Skin Cancer Awareness Month: Why I Started Apres Soleil
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, which feels like the perfect time to share the story behind Apres Soleil.
Like so many women who grew up in Southern California, I was absolutely a sun worshipper.
Every free moment was spent outside, at the beach, by the pool, chasing that deeper tan and naturally sun-lightened hair. Back then, a tan felt like health. Like beauty. Like confidence.
At 40, that mindset changed.
During a visit with my dermatologist, I was warned about precancerous skin changes caused by years of sun exposure. It was a wake-up call.
I loved having a glow, but I had zero interest in self-tanning lotions and definitely wasn’t about to step into a tanning bed.
So I did what many women do. I called my most beauty-obsessed friends.
Both told me the same thing: airbrush tanning.
They loved the results, but neither loved their experience with the providers they had used.
That conversation planted the seed.
At the time, I was a stay-at-home mom raising three daughters, teaching part-time at Bar Method, and starting to think about what my next chapter could look like as my girls grew more independent.
I started researching airbrush tanning in the East Bay and quickly realized there was a real opportunity, not just for a beauty service, but for a better experience.
That’s how Apres Soleil began.
The Reality of Skin Cancer Hits Close to Home
Since then, my perspective has only deepened.
I’ve personally had MOHS surgery on my face three separate times.
If you’ve ever been through that, or know someone who has, you understand how scary it can be.
I also know several people who have battled melanoma, and it’s terrifying.
Skin cancer can feel like something that happens “later” or to someone else… until it doesn’t.
That’s one reason Skin Cancer Awareness Month matters so much to me.
Beauty Should Never Come at the Expense of Your Health
I still love a glow.
But these days, I embrace a subtle, healthy glow over the “sun goddess” look I used to chase.
At Apres Soleil, we believe you shouldn’t have to choose between feeling beautiful and protecting your skin.
Spray tanning offers a healthier alternative to UV exposure while still giving you that confidence boost so many of us love.
And in the coming months, we’re expanding team education around noticing concerning skin changes, because our clients trust us with something personal: we see areas of their skin they may not regularly see themselves.
This became especially meaningful to me after my dentist recently noticed what I assumed were simply chapped lips. It turned out to be precancerous cells that needed treatment.
That experience reinforced something I deeply believe: awareness matters. Early detection matters. Caring matters.
Beyond the Glow
Yes, we want your tan to look flawless.
Yes, we want you to leave feeling confident.
But more than anything, I want women to feel cared for.
Apres Soleil has never just been about bronzed skin.
It’s about helping women feel beautiful, confident, and looked after.
This Skin Cancer Awareness Month, if you’ve traded sun damage for safer beauty choices, I’m cheering you on.
And if you’re still learning, that’s okay too.
We’d love to be part of your glow journey.
Ready for a healthier glow?
Book your custom airbrush spray tan at Apres Soleil in Walnut Creek.
Proudly serving Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Danville, Alamo, and the East Bay.