Mystic/Sunless Tanning

[inogenius]

Anyone do this? I'm interested, but I'd like to know the ins and outs.

 

[Eason]

My gym's spa offers this in a spray booth, I've tried it. It looks alright, but you'll need to leave it on for 6 hours or so before you take a shower- and in those 6 hours, the crap you spray on feels sticky and will come off easilly onto other things. Also, you can't get your skin wet or sweat before 6 hours. It lasts about a week.

 

[mbc]

Sounds like a big pain **********. I think I'd rather just be pale.

 

[Stazy]

Originally Posted by mbc

Sounds like a big pain **********. I think I'd rather just be pale.

+1

 

[Brian278]

Does anyone know if getting regular sun while wearing SPF 40 or so is considered pretty safe over the long term? It'll still give you a tan, you won't burn, less skin cancer risk, right? This seems like the ideal way to maintain some color if you have the opportunity to do so. Some of the spray tan examples I've seen are a bit on the orange side for my liking.

 

[Joel_Cairo]

Originally Posted by Stazy

+1

+7,384.

I gave up and accepted my pallor many years ago. My dad is from the north of norway; half my chromosomes come from a gene-pool that has spent the last 10,000 years 400 miles north of the arctic circle. I am pale.

 

[greg_atlanta]

The SPF prevents burning but no suncreen prevents long term damage to the skin. Do some web research on UVA v. UVB rays.

That said, tanning in moderation is fine for most people unless you burn easily. Better to spend an hour in the sun once or twice a week with mimimal sunscreen than spend 3-4 hours at a stretch several times a week slathered in 50 spf sunscreen.

 

[yerfdog]

a few years back a pale friend of mine did the mystic tan

DAYS later he started getting streaking on his legs and upper arms (weird that it took so long to appear)

People did NOT think he had a fake tan, but he was so red-orange that they kept asking him if he got sunburned really badly

 

[Viktri]

Heh, even superman needs sunlight

I've heard non-sun tans have their own problems with some skins.
I'm pretty pale myself, spend 8am-4pm at work, 4-5 in transit, 5-7 at the gym, dinner at home, walk the dog (no sun) and I'm off to bed.

I'm allowed about an hour of sun at work (due to breaks)

oh well, I think I'm getting enough vitamin D (?)

 

[Stylin-1]

That spray on bs is totally lame and looks fake to me. At least the results I've seen. I just do the stand up booth, once a week during the non-Summer months. It's just enough to not look ghostly and I don't have to worry about people naming me The Tanning Guy, either.

 

[Eason]

Haha, one of the trainers at work is The Tanning Guy, he's practically black-orange, it's hilarious. He tried to deny it once and got his balls busted. I think he got a collagen injection in his lips, too.

 

[Reggs]

Originally Posted by greg_atlanta

The SPF prevents burning but no suncreen prevents long term damage to the skin. Do some web research on UVA v. UVB rays.

That said, tanning in moderation is fine for most people unless you burn easily. Better to spend an hour in the sun once or twice a week with mimimal sunscreen than spend 3-4 hours at a stretch several times a week slathered in 50 spf sunscreen.

There are plenty of products that absorb UVB rays, they are just sold outside of the US.

 

[inogenius]

Interesting thoughts.

Like some people here, I'm awfully white. I would fake bake, but it's not healthly, and skin cancer runs in the family. So, I ruled that out of the question.

I'll just deal with the whiteness.

 

[Eason]

inogenius, there are self tanning mousses and gels that are pretty decent- wouldn't hurt to try.

 

[Andrew V.]

Sunless tans do not look "totally lame and fake". Maybe the poorly done ones do, but others look fine and you don't even notice that they're sunless. Orangeness can result if you use a product that is too strong or just not right for your skin. My sunless tan never looks fake because I never try to get dark; I just aim for a non-pasty light tan.

Skill and practice are more important than the product that you use. Websites such as sunless.com offer more detailed and thorough information than you'll ever get here.

For a beginner, I'd recommend a gradual tanner, since there is much less risk of orangeness and any mistakes will be much less noticeable. I've tried the Jergens, Dove, and L'Oreal GTs so far and L'Oreal Sublime Glow (as opposed to Sublime Bronze, the full-strength ST) has the least offensive odor, while Jergens has the worst.

As far as brief application tips: Applying in a solely up-and-down manner is likely to result in streaks. Go up and down, side to side, and in circular motions. Work with a quick and light touch - try too hard to rub it in and you'll just rub it off. Feet and hands are by far the trickiest parts; I use a foam paint brush to blend the edges there.