A Smarter Way to Spray Tan?

See what our tester thought of Better Health Tanning's Fake Bake service

Kim after Fake Bake.

Spray tanning is a topic we’ve talked about before, both here on Be Well and in the mag (check out the hilarious “To Spray Tan or Not?” piece that ran in this year’s May issue), because we all know that toasting our skin in the sun isn’t good for our (future) looks or our health. Unfortunately, spray tanning has a tendency to look a little, well, odd, at times, and a little too orange most of the time.

It’s for these reasons that an anti-spray-tanning friend of mine—we’ll call her Kim (which definitely isn’t her name, but since she posed in a bathing suit for us, hopefully you’ll understand)—trekked over to Conshy’s Better Health Tanning And Nail Spa to check out the Fake Bake procedure she’d heard about from one of her friends. Instead of spraying the color onto your skin, the Fake Bake lotion is rubbed onto your body, which is supposed to offer a more natural, longer-lasting glow. It’s also made from natural ingredients, so it doesn’t carry the chemical after-smell of a spray tan.

Kim’s thoughts? The procedure—which starts with a total-body exfoliation, same as a spray tan—gave her a great result and lasted for days. Her only complaint: It’s sold as a relaxing, massage-like service, but it isn’t relaxing: “You basically stand there in your swimsuit while someone vigorously rubs the lotion all over your body. They’re definitely up close and personal, which makes it a little awkward.” Would she do it again? Absolutely. “I’ll definitely go back when I have an event that I don’t want to look pasty for,” she told me.

Kim before Fake Bake.

$40 for half body, $68 for whole body, 1516 Fayette Street, Conshohocken, 610-825-8261, betterhealthtanningandnailspa.com.