Your Tan
A tailored result starts with understanding your skin, not applying the same shade to everyone. Here's how Avéleine chooses your formula, and the science behind it.
Nouvatan: the formula behind your tan
Avéleine is certified with Nouvatan and uses Nouvatan professional spray tanning solutions. Nouvatan is a British-owned, family-run tanning brand founded in 2009, with its professional solutions manufactured in Britain and designed around natural-looking colour and skin-friendly formulations.
Nouvatan's professional solutions use organic, naturally-derived DHA and are vegan-friendly and cruelty-free. The range is free from parabens, alcohol and oils, available in multiple DHA strengths so colour can be tailored rather than relying on a single shade for everyone. Solutions are designed to dry quickly and give an even, natural-looking result.
The active tanning ingredient is naturally derived DHA, but the finished spray-tan solution is a formulated cosmetic product. For accuracy, Avéleine describes Nouvatan as using organic/naturally derived DHA and skin-friendly formulations, rather than claiming every ingredient is 100% natural.
DHA: how your tan develops
DHA stands for dihydroxyacetone, the active tanning ingredient used in sunless tanning. It reacts with amino acids in the outermost layer of the skin, producing brown-coloured compounds called melanoidins, creating the appearance of a tan without UV exposure.
Different Nouvatan solutions contain different concentrations of DHA. Generally, a lower DHA percentage gives a lighter result, while a higher percentage allows a deeper one. Nouvatan's original professional range runs from 6% to 20% DHA, with solutions that can be mixed for a bespoke shade.
DHA does not stimulate melanin the way UV tanning does. A spray tan is a cosmetic colour change at the surface of the skin, so it does not provide sun protection. SPF should still be worn as normal.
Fitzpatrick scale & skin undertone
The Fitzpatrick scale is a six-type skin phototype system based on how skin responds to UV exposure. It's useful as a guide, but wasn't designed to determine your spray-tan shade alone. Avéleine uses it as one part of a broader consultation alongside your natural skin tone, undertone and desired result.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Type I | Very fair; usually burns and does not tan. |
| Type II | Fair; burns easily and tans minimally. |
| Type III | Light to medium; may burn but gradually tans. |
| Type IV | Olive/light brown; rarely burns and tans easily. |
| Type V | Brown; rarely burns and tans deeply. |
| Type VI | Deep brown/black; rarely burns and is deeply pigmented. |
Undertone is the subtle colour beneath the surface of your skin: commonly cool, warm or neutral, with some clients having olive undertones that can sit between warm and neutral. The same DHA strength can look different on different complexions, so Avéleine considers undertone when choosing your formula, keeping the finished tan balanced, natural and flattering.
Fitzpatrick type and undertone are not the same thing. Two people can share a Fitzpatrick type but have very different undertones, and people with the same undertone can have very different skin depths. The goal is always a personalised result, not a rigid chart.
Ready to find your formula?