan is DHA — dihydroxyacetone — a cosmetic agent that reacts with the very top, dead layer of your skin to produce colour. It does not penetrate the bloodstream in any meaningful way, and it’s been used in self-tanning products since the 1960s.
The reason most professional bodies recommend caution during pregnancy isn’t because there’s evidence DHA harms a baby — it’s because there’s a relative lack of formal study on inhalation of DHA mist during pregnancy. Most precautionary advice focuses on the mist, not the cosmetic itself.
That’s why, for pregnant clients in the second or third trimester, Sunkissed will:
- Ask you to confirm you’ve spoken to your midwife and they’re happy.
- Use a hypoallergenic, paraben-free, vegan solution (Sienna X) only.
- Provide a face mask during application to avoid inhaling the mist.
- Ventilate the room with windows open and a fan.
- Always patch-test 24 hours in advance if you’ve never had a tan with us.
- Avoid the bump itself if you’d prefer a “body only” application.
We will not spray-tan in the first trimester, and we won’t proceed if you haven’t spoken to your midwife. That’s not us being awkward — it’s standard professional practice from a fully-insured therapist.
FAQs
Pregnancy spray tan questions
Most medical guidance considers the active ingredient in spray tans (DHA) to be a cosmetic, surface-level reaction with the very top layer of skin — it does not penetrate the bloodstream in any significant way. That said, no major medical body has actively researched DHA exposure in pregnancy at length, which is why most professional bodies recommend avoiding spray tanning in the first trimester and seeking your own midwife or GP’s advice before any tan during pregnancy. Sunkissed will always ask you to confirm you’ve had this conversation before booking.
Most professional bodies (and most insurers) recommend avoiding spray tanning during the first trimester (weeks 1–12). This is partly precautionary and partly because morning sickness and heightened smell sensitivity make the experience unpleasant. Sunkissed will not spray-tan clients in the first trimester.
From the second trimester onwards, spray tanning is generally considered safe by most cosmetic and medical guidance — provided your midwife agrees, you can wear a face mask during application to avoid inhaling the mist, and we use a hypoallergenic, paraben-free solution like Sienna X. We’ll always do a patch test first if you’ve never had a tan with us.
Spray tanning while breastfeeding is generally considered safe — the DHA reaction is on the surface of the skin and does not pass into milk. Make sure to wipe your chest thoroughly before feeding so baby doesn’t ingest cosmetic bronzer, and keep solution well away from the nipple area.
Pregnancy heightens sensitivity to smell, and spray tan solutions do have a distinctive scent. If you’re prone to nausea, the express formula (you can rinse the cosmetic guide colour after just 1–4 hours, with the tan then continuing to develop for another 6–8 hours) is often the better choice — and we can open windows and use a fan during the application.
Tell them you’re planning to have a professional mobile spray tan using a salon-grade DHA solution (we’d recommend specifying Sienna X — vegan, paraben-free, hypoallergenic). Ask whether there’s anything in your specific pregnancy that should make you avoid it. We’ll need you to confirm they’re happy before we book.
