May is Melanoma Awareness Month, and Excelsior resident Mollie Michura, owner of The Glow Lounge, wants to make it easier for you to practice sun safety—not just in May, but all year round.
The Glow Lounge is a sunless spray tan studio that uses a unique warm-air spray. Michura says it offers a more comfortable experience than typical spray tans, which are applied with cool air (and the coloring mixture must sit on the skin until it dries). The warm air spray means that the color dries as it sprays. Michura, who developed The Glow Lounge's specific process, says that she's not aware of any other studios in the state offering warm air technology.
“The other thing that sets us apart is that we customize color for each client,” Michura says. “We can give you your desired tan, any time and every time.”
Getting the tan without the sun not only means you can control the color and intensity of your tan, but it also means avoiding the danger of exposure to ultraviolet rays. The Glow Lounge was Minnesota’s first 100-percent UV-free tanning salon. That’s important, because UV exposure (including the exposure you get from a tanning bed) is a major risk factor for most melanoma skin cancers, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. So getting that warm sun-kissed color without being kissed by the sun (or the tanning lamp) makes more sense.
To help you keep up with your UV exposure, The Glow Lounge also offers special bracelets, made from UV indicating beads. You probably wear sunscreen when you go out on a boat at the lake, but do you know how much UV exposure you’re getting when you’re out running errands? According to the American Cancer Society, everyday exposure can cause skin damage, too—even if you don’t feel or see sunburn on your skin.
Ultraviolet sensitive beads change color or become darker when they are exposed to UV rays. “The beads are a good reminder that you should apply sunscreen, even on a cloudy day,” Michura says. “We sometimes forget that UV damage doesn’t just happen on sunny days.” The Glow Lounge sold the beads last year, too, and they were a popular addition to clients’ summer jewelry lineup.
Proceeds from the sale of the bracelets—which are $10 each or $25 for three—go to the Melanoma Research Foundation. The foundation supports medical research and works to educate doctors, as well as the general public, about melanoma causes and prevention.
“Our team makes the bracelets,” Michura says. “And this year we’ll be able to sell them online as well as in the studios.” The bracelets will be available during May at all three locations (Excelsior, Edina and Saint Paul) as well as at theglowlounge.com.
Summer is almost here, and Minnesotans are looking forward to being outside without a coat, hat and gloves—but that doesn’t mean you should go outside without your sunscreen on. Michura and her team hope that a (cute) little reminder around your wrist will keep you on the safe side of the sun.
The Glow Lounge
438 Union Place, Excelsior
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