Spray tan central: Mystic Tan HD

Greetings from Vegas!

For the past four days I have been in Sin City on vacation.  This trip has become an annual occurrence happening every August and for about a week before I travel, I set aside time to prep myself.  I mean, this is the land of tanned, fit, and perfect bodies.  So that includes sugaring, waxing, and most of all, tanning.  Now I don’t do tanning beds and unfortunately I don’t tan well either, so that leaves self tanners.  Although I usually self tan every day for a few days before my trip, this year I went a different route and got a spray tan.

I’ve done a spray tan once before in the spring time before the snow melted and loved the results so I decided to get another before my trip. I think the words “spray tan” mean “orange glow” for a lot of people, but you actually end up with the same results you would get with a good self tanner, it’s just way quicker.

Tan booth

I used the Mystic Tan HD system at my local Fabutan, which is a booth that walks you through the process (literally, it talks to you).  You choose from four different colours (Glow, Light, Medium, and Dark) and then there are add-ons, such as moisturizers, bronzers, fragrances, and more.  In the spring I went with the Light shade, however, this time around I went with the Medium and it gave me the perfect glow.

The process starts before you get to the booth.  At home, make sure you exfoliate 24 hours before your appointment (although I literally exfoliated right before the appointment and it was fine).  Before your appointment you should have clean skin, so no moisturizers, lotions, makeup, etc.  Once you arrive at your tanning location, in my case Fabutan, you tell them which shade you want and then they will try to up sell you on different products.  I have always gone with my friend Jessica and she gets the moisturizer so we share that and then I buy the gradual fader stuff that they add to the tanning cartridge so your tan fades evenly.
From there, you are taken to a room where you undress and then put on a shower cap that exposes a touch of your hairline, and then you apply barrier cream to your hands, palms, in between your fingers, and around the sides of your feet.  Once the machine is ready (she will tell you – yes, it’s a female voice), you open the door, step in, and wave your hand telling her you are ready to start.

From there, she guides you through the process. Basically, she tells you where to place your feet (there are the numbers one to four on the ground) and you squat, hold out your elbows, and your forearms pointing down.  After each “turn” it blows hot air on you to dry.  The whole process takes no longer than 10 minutes from entering the room to leaving it.  The colour is not instantaneous, you have to wait at least four to six hours for the tan to develop, therefore you cannot get wet or anything.  Also, make sure that you are wearing loose-fitting clothes to the tan develops evenly.  My appointment was at 7:30 p.m., so I basically went home after, chilled, and went to bed.  When I woke up the next morning I was nice and tan.

me white

Before the Mystic Tan HD

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After the Mystic Tan HD

Now, obviously there is a safety concern.  Spray tans and self tanners contain DHA, which is the chemical that mixes with your body’s chemistry to develop a tan colour.  According to the FAQ section on Mystic Tan HD’s site, DHA is a non-hazardous compound and causes no adverse reaction in moderate quantities when applied topically or even ingested.  Based on their research, the maximum amount of DHA that could accidentally be ingested or breathed during a one-minute Mystic Tan session would be .05 milligrams, which is equivalent to less than one grain of common table salt.  Your best bet would obviously be to not inhale it to keep on the safe side.  I will say though, that you will smell like self tanner, but if you wanted to, you can buy the scent stuff that they add to the mix.   You will also have orange heels, but you can also buy stickers that go on the bottom of your feet as well.

Overall, if you are looking for a quick and easy way to get a tan, try out the Mystic Tan HD.  I have not been contacted by the company or Fabutan to do this post (although I wish I was), I am just sharing my experience with the product (process?).  As a self-tan fanatic, this is a quick and easy way to get tanned (and no, not Lindsay Lohan orange, be cautious of the colour you choose, don’t be too ambitious!).  I have heard horror stories about self tanning gone wrong, but honestly, if you just follow the directions you will be fine.

For those who want to give it a try, participating Fabutan locations in Canada (not sure about the U.S.) are holding a free Mystic Tan HD day for new customers (there will be other deals for existing customers) on Friday, August 23, 2013.  I believe it is first come, first serve, but hey, a free Mystic Tan HD?!  I would so be down!  These retail for $29.99 a session, which is very pricey, however, Fabutan often has deals like buy-one-get-one free or buy-two-get-one free.  I don’t think I would ever pay the full price for a session (as the tan only lasts for a week), but if you can get a deal, jump on it!

Have you tried the Mystic Tan HD?  Have a spray tan experience you want to share?

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