Getting tanned indoors

She figured there was still room for a spray tan business in sunny Singapore.

Trained and qualified as a tanning technician in London, Ms Margaret Treaner, 46, a Singapore permanent resident, quit her teaching job and launched an islandwide mobile spray tanning service.

Tan@Home was started in December 2010, and it allows clients to get a non-permanent spray tan under 30 minutes by a qualified tan technician in their homes and offices.

The services, which take place in portable pop-up tanning pods, start at $70.

When Tan@Home first started, expatriates from the United States, Europe, and Australia made up 80 per cent of the customer base. The rest were Singaporeans.

Ms Treaner says of her local clientele: "It is sunshine all year round here, and it is a long-held tradition in Asia that fairer skin is preferable as a sign of wealth, class and beauty."

Tan@Home is a mobile spray tanning service that allows clients to achieve tanned skin at home. TNP PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

But she adds that there has been a shift in attitudes as the younger generation, spurred on by celebrities with bronzed skin, now covet tanned skin.

And as people became more health conscious and educated on the risks of skin damage from ultraviolet rays, she realised there was a gap in the market for a safer alternative to attain a tan.

Ms Treaner says: "It is no secret that a light dusting of a spray tan gives a natural, healthy glow that is completely safe."

REGULARS

Today, Asians make up more than 70 per cent of her regular clientele.

She says she receives about 10 new bookings or inquiries a day and has 30 clients getting a spray tan on a weekly basis.

"Time is precious, and many of my clients are very busy people, either with careers or with their kids," she says.

She adds that having a spray tan at home also helps in other ways.

BRONZED: Founder of Tan@Home Margaret Treaner (above, middle) with her clients, Ms Alexandra Zahra and Mr Edwin Aw.

"It is important to remain cool for two hours while the tan develops, which is much easier to do at home with Singapore's harsh climate."

Mr Edwin Aw, 30, a personal trainer, is a regular customer.

"I look forward to getting a nice tan under 30 minutes, rather than spending two to three hours under the sun, exposing myself to harmful ultraviolet rays," he says.