Bronze: San Diego Sunless Tanning

Get beautifully bronzed even during the cooler weather months with a vast array of self-tanners. As a sun capital of the world, San Diego tanning salons now offer options like Mystic tanning, spray booth tan, and airbrush tanning.

We’ve compiled the ultimate no-sun, no-UV self-tanning manual to keep the bronzed goddess look all year long.

Strip Down Girls!

For a totally personal and professional tan, airbrush tanning is the way to go. Airbrush tanning is a great and totally easy way to get gorgeous-looking skin for your wedding, party or just an afternoon at the beach.

“Airbrush tanning is done by our certified tanning consultants who are trained on how to give you that natural glow. They can use the hand-held device to give you more color or definition in certain areas according to your specifications,” says Whitney Smith, District manager of iTAN Solariums’ Inland Empire locations.

You and a tanning technician will enter a private room where it’s time to bare it all. Many people choose to be airbrush tanned completely naked, while a bikini or just a thong is also appropriate. The technician will help you decide on the right color and will then use a compressor and airbrush to spray the tanning solution to your skin like an artist. Give more definition to your abs, slim your thighs and arms, and create a shapelier bottom with airbrush tan’s precise application.

“The best way to pick a color that will look natural is to base it off of your individual skin type,” says Smith. “iTAN’s tanning consultants are Smart Tan certified and can recommend the ideal color for your skin type.”

Venture to the Booth

For those of us that aren’t ready to get almost naked in front of a stranger, a spray tanning booth is a convenient alternative. Get your soon-to-be-bronzed bum over to a tanning salon like iTAN and get the process started. A tanning attendant will listen to your tanning needs and help you determine a color that will look best depending on how dark you want to be. Then you will watch a short instructional video telling you what to expect and what to do once you are in the spray tanning booth.

MysticTan is the tanning booth that most tanning salons use. MysticTan booth is a private and self-contained unit that ensures an even tan. Smith says, “Mystic tanning is a full body individual spray tanning session in our self-activated Mystic booths. You get to select which level of color you would prefer each time.”

The process is as easy as disrobing and entering the tanning booth. Just one push of a button and the tanning mist comes out through the patented MagneTan nozzles. Wearing the hair cap that the salon will provide keeps your hair safe. Once inside the booth, just do a few quick turns and different standing positions (which you learned in the instructional video before the session) to ensure a uniform tan for all parts of your body. The machine will turn off on its own, at which point you can leave the booth and use a towel to pat dry any areas with excess tanning solution. Voila! A great golden glow in just a few short minutes.

The Bright Side

While you may not be sure of the best way to get a great sunless tan, it’s easy to find out. Tanning salons such as iTAN offer a variety of tanning options —everything from MysticTan to airbrush tanning and self-tanning lotions are available and there are many locations! When it comes to bronzing off the sand in San Diego, iTAN Solariums make the tanning salon choice simple. iTAN proudly proclaims status of #1 tanning salon chain in the county—and trust us, they aren't lying. iTAN offers 5 levels of UV and Mystic tanning at 15 convenient locations across the county ranging from tanning salons in Pacific Beach to tanning salons in Oceanside and even La Jolla tanning salons.

Discover more San Diego tanning salons to get your faux glow:

Desert Sun Tanning in Pacific Beach
Desert Sun is a great place to stop by for your base tan before you hit the beach. They offer a variety of different tanning options, the latest equipment and a diverse selection of skin care products. Visit Desertsuntanning.com for more information.

Urban Sun Tanning
You can get the exact results you want to see, without having to make an appointment and all less than 20 minutes! They are open for 14 to 16 hours each day meaning you can pop in at any time that’s most convenient for you. From Mystic to airbrush and everything in between, Urban Sun Tanning has it all. For more information, visit Urbansuntan.com.

Platinum Tan in Downtown San Diego
First time customers can buy any tan and get another free. If you’ve been wanting to try a tanning salon, now is the time. From tanning beds to airbrush and tanning booths, Platinum Tan has you covered. Visit Platinumtanusa.com for more information.

California Tan Tanning Center
With locations across San Diego, California Tan makes tanning convenient. The salon has more than 20 years of experience in serving San Diegans, so if you’re looking for the local professionals, you’ve found them. The salon offers every kind of tanning and product you can think of, and offers discount coupons on its website. Visit Californiatansandiego.com for more information.

Beehive Tanning
Beehive Tanning was featured on Bravo’s hit show Millionaire Matchmaker. Right now, new tanning clients receive 10 percent off their first tan. The salon offers all kinds of tanning options as well as waxing in some of its multiple locations. For more information, visit Beehivewaxingsalon.com.