While the seasons may change, that doesn’t mean our skin needs to. Spray tanning is a great way to achieve that youthful, sun-kissed look all year long. If you’re considering spray tanning, you’ll want to stop by one of our Beaches locations (click here to find a location near you!). Here, you’ll have two spray booth options: Mystic and Versa Spa.
But, like, how do you choose?!
Knowledge is power, baby! This blog post is going to take a deep dive into these two spray booths so you can decide which one you want to try first!
What is a Spray Tan?
First of all, you should probably know what a high-quality spray tan actually is. It ISN’T a spray gun someone picked up from Home Depot and filled with body paint.
Spray tans have advanced a lot of over the years and a lot of work has been put into advancing the equipment and the solution to give you the best color. At Beaches, we offer two spray tanning booth options: Mystic and Versa Spa. For some people, standing completely naked in front of a total stranger while they spray them with a solution would be, well, uncomfortable.
Luckily, that’s not something you’d have to worry about with the Mystic or the Versa. Both are stand up booths that have a voice guide to walk you through the entire process. Like a little voice in your head guiding you through your tanning journey. So Zen.
Once you step inside the spray booth, a liquid DHA solution is sprayed onto your skin.
What the heck is DHA?
Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) is the most commonly used active ingredient in sunless tanning products. It’s what gives you an even and natural-looking tan. DHA works with the proteins and amino acids in your skin to temporarily change color (a fancy way of saying that the spray tan is just enhancing your natural color). DHA goes on clear and develops over time after exposed to oxygen. Think of what happens when you cut into an avocado or an apple – after being exposed to oxygen for a while, they start to brown. That’s the same, natural process that’s happening with your skin when you spray tan.
Science is wild. And totally cool!
At Beaches, both the Mystic and the Versa contain high-quality DHA as well as an ingredient called Erythrulose, which is a lot like DHA but it takes longer to develop its full effect, which helps your tan last longer. Most tans can last anywhere between 5-7 days.
What you DON’T want in a spray tan solution is a bunch of unnatural ingredients like artificial preservatives, formaldehyde, and even mineral oils. At Beaches, along with DHA and Erythrulose, our Mystic solution contains hyaluronic acid to hydrate and tighten skin while the Versa contains marine algae (I know that might sound weird but it’s actually amazing for your skin – it produces collagen, adds amino acids, and adds moisture to the skin. Again, science. #shook).
Now that you’re basically a tanning solution expert, it’s time to talk about choosing the right shade of color to add to your solution. Remember, when you hear “choose the shade of your spray tan”, we’re not talking paint swatches. We’re talking about DHA – how much or how little DHA you want in your tanning solution:
When using the Mystic, there are 3 shade options:
- Light: 1-3 shades darker than your natural skin tone (least DHA)
- Medium: 2-4 shade darker than your natural skin tone (in between DHA)
- Dark: 3-5 shades darker than your natural skin tone (most DHA)
If you are brand new to spray tanning, the Mystic could be your go-to. The Mystic is great for first time users because it sprays you front and back, requiring only one turn whereas the Versa requires more poses.
One thing that sets the Mystic apart from the Versa is that the solution is more customizable. There are tons of different Myxers you can ad to your tanning solution to customize your tan, such as an accelerator, bronzer, and scent. When you stop in for your tan, ask one of the Beaches Babes to show you all of the Myxers options so you can truly customize your 5-minute makeover!
When using the Versa, you can choose between levels 1-4:
Level 1 – Light
Level 2 – Medium
Level 3 – Dark
Level 4 – Dark+
While the Mystic has a customizable solution, the Versa has customizable spray options so you can choose how the booth sprays you. You can spray just your face, just your legs, double legs, double body, etc. Pretty cool, huh?!
Fun Versa Fact: you can ask for just a moisture session – yep, you read that right. A moisture session is unique because the solution is basically lotion on steroids and the epitome of my laziness because I personally hate putting on lotion so the idea of standing inside a machine that will literally do it for me is a dream come true. This type of spray session is perfect if you got sunburnt because it has aloe in the solution. So, if you’ve had a long day outside in the sun or if you got a little too comfortable in one of our UV beds, just ask for a moisture session in the Versa Spa! Genius!
Now that you have an idea of what your options are, how do you choose? Well, what you DON’T want to do is choose a shade that is dramatically different that your current skin tone. That’s a great way to come out looking orange or “unnatural”! Instead, choose a shade that is maybe 1-2 shades darker (to start) for a natural-looking sun-kissed glow.
When you think about it, there really are SO many options. Having lots of options is awesome because it allows you to customize your tan, but we also understand that it can be a bit overwhelming for some people to know what to choose. By utilizing our Beach Club program, you can have unlimited access to both the Mystic and the Versa, which means you can always come back and try something new. The beauty of a spray tan is that after 5-7 days, your skin will be ready for a new one! That means you can try new combos each time to find one that you LOVE. Sure, you’ll like your tan each time, but it may take a couple tries to find what booth or solution combination that you’re obsessed with!
If you’re still not sure what shade to choose (or which booth for that matter), ask one of our Beaches Babes! Beaches Tanning Center has the BEST employees – they are super knowledgeable, kind, friendly, and helpful. Total rockstars. They will ALWAYS give you their 100% honest opinion so you leave feeling confident and beautiful!
Plus, they see more “before and after’s” than anyone, so I’d definitely trust them!
Speaking of “before + after’s” – When you stop in for your spray tan, be sure to take some selfies! We LOVE to see our customers show off their glow up, so be sure to post those before + after’s and tag @BeachesTanningCenter on Instagram!
Happy Tanning!