Botanical Glow By Virginia

Not every glow comes from the sun.

Hello to all the new faces! 👋

I’m Virginia, owner of Botanical Glow by Virginia in Jacksonville, FL for 7 years! I focus on natural-looking color, client education, and creating a comfortable experience for every client (former mental health therapist).

I currently offer in-studio appointments and do a few mobiles here and there.

My favorite solutions are Sjolie 12 for overnights and JMT 16 for rapids. JMT just launched a 1-2 hour tan that I’m currently testing and hoping to add to the line up in July!

My hot takes are:

I love a lighter bronzer.
I never use barrier cream.
I only blend if solution gets caught in a crease.

My toxic trait is forgetting to take client notes.

My next step in business is hiring help for client communication and an extra artist. Looking forward to what the future has in store ❤️

Your spray tan should look like skin, not makeup.

A well-balanced tan enhances natural contours, evens tone, and gives the skin a healthy glow without looking overly dark or orange. The goal is customization based on your skin tone, undertones, lifestyle, and desired result.

A few things that affect your final color:
• Your natural undertones
• How long you leave the solution on before rinsing
• Skin hydration and prep
• Product ingredients and DHA percentage
• How your skin naturally develops color

The best spray tans are the ones people cannot immediately identify as a spray tan.

A spray tan should enhance your skin tone — not cover it up.

Every body, undertone, and skin type develops differently, which is why custom spray tanning matters. The same solution won’t produce the same result on everyone. Factors like skin pH, hydration, prep, and aftercare all affect the final color.

A few things that help create the most natural-looking result:

• Exfoliate 24 hours before your appointment
• Avoid lotions, oils, deodorant, and perfume before tanning
• Wear loose, dark clothing afterward
• Moisturize daily to extend the life of your tan
• Avoid long hot showers and heavy exfoliation after rinsing

The goal is healthy, even, sun-kissed skin customized to you.

We’re team tan line over here! What about you?

Sunless tanning works through DHA (dihydroxyacetone), which reacts with the amino acids in the outer layer of the skin to create a temporary bronzed color without UV exposure.

A few key things that impact your final result:

* Skin prep matters: Exfoliating and avoiding lotions or deodorant helps ensure even absorption.
* Application technique: Proper distance, solution flow, and blending prevent streaks and overdevelopment.
* Development time: The longer the solution stays on within recommended limits, the deeper the color result.
* Body chemistry: pH levels, hydration, and recent products on the skin can all affect tone and longevity.

A spray tan is not just color. It is controlled chemistry and technique working together to create a natural-looking result.

Photo by: .originals