sunTANon products have been formulated to give a fast and dark instant tan.

sunTANon Extreme Competition Colour

Directions

1. Apply evenly to clean dry skin using a foam roller or foam brush
2. Allow to dry between coats, and re apply for a deeper tan – the colour will darken over several hours
3. Your skin type will indicate how many coats of tan will be required – this is an easy visual assessment with 2 to 4 coats being average
4. Allow to dry before direct contact with clothes or water
5. For best results apply the tan over several days in the evening, and allow to develop over night, showering excess off in the morning and re applying until the desired color is achieved

sunTANon TopCoat

Directions

1. TopCoat is a standalone product or can be used with a base of sunTANon Extreme Competition Colour
2. Apply TopCoat sparingly with your fingers and lightly rub in spreading evenly just like you would applying a moisturiser
3. Apply TopCoat lightly to face area as your face should be much lighter than your body
4. If a darker colour is required just reapply. Do not do this too thick as you want to see through the tan to the muscle definition – Top Coat enhances this
5. Smooth out by lightly patting the skin once the final coat is applied or alternatively use a foam roller very lightly over your whole body. This will leave a beautiful extremely even tan
6. For best results take your time and do not rush
7. TopCoat is designed so the shimmer is enhanced once under strong lighting
8. Avoid contact with anything before going on stage
9. TopCoat washes out with soap and water

Skin Preparation

Make sure you remove body hair at least 3 to 5 days before your competition, as shaving or using depilatory creams irritates the skin, which can cause fluid retention.

Applying sunTANon Extreme Competition Colour with a roller or foam brush.

Roller Method : Pour tan into a tray. After soaking roller squeeze excess tan out of roller by rolling in tray (as you would when painting making sure not to load roller too heavy). This will prevent the tan running. Roll evenly onto the skin – this is a very fast and convenient way to apply the tan.

Foam Brush Method : Pour tan in a tray. Don’t load up brush too heavy and paint on. Allow sunTANon to dry between coats 10 to 15 minutes. A hair dryer can be used to speed this process. Wear old clothes whilst applying tan and sleep on old sheets.

Warning, tan residue may be visible on clothes and sheets after using this product. If this occurs please wash using a light stain remover.

The Perfect TAN

After 48 competitions over 24 years, this subject is one I consider I have some expertise on. I have gone as far as to develop what I consider to be the best extreme competition colour tan on the market in Australia, sunTANon. Put simply it’s brown! During the development of this product I discovered there are many reasons some colours don’t seem to be this colour after being applied to the skin, but for this article I’ll focus on the correct preparation and application of your competition tan.

The choice of whether to tan in the sunlight or solarium is a personal one. For every article/study we read on the dangers of the sun there seems to be a conflicting article/study on the benefits. Living recently on the Gold Coast in Queensland the sun is definitely not as harsh as Victoria therefore some exposure to it was fine. I chose to have a solarium once a week. Moderation is key in my opinion, so regardless of whether you use natural sunlight or solarium I will explain what I feel is the best way to apply a contest tan from scratch.

Hair removal

Shaving should be done at least 2 to 4 days before the competition dependant on a person’s rate of regrowth. Using a depilatory cream like Nair or Veet should be done even earlier eg 4 to 6 days at least, the reason is both these methods cause some damage and irritation to the skin which can cause fluid retention. If there is any regrowth at all it will be minimal and the judges will never see it.

I always use a good base tan, the liquid type eg sunTANon Extreme Competition Colour. Application is a matter of personal constraints eg if one has to wear certain clothes to work they may choose to start the tan as close to the competition day as possible. Below is a simple and effective protocol I used at my recent show to achieve a great consistent tan.

For a show on Saturday

Wednesday night, pour sunTANon Extreme Competition Colour into a small plastic paint tray or similar (I heat the tan in a microwave for about 20 seconds as it helps drying time and it’s not so cold). Dip the roller into the tan and press excess out on the tray – this will avoid loading the brush too heavily and the tan running, simply paint it on the skin. If there are any runs just pick them up with the roller and smooth them out. I do one really nice even coat and then wait for it to dry. One can speed this process by using a hair dryer but it only takes 5 to 10 minutes anyway. I would then put on relatively old clothes of a dark colour, some residue will come off overnight but this is easily removed by washing clothes in a stain remover type cleaner. I have an old black sheet that I normally sleep on just to be safe as well, sunTANon Extreme Competition Colour will not permanently stain anything.

Thursday morning, shower off the excess. Thursday evening I repeat the process.

Friday morning I put on a coat of sunTANon Extreme Competition Colour. I do not shower the excess off, just wait for it to dry and dress. Friday evening after showering I apply another coat, this is my last shower before the show.

Saturday morning – the competition day (I do not shower off the excess)

Before the Competition I apply sunTANon TopCoat.

Apply TopCoat sparingly with your fingers and lightly rub in spreading evenly, just like you would applying a moisturizer. Do not do this too thick as you want to see through the tan to the muscle definition – TopCoat enhances this and is designed so the shimmer is enhanced once under strong lighting.

Smooth out by lightly patting the skin once the final coat is applied, or alternatively use a foam roller very lightly over your whole body. This will leave a beautiful extremely even tan.

Apply lightly to face area – this should be much lighter than your body. For best results take your time and do not rush.

Avoid contact with anything before going on stage.

TopCoat washes out with soap and water.

Enjoy your competition day and remember we are only responsible for our effort not the outcome.
The process and journey are more important!

Bodybuilding is moving art, it’s sculpture. Finish your work of art with the perfect tan.

Wayne Wilson