Ingrid's Suntanning

 

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9

Victoria G.

San Francisco, CA

I came here for my first mystic tan in many years. The service was great and they walked me through all the preparation. I got the level 1 with no bronzer and it came out great. There was a deal for first-timers that was 2 tans for for the price of one ($30). Since I'll just be doing this from time-to-time, $30 seems a reasonable price. The place has a great vibe, and they have all the baby-wipes, shower caps, etc. that you need.

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18

Amanda F.

San Francisco, CA

Sad as it is, Ingrid's is probably what I miss most about living in the Peninsula. More than the farmer's markets; more than Andronico's; more than even the friends I left behind. Thanks to Ingrid, I will never be able to go to another tanning salon.

First of all, if you are a student, Ingrid's is a great deal. I believe that at one point I was had a $50 student deal for 12 'points' that would add up to various tanning combinations on the various beds (20-min, orbit, and the standing bed that gets your sides). It is always IMMACULATELY clean, and I always appreciated the fact that it felt luxurious. It didn't feel like I had the bare minimum to make the tanning experience worth it - it was a nice place to be.

I'm not going to lie, the candy that Ingrid put out on a regular basis (both at the front desk and inside the tanning rooms) were a large part of why I went. Yes, Ingrid, it was I who stole the milk chocolates, and the caramel-filled. The staff are friendly and quick to remember your name - and to give away free tanning points if you refer friends. It was always a great place to go for a pick-me-up

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Elite '08

27

204

Brent A.

Mountain View, CA

I honestly can't say I've been to any other tanning salon in the Bay, but of the ones I've gone to in upstate NY and in MO, this is by far the best one to-date.  The salon is exuberantly clean, it damn near sparkles when you walk in, and the staff is amazing.  I think they all know me now by name.  I usually will have a phase in time where I'll go every week or so, and then stop for a few months before going back.  

They offer little chocolates for you pleasure both while you wait and in the booths.  They have a cd collection you can choose from if you didn't bring your own music.  They also will order specific products specifically for you if their vendor carries them.  I use Tattoo, and they stopped carrying it, but after I requested it they ordered it for me and held it until I was ready to restock my empty bottle.  

A 6-pack session for the 20-minute beds is $42, but if you buy a package during your last visit they'll throw in a free session.  Also, when you buy a bottle of lotion, they'll give you a free session in their stronger beds--like the stand-up.

Great place! Hands-down!

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4

Emma G.

San Jose, CA

I love this place.  It's kept immaculately clean and the staff is super friendly and knowledgable... especially Sharon.  I tend to go there before I go on vacation someplace sunny, so I won't burn.

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178

Katie F.

Atherton, CA

Though I'll never admit to my doctor that I go tanning, Ingrid's Suntanning is the best in the Bay Area.  Though it's small, they sure know quality!  The staff is so ridiculously nice!  And they give you candy!  Chocolate and a tan?  Yes please!

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Elite '08

7

75

Hilary S.

New York, NY

This is the kind of place that no one wants to publicly admit to having been to ("no, no, I just got back from Tahiti..." "I'm half latino"... "I guess I"m just naturally tan")

That being said, I tried the mystic tan booth there. UV-free (but unfortunately not "free": $30)  You watch a 5-10 minute video explaining the details of "mystic tanning"--the importance of "barrier cream" and "positioning".  No sweat, I thought.  The video makes it look like a piece of cake.  You take off your clothes and stand in a booth while you are sprayed with a light mist.

What the video fails to note is that the experience is strangely claustrophobic--partially because you can't breathe.  You stand in something that feels like a space capsule, with an automatically closing door, while a robotic voice announces "5 seconds to spraying.  4...3...2...1"  The booth then fills with a fine mist.  If you try to breathe, your lungs are filled with tiny droplets of god-knows-what chemicals.  When the session is over (I think mine was about a minute), the door opens automatically and you stumble out, eyes tearing from the remaining mist in the air, desperately trying not touch anything, lest you mess up your perfect tan.

Unfortunately, my skin looked great afterwards.  Good enough that I decided to give it another try.  This time I spoke to the owner, Sharon, who was extremely sympathetic to my claustrophobia and anxiety.  She gave me some valuable pointers:

* Ask for the nose plugs--you can breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, thereby eliminating the "I can't breathe" feeling.
* Don't get the bronzer added into the mist--you look ok immediately afterwards, and then turn "mysteriously" orange after that.  Without the bronzer, you get a subtle golden glow.
* Wear loose clothing beforehand, otherwise the inside of your clothes will turn brown after you put them back on.

At Ingrid's Suntanning, they also scent the mist with vanilla, so when you leave, you smell nice (not as if you've just been sprayed with fake tan).  The booth is also very clean, unlike one other establishment I visited where paper towels littered the floor and tan liquid appeared to be dripping down the walls of the booth.

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87

Tani H.

Los Altos, CA

Very pricey, and not a convenient location.

They have a couple of cool tanning beds; worth going to if you happen to be in the neighborhood and can walk (instead of park) in Palo Alto.

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