Aside from the health risks of sun bathing, time is also an issue in today’s fast paced world. Not everyone has enough free time to lie about under the sun getting a tan. Even if they did, the challenge of trying to get an even tan without blotches and peeling can make sun bathing a poor alternative to salon treatments. Of course the sun dries out the skin as well which is hardly appealing to those trying to improve their appearance.

Of course there are other alternatives. Solariums have the advantage of being more flexible, as they can still be used on overcast and rainy days, and even at night. But they still take time, and recently they have been receiving some negative press.

‘DIY’ spray on tans are another option for consumers, but one that has its limitations. One of the major challenges with home spray tan treatments is trying to get an even coverage, particularly in those hard to reach places. Getting a good tan from a ‘DIY’ product can take some practice, and ideally involves a second person to spray those tricky areas. Products like our SunFX White Out do make the job easier as the can is designed to spray on virtually any angle.

So given the limitations of sunbathing, solariums and ‘DIY’ home tanning treatments, it’s easy to see why SunFX spray tans have become so popular and why so many salons are now finding spray tanning to be a major source of their annual income.

A client receiving a SunFX spray tan can be in and out in just 5 minutes. A far cry from the alternatives. There is a huge range of solutions available, allowing every client to achieve the perfect tan. Tans go on evenly and last for days, particularly when used with our tan extenders. Best of all, SunFX spray tans look completely natural. Why would your clients want to spend hours in the sun when they can achieve a better result in just 5 minutes in your salon?

The SunFX spray tanning systems are designed specifically for applying spray tans. Our solutions are 100% all natural, containing no chemicals, alcohols or preservatives, which is a big selling point for so many of our regular clients. SunFX systems also offer excellent return on investment, with as many as 25 applications possible from just one bottle of tanning solution.

So in today’s high paced, health conscious world, it pays to be able to offer your clients a fast, safe and healthy tanning alternative. Call us today and let us show you the advantages of SunFX, the World’s number one spray-on tanning company.

Well straight away it needs to be pointed out that SunFX products contain NO Parabens. As a company we have some serious doubts about parabens and therefore decided that we would never use parabens in our products.

So what are parabens you might ask?

Parabens are preservatives that are extensively used in many cosmetics and beauty products. They have been around for many years, but it has only been fairly recently that people have started to take notice of them.

There has been little hard evidence to prove any of the theories that have been tossed around in relation to parabens. Whilst there are suspicions, not enough scientific studies have been done to prove any of them conclusively. Therefore comments made in this article should only be taken as observations and opinions, not as hard evidence one way or the other.

That being said, there is growing suspicion in the scientific community that products containing parabens may indeed have an adverse effect on our health. This is mainly due to the fact that parabens are considered to be estrogenic, meaning that they can behave like estrogens, or can be mistaken by the body to actually be estrogens. Excessive estrogen build up can result in fluid retention and weight gain, but more significantly, they can also interfere with the hormonal system.

This disruption to the hormonal system is thought to impact adversely on fertility, particularly amongst developing male foetuses when paraben rich cosmetics are used by pregnant mothers. There is also some suspicion that parabens may in the future be found to cause some forms of cancer, in particular breast cancer.

Parabens have also been suspected of causing allergic reactions and possibly even dermatitis. It is often recommended that people with particularly sensitive skin should avoid using any products that contain parabens.

So whilst currently there seems to be a lack of scientific evidence to fully support these theories, at SunFX we don’t believe that it’s worth taking any chances. For that reason, we are committed to not using parabens in our products. Of course this benefits your business, particularly as consumers become more aware of the potential risks of parabens. By stocking SunFX products, you can safely tell your clients that the SunFX products that they are purchasing from you are free from parabens.

But fashion and beauty can be fickle things. What is fashionable, and therefore considered beautiful one day, can be dated and out of vogue the next. However there is one thing that has remained desirable and that is a healthy looking natural tan.

It has been many, many years since pale white skin was desirable. In the last 30 years or more tanned skin has been considered a must have for men and women alike. Phrases such as ‘Bronzed and beautiful’ and ‘Tanned and terrific’ have become part of our everyday language.

