Step into a tan

• Get that glow with self-tanner or at salon

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

Lara Lasher is sprayed with a tanning mist in a booth at Honolulu Tan & Co. She said her tan was almost gone by the sixth day but that it was all worth it. Photos by Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

Lara Lasher of St. Louis Heights dries off after being sprayed with a UV-free solution in the MagicTan booth.

She prefers going to the beach, but when that's not possible, she uses a tanning booth. Then she learned about a new kind of tanning option that's been featured on "Friends" and "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."

Honolulu Tan & Co. has brought in MagicTan, the first booth of its kind on O'ahu. It offers a private, all-over tan in less than a minute.

Lasher was among the first to sign up.

The fact that it's a UV-free method was an added bonus, she said.

She listened carefully to the instructional video and prepared to enter the booth. Armed with a base tan, she didn't expect dramatic results.

Inside, "it felt like I was in an April shower — in a really, really fine mist or a steam room. It felt cool and had the scent of red wine, kind of like bathing in red wine." (We didn't ask how she knew that.)

Upon emerging, she toweled off and rubbed Baby Wipes in areas that seemed to take too much tanning solution: palms of hands, soles of feet, between toes, elbows and knees.

"It's a more natural look than you get with self-tanners," Lasher concluded. "It looks better than other methods of tanning and it's easier and faster. I'll definitely do it again."

Lasher said her MagicTan tan started to fade after three days and was almost gone by the sixth. But she felt it was worth it and plans to return.

Honolulu Tan & Co. reports that half of their customers are men.

Although a tan is not usually a top priority for Eric Goo of downtown Honolulu, he was going to Maui for the Valentine's Day weekend and wanted to "speed up the tanning process, because I haven't been out in the sun lately." Never a big fan of "the fake-and-bake tan," he said he wanted to try this new method.

"I was pretty happy with it," Goo said. "It lasted about five days."

He said he plans to try MagicTan again, but be more careful with his feet. "You need to follow the instructions to a tee," he said. "Be sure to apply enough cream, and watch out for the areas between your toes."

To tan or not to tan?

The look of a "healthy" tan — that glow you get from a day at the beach — is attractive to many. But trips to the dermatologist to have sun-induced indiscretions cut out or burned off can get tiresome. And, yes, there is plenty of research on the damaging effects of those glorious rays.

Air-brushing is available in Honolulu, but it requires a chunk of time and someone else spraying you from head to toe. Tanning booths serve up damaging ultraviolet rays.

The MagicTan spray booth sidesteps those issues under a shower of nozzles that spray a UV-free tanning solution onto the body. The solution has three components: a bronzer composed of the water-soluble cosmetic dye DHA (dihydroxyacetone); a component that reacts with proteins and amino acids in the skin's superficial layer; and aloe vera to help the DHA penetrate and moisturize the skin.

No advance preparation is required, except to remove any lotion.

The booth offers total privacy, so users can strip down to nothing or wear a bathing suit — although suits could stain, so black might be best.

The tanning room is large, brightly lit and feels like a home bathroom. To avoid streaking and get the best results, pay close attention to the after-tanning advice.

The process is surprisingly fast — less than a minute. A sweet-smelling spray surrounds the tanner like a London mist. The tanner rotates in the shower to cover all sides.

If you have a problem with claustrophobia, MagicTan may not be for you. It also may be contraindicated for those with diabetes, as the spray contains sugar. (Consult your doctor.)

Tanners should be sure to apply lotion where the color may become too dark, and to rub toe nails and cuticles with Baby Wipes immediately after tanning.

The tan takes 24 hours to reach peak color, and lasts from four to seven days.

Cost for one session is $25, or $65 for three, $100 for five. The MagicTan spray booth is at Honolulu Tan & Co., 736 South St. For more information, call 550-8267.

Paula Rath writes about fashion and fitness. Reach her at 525-5464 or prath@honoluluadvertiser.com.

Get that glow with self-tanner or at salon

Air-brush tanning also offers a sun-kissed glow. Among the salons that offer the technique:

Bareskin Hawai'i: A full body application costs $30; receive a $15 follow-up spray within two days after application. 1481 S. King St., Suite 340. 955-7988.

Blazin' Indoor Tanning & Spa: $20 for a full-body spray or four applications for $60; first-time clients receive a free follow-up spray the next day. 1370 Kapi'olani Blvd. 593-2204.

Prosperity Corner: This Kaimuki site offers a custom tan matched to your skin tone; prices start at $75. 1151 12th Ave. 732-8870

Tropical Sun Indoor Tanning Salon: $35 for a full body application or $16 each for two applications. 641 Ke'eaumoku St., Suite 12. 942-2826.

If $25 for a week of tan is beyond your budget, a home-style self-tanner may be a better method for you.

We asked some Island residents for their take on self-tanners. They each emphasized the importance of exfoliating before application, and of avoiding streaks by getting help for difficult-to-reach areas.

• Tanya Harris of Nu'uanu tried a Longs Drug Store brand self-tanner ($10) and reported that it didn't steak or turn orange, but didn't last long and stained her clothes.
• Crystal Pancipanci of Wahiawa liked Estée Lauder's Self Tanning Lotion ($25 at Macy's). The secret, she said, was in applying it generously, with help, just before bed.
• Leilani Ching, who lives in Waikiki, checked out Clarins Self-Tanning Milk ($28 at Sephora and Macy's). She applied it with surgical gloves to avoid finger and knuckle stain, and let it dry for an hour. "I stood in front of the fan and tried to act as nonchalant as possible, standing naked in front of an oscillating fan," she chuckled. The tan was "not noticeable to anyone but me," and she was not willing to try it again. She decried her experience as "too sticky, too time-consuming and too smelly."
• Sharon Kilpatrick of Kahala swears by SUN by Gisee ($28.50 to $48), available at (800) 333-6003 or www.sunlaboratories.net. She uses No. 3 dark whenever she needs a lift.

Advertiser staff writer Zenaida Serrano Espanol contributed to this report.