and moisturize before arriving at the tanning salon. Once you've completed the process, you need to wait at least four hours before showering to let the color soak in. Sweating immediately after your tan can also wash your color away or make it uneven.
2. Listen carefully to the instructions issued by the salon worker. Some salons, such as Jamaica-Tan, provide instructional videos for first-time Mystic Tan tanners.
3. Because Mystic Tan booths are in private rooms, you can wear your swim-suit or tan in the nude. Remember, anything you wear will be sprayed with the Mystic Tan solution. Solution ingredients can stain clothing.
4. Put a plastic shower cap on your hair to protect it from the Mystic Tan solution. The solution won't damage or dye your hair, but it will get it sticky and wet, Hall says.
5. Before entering the Mystic Tan booth, apply a barrier cream on the palms of your hands, between your fingers, on your nails and on the tops and sides of your feet.
6. Once you're in the booth, press the button, close your eyes and hold your breathe for approximately 10 seconds. The booth will mist you with the Mystic Tan solution. The solution is composed of aloe vera liquid, bronzer and dihydroxyacetone, the ingredient used in most over the counter self-tanners. The bronzer dyes your skin and the DHA creates the longer term tanning effect.
Bittenbender says these ingredients have no affect on the health of your skin. They cannot harm your lungs or eyes, but breathing in the solution or having it sprayed into your open eyes can cause discomfort.
7. The spray will stop. Turn around and let the booth spray you again. The length of your session doesn't really matter because the solution is metered, Halls
says. The appropriate amount of spray will come out.
8. When the spray session is complete, step out of the both and wipe off the barrier cream. Towel dry as if you were getting out of the shower. Any wet spots you leave may get darker. Get dressed, and you're done. In 24 hours, you will have a fully developed tan that will last for five to seven days.
Hall advises tanners to avoid exfoliating after Mystic Tan tanning sessions.
"Remember, it's a topical application," she says. "So if you exfoliate everyday, you're going to erase your tan a lot faster."
The Drawbacks
The only downside to tanning in a Mystic Tan booth is your tan fades in five to seven days, Hall says. She recommends that tanners use the product in conjunction with traditional tanning beds.
Bittenbender advises against tanning in beds all together. He also warns Mystic Tanners not to mistake their spray on tans for the real thing.
"Remember, you may look like you're tan, but you have no protection for the sun," he says. "You still need to put on sun screen. Some people will forget. They think they're protected and get burned."
A single Mystic Tan session at Jamaica Tan costs $31. The salon offers Mystic Tan packages that include four sessions for $80. First-time Mystic Tan tanners can purchase an introductory session for $14.95. This includes a Mystic Tan session with a milder solution. The tanner can upgrade to the normal solution for an additional $5.
The Price
—Lauren Reidy, Jayplay writer, can be reached at lreidy@kansan.com.
EIGHT WAYS TO KU CALVES
I remember being told at freshman orientation that gym credits weren't a requirement because University of Kansas students walked approximately two miles a day on campus. The result: "KU calves."
Halfway through freshman year I began to doubt this urban legend. If it were true, where were my KU calves? Why did I still gain the freshman 15? The answer was simple: I wasn't walking even half a mile a day on campus. I was lazy and it had started to show. I was beginning to look like a roly-poly. I realized that if I wanted those KU calves, I had to earn them.
You can earn them too by changing just a few unhealthy habits. With hectic academic schedules, you have to fit in exercise any way you can. Here are eight easy ways to earn that gym requirement and those KU calves.
1. Skip the Bus
It's so tempting to hop on a bus and get a quick ride down Jayhawk Boulevard, especially with the free Jayhawk Express. Don't do it. Walk to class. Burn some extra calories.
2. Park Far Away
If you must drive to school, don't waste time driving around looking for the closest parking space. Park at the back of the lots where spaces are always available and start walking. You'll save time, and those of you who illegally park to avoid walking, will save money.
3. Climb those Hills
Don't walk over to the Kansas Union from the stadium to take the elevator and avoid that killer hill. Get killer calves instead. KU hills really aren't that bad once you walk them every day and usually they're a time saver.
4. Take the Stairs
Climb up to the third floor instead of punching that elevator button.
Every step counts as a calorie burner.
5. Walk to School
If you live close to campus don't get a parking pass, bus pass or a ride from your buddy. Leave a few minutes earlier and walk to school.
6. Avoid shortcuts
Take the long way to class. Campus is absolutely beautiful this time of year. Enjoy it. Your body will thank you.
7. Don't Plan Your Schedule Around Buildings
When you enroll, don't pick classes because the buildings are closer to one another. If anything, pick classes that are farther away. This way you can have brisk walks between each of your classes.
If all this walking starts to become dull or monotonous, liven it up by purchasing a pedometer, which counts your steps by sensing body motion. You enter your stride length and it converts that into distance. A pedometer can also tell you how many calories you've burned and will only set you back about $20. "It's just to let you know what you've done throughout the day calorie-wise," says Julian Ryba-White, sales associate at Sunflower, 802 Massachusetts St.
All your hard work won't pay off if you're still eating fast food at the unions or Wescoe Terrace during your lunch break. You can't see those muscular calves if they're covered in fat. Opt for something healthier with less fat and fewer calories.
8. Skip the Pizza Hut
Now you have no excuses for not having shapely KU calves. Take advantage of our beautiful campus and start walking today.
—Julie Jones, Jayplay writer, can be reached at jjones@kansan.com.
thursday, November 6, 2003
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