It therefore stands to reason that clients entering a beauty salon or day spa, would at the very least expect to be able to receive a 100% natural looking tan that is quick, and easy to achieve. People simply don’t have time to lie around in the sun all day trying to become bronzed, and solariums whilst faster, are still not fast enough. And whilst you could sell them ‘DIY’ products, the fact of the matter is they want you to do it for them. Besides, it’s more profitable for you to provide this service. They will still ultimately purchase more products from you to extend the life of their tan anyway.

And whilst there are a number of spray tanning systems available, most are overpriced pieces of glorified hardware equipment that make a mess and waste solution.

SunFX systems however, are purpose built for the spray tanning industry. With award winning equipment and 100% all natural tanning solutions, it’s easy to see why more and more salons and spas are turning to SunFX. No mess, little to no wastage and truly excellent results are all hallmarks of the SunFX brand.

So if you truly do offer beauty treatments, then you simply can’t afford to not offer spray tanning as a service to your clientele. And when it comes to spray tanning, nobody does it better than SunFX. So call us today and let us help you in making your clients truly beautiful.

I was asking him how his business was going in these tough economic times and he responded by saying that whilst sales were low, profits were still quite healthy, thanks to his focus on minimizing waste.

Curious I asked him to tell me more. He went on to explain that in the early days of running his business his focus was on getting more customers and increasing his sales. His business grew quite successfully, but then finally got to its limit, where no matter how hard he advertised, he simply could not sell any more pizzas.

Still not content with the money he was making, he began to look at ways to increase his profits by cutting costs. One particular evening after closing time, he noticed the large amount of wasted food that was getting thrown out with the garbage. He started to think about how his business made money. He realized, that in its simplest form, his profits came from buying raw food stuffs at a certain price and then selling each piece of food for more than what he paid for it in the form of a cooked pizza. Understanding this, it then dawned on him that each item of food that was thrown out, was money he had wasted, and profit he would now not make. Ever since that night he has focused on eliminating wastage where possible, and ensuring that every item of food brought in its fair share of profit.

Now you might be thinking, ‘What does a pizza shop have to do with my salon?’, well the answer is ‘plenty’. Particularly in the area of spray tanning.

I know that I am about to push the SunFX bandwagon a bit here, but it’s for good reason. It’s because the SunFX spray tanning system does this better than any other. You see, other spray tanning systems in the market are not designed for applying spray tans. They are instead modified paint applicators in the form of air-brush guns and the like. But tanning solution is runnier than paint, and as such it needs to be applied through a spray gun designed specifically for that purpose.

These other systems waste a tremendous amount of tanning solution through over-spray and the dreaded solution drip. Evidence of the amount of over-spray that occurs can be seen by the fact that the skin of the receptionists of salons using these inferior systems is typically orange on top and pale as you look down their legs. This is because the over-spray floats around the room, settling on the staff who work there.

The SunFX Pro Spray Applicator however is specifically designed to apply SunFX tanning solutions. Because it is so accurate, you only need a tiny amount of solution to apply a full body tan. Skilled operators are able to get as many as 30 full tans from one bottle of solution!

Now admittedly some of the other solution brands are cheaper, but you need to use more of them to get a rich natural looking tan. Therefore you are getting fewer tans per bottle, which means less profit overall. By buying the cheaper brand you are actually costing yourself money.

So the salon recession surviving tip that I want you to understand is the importance of reducing your wastage. In spray tanning the answer is SunFX. But what other areas of your business suffer from wastage, and how can you reduce it? Answer those questions and your profits will increase even if your clientele drops off.

One of the realities of a recession is that people are watching their money more closely. People will often go without those products or services that are deemed to be a luxury, rather than a necessity. Beauty treatments are commonly one of the first things that people give up during times of financial hardship.

But the reality for most salons is that they still have customers, just less of them. The regulars tend to keep coming in, but you tend to lose ‘walk in’ traffic and those who would be typically classed as infrequent clientele. The loss of these clients is significant, as these are often the clients who give your profits a real boost and turn your good weeks into great ones.

But all is not lost; you simply need to work on making more from less.

To do this you need to start focusing on the average expenditure of each client, as well as the frequency of their visits. Are there any products or services that you could be selling your clients that you are not selling to them already? Obviously spray tanning is a big one, as a SunFX spray tan is hugely profitable for your salon, and highly desirable for your clients.

