Can This Spray Tan Fix Me?
Kylie Jenner recently proclaimed, “Sometimes I think I’m depressed. Then I get a spray tan, and I’m like, I was just pale.” One Vogue writer put it to the test.
Reported by Vogue.
Kylie Jenner sparked a minor cultural moment when she told Jake Shane's Therapuss podcast that her seasonal depression might actually just be paleness. It was a joke — kind of — but it landed because it's relatable in a way most wellness discourse isn't. And it turns out there's actual science behind the serotonin-adjacent feeling of a fresh bronze.
According to Vogue, a 2022 study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found that a tanned appearance correlates with improved emotional well-being, physical attractiveness perception, and better body image. Celebrity spray tanner Jimmy Coco — the Kardashians' go-to for over two decades — backs this up from experience: clients frequently book appointments not for an event but simply because they need a lift. "A great spray tan definitely welcomes many compliments, which will also uplift your mood," he says. The vanity feedback loop is real, and apparently, it works.
The Science of the Bronze
Unlike the tanning beds that terrorized millennials with skin cancer PSAs, modern sunless tanning runs on DHA — an FDA-approved compound derived from sugar beets — which develops color within two to eight hours post-application. Coco layers his formula with erythrulose (from blueberries) and hyaluronic acid, turning what used to be a streaky novelty into something that actually functions like skincare. Sugared + Bronzed, a Brooklyn-based salon, operates on the same DHA base and offers intensity levels ranging from "weekend at the beach" to "full Hamptons summer," all administered via airbrush in a private tiled stall — paper thong included.
After a rough week, the Vogue writer booked a level-two session and spent six hours marinating before rinsing. The result: visible muscle definition, brighter eyes, whiter-looking teeth, and a complexion that made a friend declare, "You look alive!" The subtle-enough effect — a new boyfriend only noted she'd "gotten some color," which is man-speak for something is different and I cannot name it — is exactly the point. The best spray tan is the one nobody can quite clock.
The verdict: a spray tan won't replace your antidepressants, but as an occasional confidence reset, it's a surprisingly solid investment — because sometimes looking like yourself, just warmer, is enough.
Read the original at Vogue.
