Sunless Tanning

Posted by Stacey

on May 16, 2009

I love, love, love to be tan, but besides the fact that I hate to lay out, I’m a freak about skin care and wearing a high SPF every day, so even if I did like the actual process of tanning, I still wouldn’t do it. I’ve tried a lot of self-tanners – some of them great, some of them awful – but I’ve always wanted to see what it would be like to get self tanner professionally applied at a spa or salon. (No matter how much I pride myself on being good at putting it on in my bathroom, it’s just not the same thing). So when I got the chance to try the new bronzing experience at Kinara, I jumped at the opportunity and booked an appointment right away.

The first time you go to Kinara for the spray tan, they recommend that you start the process with a Bora Bora scrub for exfoliation. This helps to prep your body by getting rid of all the dead skin and smoothing over the dry patches that most people have. It’s also a totally relaxing and luxurious experience – it’s sort of like a massage, but with a delicious sugar scrub instead of lotion. Once the scrub is applied, it’s rinsed off with a warm water spray that comes from above the table you’re relaxing on. It was beyond relaxing – I could’ve happily stayed in that room for an hour or two, especially once the scrub was finished and I realized how soft it had left my skin. It definitely made me realize the importance of exfoliation and I’m determined to make it a more regular part of my routine from now on.

After the Bora Bora scrub, my technician Kim took me into a different room for the self tanning portion of my treatment. You can choose to either be naked or to put on a paper thong and small strapless bikini top while the solution is being applied. (I put the “underwear” on, but even that doesn’t really cover anything, so if you’re someone who gets embarrassed in the locker room or doesn’t like being nude in front of people you don’t really know, you might want to think about that before booking yourself the treatment). Once a cream was applied to my hands and feet to keep them from turning that strange orange shade that I always seem to come up with when I do it myself, I stepped into the tanning booth. The booths are specially designed for this treatment – they’re a multi-layered filter extraction booth that draws the extra mist away from your face and purifies the air around you as you’re being sprayed so that you’re not breathing it all in. It works really well too – I never felt like I was inhaling anything other than normal oxygen, which made the whole process that much more pleasant.

Once I was in the booth, Kim began applying the St. Tropez solution on my body with a spray gun that misted it gently over each section as she worked. What I liked about it is that it was a super fine mist, so it didn’t feel sticky or gloppy like some at home self tanners do. The St. Tropez formula is self adjusting so that it’s perfect for all skin types – it works with individual skin tones to give everyone a bronzed glow that compliments their complexion. (So if you’re pale to begin with, you’re not going to wind up looking so dark that it isn’t natural). The application process went by fairly quickly – Kim was great at making sure that each part of my body was covered so that there wouldn’t be any white spots or dark streaks. You can choose whether or not to have your face sprayed as well and I decided to get that done too. I figured, why not? Once it was all done, Kim left the room and I stood there for about 5 or 10 minutes, just to make sure that it had dried completely before I put my clothes back on. (It’s supposed to dry instantly and it did feel like that was the case, but I just wanted to make sure).

I was definitely darker immediately after the application, but by that night, I was in awe of how perfect the golden tan that developed was. It looked totally natural and the application was flawless, even around my knees, ankles and elbows, which are always problem areas when I try to do it myself. It looked like I’d spent the last few days sipping pina coladas and reading magazines at a pool in a tropical location. (Although to be honest, I usually burn when I go on vacation, so this was probably even better than that!) The tan lasted for a good week too, which is more than the over the counter varieties I usually use. Another thing that I liked about it – it didn’t stain the clothes that I was wearing when I left the salon. (It did leave a tiny bit behind on my pillowcase that night when I was sleeping, but it washed right out, so no big deal). Overall, I couldn’t have been more pleased with my first salon tanning experience – it was quick, easy, and it looked great. My only regret is that I can’t afford to get it done every week so I could have the perfect tan all year round (or at least for the whole summer!)

Kinara is located at 656 North Robertson Blvd. in Los Angeles. The Bora Bora scrub is $80 and the tanning application is $75. To book your own treatments, call 310-657-9188.

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