Products are another lucrative area that many salons have not previously focused on. Sure you have always sold products, but how many more could you sell if you really focused on them? By selling an extra product to every second client, you will soon have boosted your profits even though you might potentially be dealing with fewer clients.

It is also important to ensure that your existing clients are coming back regularly, particularly if your overall numbers of clients are diminishing. Make sure that you book people in for their next appointment before they leave, and it’s imperative that you give them a reminder phone call a day or so before their next appointment is due. It’s also worth considering putting individual clients on customised beauty programs. Find out if they have any important functions or engagements coming up and then set out a program of regular appointments leading up to the event that ensures they will be looking their best.

Whilst finances may be tight across the country, there is no doubt that well run businesses can still succeed, and in fact grow. Focus on increasing the per visit expenditure of each client, along with the frequency of their visits, and you will find that you can grow your profits even if your client base is diminishing.

To understand the importance of exfoliating, we first need to understand a little bit about human skin.

Skin is made up of a series of tiny individual cells that have a relatively short life span. Cells are created in the lower layers of the skin called the dermis. From there they migrate to the surface layer as old layers of cells die and fall off. It is important to understand that these dead cells fall off at different rates. For example, clothes rubbing against the skin can remove these dead cells at a faster rate than areas of the skin that do not come into contact with garments.

Equally it is important to understand that a spray tan occurs at the surface level of the skin. The tanning solution reacts with the amino acids in the skin, creating a rich, natural looking tan (well, in the case of SunFX tanning solutions at least). Therefore, to create an even, natural looking tan that lasts, it is vital that as many dead skin cells are removed as possible prior to the tanning application.

Another way to look at this is to picture painting an old house. You would not simply spray a new coat of paint on top of the old cracked and peeling paint that is already there. If you did, the new paint would eventually fall off as the old paint flaked away, leaving the house looking patchy and unsightly.

Whilst this example is a bit of an over exaggeration in comparison to a spray tan on a client, the basics are still the same. You need to strip back the dead skin cells, to ensure that the solution is being applied to new skin cells. This in turn will enable the spray tan to last longer and fade more evenly.

Understanding this, we can now begin to see the importance of having our clients exfoliate their entire body prior to their tanning appointment. Ideally this should be done at home the night before their appointment.

Whilst there are many exfoliating creams and gels on the market, not all are suitable to use prior to a tanning application. For this reason we recommend that your clients thoroughly exfoliate with SunFX Body Polish prior to their tanning appointment.

SunFX Body Polish combines walnut shell and pumice with rich emollient properties to form a deep exfoliating body scrub that leaves the skin feeling alive and refreshed. Unlike other beauty treatments which can sometimes be seen as a chore, exfoliating with SunFX Body Polish is a wonderfully indulgent activity that will leave your clients feeling relaxed and revitalised. Of course the extra product sales are sure to be appreciated as well!

So for the ultimate long lasting spray tan you simply must ensure that your clients are exfoliating with SunFX Body Polish.

They are paying at the counter when they ask you “Is there any way that I can extend my tan between visits?”‘ Smiling you place a tube of Summer’s Secret in front of them and collect their money.

Of course your client is going to be completely delighted with the results of Summer’s Secret, because it not only extends their professional salon tan, but it also hydrates their skin and can even build a tan from scratch. It glides on beautifully and leaves no streaking as it blends into the skin.

So what makes Summer’s Secret such a successful body product? Well it’s tempting to say ‘That’s a secret” and leave it at that, but we wouldn’t do that to you…

The secret actually lies in the Dihydroxyacetone that we use. Dihydrowhatsit? I hear you ask. Well allow me to explain …

Dihydroxyacetone, or DHA as it’s more commonly referred to, is a 100% natural tanning agent that reacts with the amino acids in the skin to produce a rich, completely natural looking tan. Unlike some other products in the market, Summer’s Secret uses the purest form of DHA in the world, which is why it manages to produce consistently stunning looking tans.

Essentially an elite quality, salon grade tanning moisturiser, Summer’s Secret has proven to be a massive hit with consumers. So much so that we have had to dramatically increase production just to keep up with the demand.

So if you want a product that you can trust, that will give your clients the sort of results that will have them raving to their friends, then look no further than Summer’s Secret – simply the best tanning moisturiser in the world.