Endless Summer: Walnut Creek's Latest Air Brush Tan Business

by Jim Caroompas

Contra Costa doesn’t really wave goodbye to the summer weather for a month or two more, so sun worshippers can still bake themselves a nice tan.

But for those who need a quick tan, or who cannot safely expose themselves to the sun for long, other options are needed. And that’s where folks like Jenny Schneider come in. 

Last month, Schneider launched Apres Soleil (French for “after the sun”), a mobile airbrush tanning business. She promises to provide her clients with a safe, natural-looking tan in 30 minutes at their home or business.

A quick glance at Yelp reveals a number of businesses in and around Walnut Creek that offer sunless tanning in one form or another. Growing concerns about the effects of UV rays on the skin, and the immediacy of the results, are behind the growth in this business.

Schneider said she got involved in this business because she grew up on the beaches of southern California, but was advised by her doctor not long ago to stay out of the sun. Seeking options, she found spray tanning services nearby, but she and her friends weren’t always happy with the outcome.

“I decided to be the person people came away happy with 100 percent of the time,” she said.

Customer Natalie Ard said she liked the glow of the tan she received at Apres Soleil, and its natural look. She was kind enough to let Walnut Creek Patch get some video of her latest session.

These days, even in the dead of winter, you can look as though you just returned from the Bahamas. Just spray on a week at the ocean, and no one will know the difference. 

The downside: you can’t catch up on your beach reading.