Tanning in a tanning bed or applying a self tanning lotion can be a great way to enhance your skin colour, but if you want to optimize your tanning efforts there may be a few tips you haven’t been following. There’s more you can do than just going to a tanning salon a few times a week to get the perfect tan.

Preparing Your Skin

Whether you tan outdoors, in a tanning bed, or from a spray tan, exfoliating your skin before you tan will clear away dead skin cells and ensure you’re getting the most even looking tan possible. Spray tanning solutions and self-tanning lotions will stick better to clean skin that won’t be sloughing off in a day or two.

Getting an Even Tan

Moist skin tans better and more evenly, so be sure to use a tanning lotion. An indoor lotion should be used when tanning in a bed as they are custom designed for indoor bulbs. When tanning outside, an outdoor lotion with at least a small amount of SPF should be used to protect from the harmful rays that comes with natural sun tanning. Washing with a good moisturizing soap after you tan will prevent any bacteria build up and will keep your skin soft and smooth.

Whether in a lay down bed or tanning in the sun, moving around in the right positions will ensure a more even tan. Lying in a bed can cause pressure points between your skin and the glass which can give you a less intense tan in that area, so shifting your body every once in awhile should prevent any noticeable white spots. When tanning outside be sure to turn midway through your tan, and position yourself properly in the sun to keep your exposure as even as possible.

Maintaining Your Tan

Keep your skin moisturized after you tan or have a sunless tanning product applied. Whether you use salon quality after care lotions or just your favourite brand of body cream, keeping your skin moist slows the exfoliation process which is what makes you lose your tan. Tanning after care products can have quite a bit of extra added components that will preserve your tan better, but just using a lotion that has aloe and vitamin E will definitely go a long way in making your skin look smooth and healthy while sustaining your tan.

Supplementing Your Diet

The food you eat can play a part in the colour of your skin. Beta carotene is a red-orange pigment found in foods such as carrots, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and spinach. Eating foods high in bet-carotene can add this pigment to your skin, and working in unison with your tan, you can achieve a darker looking glow. Tanning pills can also be used to give your skin more colour without even stepping foot in a tanning bed. These pills contain caretenoid pigments which tint the layer of fatty tissue below your skin.

It can be hard work maintaining a beautiful bronzed glow so adding a few steps may be worth it to ensure your tan will last as long as possible and will be completely even. Especially if you’re paying for your tan, you’ll want it to look its best.

Any salon you go into, the technician will definitely tell you that moist skin tans best and lotions accelerates the tanning process. Lotion will make your tan look better and will help you tan evenly while protecting you from unwanted rays. Without a doubt, indoor tanning lotion is something you should be using when you tan, but the type of lotion to use is something you’ll need to determine.

Understanding the Ingredients

Tanning lotions may have all kinds of additional ingredients or added perfumes and moisturizers, but there are a few more important things to be watching for when picking the right lotion. The main idea is to keep your skin moist, but some lotions will get your skin to continue tanning even once you’ve left the tanning booth.

Tyrosine is an amino acid that stimulates melanin production and can be found in many brands of tanning lotions. It helps you tan faster and is considered a tan accelerator. Vitamin E will help fight premature aging while Aloe Vera or cocoa butter will help in keeping your skin well moisturized. Some lotions may contain copper which reduce the appearance of scars and other blemishes on your skin.

What Not to Use

While top of the line salon quality lotions may optimize your tan to its full potential, you don’t have to use the most expensive product out there to get a beautiful tan. However, there are some tanning products you should avoid. Tanning oil, for instance, is not meant for indoor tanning. Not only is it messy, but it blocks the UV rays from reaching you and can be hard to clean off a lay down style bed. Tanning beds and bulbs are expensive and sensitive equipment so while using an everyday body moisturizer can help your tan, sticking to an indoor specific lotion will protect the bed and give you the best results. Using an indoor lotion for bed and booth tanning is always your best bet.

After Care Lotion

Most salons will sell after care tanning lotions that you use after your session to give your tan a boost or even a continuous tanning effect. If you chose not to use an after tanning lotion, using regular body lotion will still go a long way in helping you maintain your tan by moisturizing and slowing the exfoliation process.

Knowing your skin tone can help you when choosing the right lotion. Most salon technicians can assist you in determining the correct range of products to be choosing from. Price may be a factor in your decision, but there is usually a variety of lotion types for all skin tones in each price range. If you’re unsure of the best product for you, some salons will also offer either free samples, or a sample for a small fee. Once you decide on your lotion of choice, you’ll be on your way to a golden shine.