Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Are you intimidated like I was? I went to a spray tan booth once in my 30s and opened my mouth on accident and couldn’t follow directions about turning at correct times so I had been scared to try it again. Yes, I can totally see how Ross messed it up so badly!

Last spring, my co-worker Erica went to Sun Tan City and kind of explained what to do so I gave it a shot and really liked it. I kept going all spring and summer (monthly rate) and stopped from August until November. Then, I got a deal that couldn’t be beat to tan from November until March for a low rate. So, I went maybe a couple of times a month since November.

Another nice thing is that no appointment is required. I have never even had to wait in the lobby.

I think there is a deal now where you can go as a first timer for $20 if you do want to try it.

Last week was my last chance to go with that package and I thought I would walk you through the process. I am hoping to get a please come back deal sent to my inbox because I would like to go a couple times a month in the spring. I still love Tan Luxe The Butter and I plan to use that as maintenance until I go back to Sun Tan City. But, boy is it nice to have your whole body done for you. When I just used self tanning lotion, I only worried about my arms and legs.

There are a couple of different types of spray booths, brands, formulas of tanning agents, and levels of tan – light, medium, and dark. I figured out I liked Versa (brand name of the machine) medium after the first few times I went. The employees will help you decide and explain the different formulas to you, so don’t worry.

You want to wear loose dark clothing and you can’t shower for 4-6 hours after getting sprayed if you want your color to devolop and last.

I usually wear a black knit swing dress. I like to shower and wash my hair before going and then I don’t shower again until the next day. It has never stained my clothes or sheets. There is a bit of a smell but it doesn’t bother me too badly. You do want to wear your hair in a ponytail because you put on this cap:

This is what the booth looks like below. If you are claustrophobic, it does not have a door that closes and it is inside your own private room. You can go in your birthday suit with no worries. It has numbers on the floor and it tells you (the booth talks to you) to start with toes on number one and heels on number four, then you do three other positions always using the numbers as a guide. I put a towel down under my feet because I did have the bottoms of my feet get dirty before.

The booth washes itself immediately after and also an employee cleans each booth, but you don’t touch anything except the floor of the booth.

Before starting you put this barrier cream between your fingers and on your wrists and between your toes so that the tanning solution doesn’t make those areas really dark. I have forgotten this step before and I just washed my hands and feet immediately with wet wipes and it was ok.

There are posters with instructions inside your little room that locks, by the way. They tell you about how to put on the barrier cream (it is provided in the room), how to stand in the booth, how to change positions, etc. Also, there is a phone if you need to call the front desk. There are also paper towels, wipes, your hair net, a clean towel, and a mirror.

The whole booth process only takes about 5 minutes and it blows air on you to dry after, as well. I immediately put my clothes on and leave.

My spray tan lasts for 7-10 days if I just shower normally. Swimming or soaking in a bathtub can affect how long it lasts. Also, you are supposed to just wash with your hands and not use a loofah or a washcloth and then pat dry with your bath towel and not rub. You also want to keep moisturizing and that helps it last. It fades very naturally, though.

I think it looks best about two days after tanning so if you have an event to go to, I would plan ahead and go at least one day before the event, but two might be the best.

I have never done the spray tan where a person sprays you, so I can’t speak about that experience.

Here is what I looked like the day after:

My feet look pretty dark in the photo.

Is it vain? Yes. Is it silly that we like to “be tan” or have a little color? Yes. I don’t let myself get much real sun anymore so this has been a good option for me. Am I a bit worried about the chemicals involved? Yes. There are organic spray tans where the person uses the handheld sprayer on you. I might look into that, but I feel like that would be more expensive and cost prohibitive for me.

I hope I explained the process well enough for those of you curious.

Do you ever get sprayed? Have you been sprayed? Have you been sprayed by a skunk? I hope not!

Amy