Is it too hot in your area that you don’t feel like going outside in the scorching heat? Or do you want a tanning process that doesn’t give you that red sunburn that hurts so much? If either situation sounds familiar, then you might want to try indoor tanning.
The rise of indoor tanning has definitely started booming for a lot of people. Now there are established tanning salons where you can get your tanning fix.
I’ll be talking about why this is the case and why you should consider this new wave of tanning if you desire to have glowing, tanned skin.
Convenience
With indoor tanning, you can easily get the results you want without having to spend too much time under the sun. Nervous with the process as a whole? Well no need to worry. There will be someone there to guide you in and out of the tanning bed.
Preparations Before Tanning
The process of tanning indoors is also not that complicated. While there are steps that you need to follow and things to consider, the process itself is pretty easy to follow. Here are the essential things that you should do for the pre-tanning phase.
Exfoliate
First thing’s first, make sure to exfoliate your skin. This is the process of removing dead skin cells. You want to make sure your skin is smooth and fresh in order for the tan to last longer and cover all areas.
Having spots and noticeable streaks may not be appealing to you, so exfoliating will make sure that this will not be the case.
Moisturize
Another thing to do before going into a tanning salon is to moisturize. The tanning process can lead to your skin drying up. To avoid this, moisturizing is the way to go.
Prioritize the joints and the creases as well as putting lip balm/petroleum jelly on your lips. These parts of the body dry up the quickest.
Sunscreen
Another important thing to add before tanning is sunscreen. UV rays can damage your skin so putting on sunscreen is vital for any type of tanning, be it indoor or outdoor. Sunscreen with SPF30 is the way to go.
Wear Goggles
The last thing that you should do when having your session is to protect your eyes. Bring a pair of tanning goggles with you and wear them once you enter the tanning bed.
Types of Tanning Lotions
Now you can start thinking of what tanning lotion to buy. Although you might be asking “what type of lotion should I go for?”
With many lotions available in the market, it can get overwhelming to make a decision. To help find what you’re looking for, you can start by identifying the different types of lotions.
Tingle
This type of lotion gives off a tingling sensation which increases the production of melanin. This is done by increasing blood flow in the body.
With more melanin, the results of the tanning process also speeds up.
This type of lotion might not be for those with a sensitive skin type. The sensation might be too much for the skin to handle, making the experience painful.
If you are a sensitive skin type, then go for lotions with milder formulas.
Bronzer
Bronzer, as the title suggests, focuses on giving the skin a bronze glow. The main ingredient for this lotion is DHA (dihydroxyacetone). This allows for the skin to become darker, albeit temporarily.
To avoid staining your hands and feet, make sure to wipe any excess lotion after you use this type of lotion.
Intensifiers
This is similar to Bronzers, with the only difference being that it can darken plateaued skin. Your skin will have a limit to how much it can tan. This limit is what defines plateaued skin.
This can be caused by continued use of only one type of tanning lotion. At some point they will reach a certain peak of how much it can tan.
This can be used to exceed the skin’s tanning limit and have better and faster results without having to tan more than once.
Cooling
This type of lotion is the exact opposite of the Tingle type. Instead, it gives off a cool feeling that can be pleasing to the skin.
This is definitely a good choice if you are tanning on a particularly hot day and want to avoid feeling sticky and sweaty while doing it. As for skin types, this is a good choice for sensitive skin as this has the opposite effect of the tingle lotion.
Cocktail
The last one is usually a combination of two types of tanning lotions. You might want to find the best of both worlds when you are looking for a tanning lotion. This is definitely a good recommendation if that is the case.
The biggest benefit would be the speed of the tanning process. Although it would take the same amount of time for the lotion to take effect as the other lotions, the effect itself gives more of a golden tan on the first use. This means that you don’t have to frequent the tanning booth and by extension the UV rays in them.
What to Choose?
So with all the options available, you might be asking “which of these is the one for me?”
This will all depend on your tolerance and your ideal result. What you can do is take a patch test. Spray the tanning lotion on a small part of your skin. This will help see if your skin is able to handle it and if you are liking the result in that small section of your skin.
Intensity
One last thing to note is the intensity. Not every lotion is made the same, so be sure to check the amount of bronzing agents in the formula. This can be found in the bottle’s label. A higher number means darker skin as a result.
You and the person manning the booth should also be aware of the settings of the tanning booth. They have a limit on how strong the settings can be so pair it with the right lotion to get the optimal result.
Tanning has now never been more easy and convenient with the help of indoor tanning and tanning lotions as a whole. There is no need to worry about whether or not you’re following the correct steps in getting your tanning fix.
With all these things in mind, exfoliate and moisturize, keep safe, and start getting that glowing tan you’ve been wanting.
