A Just A Little Bit Orange Feature
By Clara Pettitt. Copyright © 10/7/2000. All Rights Reserved.

I'll never forget the first time I spoke to Ginny Medeiros, even though it was more than a year ago. She explained to me that her invention, Flawless Self Tanning, completely eliminated sunless tanning mistakes.

"Even experienced users can make mistakes," she said. "Of course!" I said, grateful we were speaking on the phone so she couldn't see the big white streak on the back of my hand. It's hard to get a moment like that out of your mind.

It's a sad fact of sunless tanning that mishaps are common.

Ms. Medeiros was inspired to come up with a solution: adding a special light responsive ingredient to sunless tanners. Under a unique light, every speck of the sunless tanning lotion is visible — even the thickness of application.

While Ginny was inspired by the plight of the average consumer, her invention has been greeted eagerly by the salon and spa industry. Not surprising: after a professional sunless tanning application, an unsatisfied customer will demand a refund.

Unlike traditional tinted sunless tanners, Flawless is best applied in a dimly lit room — a boon to spas aiming for client relaxation. Nothing breaks the mood like a blast from a 150 watt light bulb, the usual experience with a spa sunless tanning application.

Ms. Medeiros's journey was not an easy one. Once she had come up with her award winning idea, she had to patent it. She learned that patenting a concept, as opposed to a product, is no easy task. She applied for the patents in 1994, and didn't get them until 1997.

That done, she sought manufacturers for the Flawless Self Tanning System.

She had a nasty shock: major manufacturers [including one of the biggest in the cosmetic industry] interested in buying the rights had clauses allowing them to bury it, so they could keep it from ever reaching the market.

Fortunately, she found the perfect fit with Absolutely Natural Suncare & Skincare.

The problems that are eliminated by Flawless are many: no more clothing and bedding stained by bronzers; no more spa workers waking up in the morning with sunless tanning stains.

And don't worry that you'll glow in the dark at a nightclub with black lights — the wavelength of the light responsive ingredient doesn't react to black lights.

The light responsive ingredient, which has a plant origin, is completely safe, and has received FDA approval for use on skin.

For more information on the Flawless Self Tanning System, contact Charley Richards, [800] 848-8498, or visit the website at www.svn.net/flawless/.