A Spray Tan - How to Get a Safe Tan

Everyone wants a tan. A tan is associated with health and beauty, which is funny, since the natural way to get a tan is one of the least healthy things we can do to our bodies. Hello, skin cancer. Health-conscious tan seekers skip the sun and head to the tanning beds – wrong again. Now, experts are telling us beds are no less dangerous than the sun, and are basically a skin cancer guarantee. There’s got to be another way for us to get that beautiful tone we want and crave, right? Meet the spray tan.

What is a Spray Tan?

The definition is in the title. Get the glow without, you know, the life-threatening disease. Now, when spray tans first hit the beauty scene, it was a suspect concept, and an orange one at that. The pumpkin hue hasn’t completely left the picture. A lot of store-bought self-tanning sprays as well as some lower- end tanning salons haven’t gotten with the times and the better quality formulas. If you were going for more of a gold than sweet potato, your best bet is to hit a spa or research the tanning salons near you. Read reviews, check out the packages. You want affordable, but if it’s scary cheap, there’s a reason.

The process is easy, and there are two options. Before you get either, make sure to exfoliate. This gets rid of the dead skin and helps the tan take hold and last. So for your options: the cheaper one is the booth. You’ll strip down and put lotion on places that tend to gather too much of the spray, like hands and feet, to avoid unevenness. Hop in the booth and get sprayed in the front, then the back. Air dry a bit and you’re good to go. A quality tan venue like a spa or well-known salon has top of the line sprays, and your tan will look natural, healthy, and sun-kissed. At least three people will ask you where you went on vacation.

For a higher price tag but more guaranteed perfection, you can actually have someone spray you. Instead of taking your chances with an automated booth, a spray-er will apply the tan, making sure it’s perfectly even and natural. This is unquestionably the option if you have a little more cash to burn at the spa or salon. Otherwise, the booth awaits, and fear not. Technology has given us better booths.

For example, one kind of booth, known as the Mystic Tan (www.mystictan.com), is one of the most common booths in salons and spas. While a step up from orangey hues, it was still known to be a little streaky and messy. Now, we’ve one-upped that with the Versa Tan (www.versaspasystem.com), a new booth being used in salons and spas. Now not only will you not be orange, but you also won’t be streaky or messy, just even and smooth. Plus the Versa also has a moisturizing spray, leaving your skin silky despite the tan spray. According to Versa’s rave reviews like those on www.beautysnob.com, you can even choose the intensity of your tan in this booth: light, medium, or dark. This is a great option because if you’re a pasty Irish gal with freckles and strawberry blonde hair, and you come out one day looking Brazilian, you’re not fooling anyone. Start with light and work your way up. Don’t give up on a great salon with rave reviews and good prices if you see Mystic Tanning booths, though. If you are careful, apply lotion evenly, and let yourself dry thoroughly, you can still get a quality tan.

Who should get a Spray Tan?

Everyone! Come on, people, we know too much now about the dangers of the sun and the tanning beds. Quit frying your skin. You might look great now, but in 10 to 20 years, you’re going to match your favorite brown leather handbag. We all want to be tan, for different reasons. Some favor that healthy glow, some like to appear to be jetsetters, some just think it complements their hair and/or eye color. Either way, if we’re all after a tan, we should all be lining up for that spray. When you think about it, it’s really the only option for tanning these days.

What are the benefits of a Spray Tan?

A spray tan is the only dependable way to get a tan that is safe and healthy. You are not endangering yourself with skin cancer, and yet you still look utterly glowing and sun kissed. Do not be afraid of the orange tan. For the most part, this is a thing of the past. Spray tans last 5 to 10 days according to www.envytan.com, which is pretty good considering it will be even, bronzed, and cancer-free. Plus, if you look at different packages offered at salons and spas, you can get a spray session as low as $10.

What are the risks of a Spray Tan?

If you don’t use common sense, your tan can be less than gorgeous. Don’t move when you’re getting sprayed - this is harder than it sounds, say you get a sudden, wicked itch. Resist, and you’ll be thankful you did. Even when you do your part, some booths just might not be top of the line, so you do have a chance of being streaky or splotchy. But don’t give up on spray tans. Your next tan cannot only cover your previous mess, but show you a perfect and even tan is possible. The spray tan can also dry your skin out, so go heavy on the moisturizer.

Bottom line?

A slight risk of streakiness that fades in a few days and may never happen again? Totally worth a spray tan’s amazing advantages of a gorgeous glow and no health risks.