spray tans

by Victoria Edwards

Being a professional make-up artist, you think I would have tried every beauty treatment going wouldn't you? Well, I have to admit that I have never had a spray-on tan, not until today, that is.

The prospect of getting my pale english frame out in front of a complete stranger had never been very appealing, but with the dangers now connected with sun baking, I have to admit it's a very wise choice for anyone looking to get golden sun-kissed looking skin.

So I was invited to go and see Jess at Natural Glow Tans near Mandurah for my session. I had been briefed about exfoliating my skin, especially the knees, elbows and ankles and also to shave or wax the day before.

So feeling like a not-so-young spring chicken that was about to be placed in the oven, I headed into the tanning booth. Jess was very professional, she's seen it all before, every shape, lump and patch of cellulite, you name it. I was even brave enough to sport a little black G-string just so my posterior could get an rare opportunity to be the same colour as the rest of my bod.

Well twenty minutes later, I stepped out of the booth and was stunned to see this bronzed beauty standing before me in the mirror. So we asked Pamela Anderson to leave.

Nooo...it was yours truly, looking like I'd just arrived back from a six-week Mediterranean cruise. Even all those little awkward bits were tanned and I truly must now qualify for a spot on the set of Baywatch.

Jess was using the latest tanning sensation to hit the streets of Perth by an American-based company called AVIVA LABS. Using all-natural products in the tanning solutions, they are designed for instant wearing without that awful smell. I have to say a day later the results are very pleasing.

Facts about Aviva Labs spray tans:

HOW DOES THE SPRAY TAN WORK?

The tanning solution is applied evenly with a gentle spray gun. This takes about 15 minutes. You will experience an immediate natural looking tan that will continue to develop over the next 5 to 12 hours

HOW LONG WILL MY TAN LAST?

You can expect your tan to last up to 5 to 8 days depending upon your skin type and preparation. Regular moisturizing will extend the tan's life.

WHAT IS DHA?

Most effective sunless tanning products contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA) as the active ingredient. DHA is a carbohydrate (monosaccharide sugar) compound approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in externally applied sunless tanning solutions.

DHA works by interacting with the amino acids in the dead skin cells to produce a brown colour change. Since these dead skin cells are constantly being shed, the colour change produced by DHA usually lasts about 5 to 8 days. DHA is not absorbed through the skin to the body and it has no known toxicity.