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 A day at the spa usually includes spending a hefty amount of money and being rubbed down by a stranger. But at one of Gainesville’s best-kept secrets, Planet Beach Contempo Spa, guests can get a high-tech spa treatment and a tan for less than the price of a normal facial. Planet Beach created the Contempo Spa concept to combine spa and tanning services to create both a convenient and affordable experience for clients. During my visit, I received a hydro massage, hydro-derma fusion, eight minutes in the tanning bed and a mystic tan—all in less than two hours! The staff was extremely friendly and explained every detail of the spa and tanning services to me. Here’s how the day went…
By Ashley McCredie; Photo by Zachary Bennett
 The Hydro Massage
In the back of the building, there’s a candlelit room with the hydro massage machine. The machine resembles a twin-size bed and has an imprint of a body in the middle to lie on. During my 15-minute massage, I occupied myself by playing Solitaire on the computer screen above me, or drowned out everything by listening to the soothing music through headphones.
The hydro massage works by shooting heated water up against the body, starting at the toes and moving up to the neck continually. It is up to the user to determine the intensity of the water and the speed at which it moves along the body. My favorite was when the water was beating against my upper back and neck because you could hear the rushing water sounds.
The hydro massage will leave you feeling relaxed and relieved from any muscle pain or ache. It also decreases harmful body toxins and improves blood circulation, according to Planet Beach’s Web site.
Hydro-derma Fusion
The second spa treatment I experienced was the hydro-derma fusion bed. Getting into this was like getting into a space capsule. It was an elongated egg shape that encased my whole body except my head, and had different colored lights going off everywhere. The hydro-derma fusion machine is designed to moisturize the body, cleanse pores, improve body tone and texture, increase collagen and skin elasticity and prepare skin for a better tanning experience. It works kind of like a steam room and gets up to 118 degrees.
When the machine started, a sweet aroma filled the air. My spa consultant, Amanda Briese, explained that is was the mineral melanin that she added. There are four products that can be added to this treatment: mineral melanin to help increase a tan from the tanning beds, CO Q which is an agent for weight loss, aloe for healing and vitamins E and C. After about four minutes of being inside the space capsule, I could feel the wetness and could actually look in and see droplets sticking to the walls. It felt great! After 20 intense minutes I felt completely refreshed and healthy. This was by far my favorite part of the day.
Elite Tanning Bed
Planet Beach has many tanning beds. The VIP, Platinum, Elite and Velocity. I tried the Elite high-pressure stand-up bed for the maximum eight minutes and saw results right away. The bed had a fan to keep the tanner cool and a stereo system that fluctuated volume depending on the fan’s strength. This bed was easy to use and the stand-up aspect allowed room to dance around.
Mystic
The mystic spray tan left me leaving Planet Beach with a smile on my face and a realistic glow. (Even though I am a pale, freckled red-head, it still looked real!) For the mystic spray tan, I was given a hair net, a nose plug and lotion to rub on feet, hands and elbows to keep them from getting build-ups of the tanner. I then stepped into a booth and with the instruction of a lady’s voice and numbered spots on the floor, came out two minutes later looking golden brown.
I have had a few spray tans in my lifetime and this was by far the best. It may be because of the addition of a bronzer and a coconut-lime smell that Amanda added to the tanning mix. Whatever it was, I got compliments on my tan for the whole week following.
Luminous Facial
While I didn’t get to test the luminous facial, two of the spa consultants told me it was their favorite treatment.
“I use it and saw better results than going to the dermatologist for six years,” Amanda said.
The luminous facial uses similar technology to many dermatologists’ offices to reduce wrinkles, clear acne and “simulate cellular renewal,” according to the Web site. The treatment is 20-minutes long and users sit in a massage chair while the luminous light goes over their face. For a full treatment, the luminous facial machine is used twice a week for two months.
At the end of my spa treatments, I left Planet Beach feeling rejuvenated, and proud of my new glow. I would also recommend it to everyone, even you boys out there.
One month of unlimited spa and tanning services (including those in this story) is approximately $160. For about $70 a month, you can get a two-year contract with unlimited spa services. Visit Planet Beach at 3545 SW 34th Street, Suite E, for more details. It is open 9am to 10pm, Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm Saturday and Sunday. To make an appointment and to check pricing, call Planet Beach at 352-395-6162.
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