Lets face it. A nice tan makes you look and feel great. Plus, it can hide ugly cellulite and also make you appear thinner!
Here are 10 indoor tanning steps to help you achieve a nice base tan without getting burned.
1. Be careful if you are on any prescription medications: blood pressure medications, antibiotics, skin problem medications are just a few categories of drugs you should not be taking if you are tanning or spending lots of time in the sun.
2. Always use a good quality indoor tanning lotion. It will help your skin to absorb the UV, which will help aid your skin in the tanning process.There are also special ingredients that stimulate melanin production, such as Tyrosine, which will give you the most out of every tanning session. Your skin tends to get very dry from tanning and if you don’t use a good tanning lotion then your skin will exfoliate faster, become more dry and flaky and this will make you lose your tan faster. So the bottom line is to use a good quality indoor tanning lotion. It is a good idea to apply the tanning lotion right prior to your tanning session or an hour or so before is even better, if it’s possible. Applying the tanning lotion sooner is so your skin can absorb it better.
3. Apply an after tan moisturizer too. This will keep skin well moisturized. Apply this at least twice a day to keep skin looking great, once in the morning and once at night and of course after you tan. The key to a great tan is healthy skin and applying an after tan moisturizer will help keep skin healthy and moisturized.
4. If you are just starting to tan then you must remember to start out slowly. You can not tan over top of a burn, so you don’t want to get burnt. If you burn it is your skin telling you that it is getting too much sun, so start out slow with a low number of minutes and work your way up.
5. Go once every 24-48 hours to build your base. Depending on how well your skin is doing, you can decide whether you can go once a day or once every other day. A good rule of thumb is if your skin is not pink within the 24 hours after your session, you can probably go again the next day without any problem. If your skin is pink, feels dry and itchy, or you get a rash, this is a signal that you went for too many minutes and need to take a break until it feels better and then start over again.
6. Once you have built up a good base tan then you really don’t need to go tanning as often. Depending on which type of tanning bed you are using you should only go about 2-3 times per week to keep up your tan, even less in stronger beds. This is where I see a lot of people going tanning every day when it is totally not necessary. Tanning too often can and will speed up the aging process and cause other skin ailments over time. Just like many other things, moderation is the key.
7. Wear eye goggles at all times! Many people think that doing things like putting a towel over their eyes will block the UV rays but it doesn’t and after a long period of time it will cause major damage. Would you rather be blind or have lighter eyelids? I think I would choose the latter, but that is just me. For your own safety, please wear the eye goggles!
8. Since indoor tanning does not require the use of a bathing suit, use a towel to cover those ’sensitive’ areas that don’t see the sun very often if you want to tan all over. In the beginning, try covering those areas for half the session and see how it goes. Gradually you can remove the towel earlier and earlier until you don’t need to use one anymore. The towel acts as a filter but won’t completely block the UV rays, so you are still getting the tanning process started.
9. To avoid getting creases or pressure tanning lines, you should move your limbs into different positions during your session. For the first half, try laying down with both arms extended above your head and legs apart. For the second half, bring your arms down next to your sides but away from your body, and re-position your legs by raising one knee slightly for a half of the remaining time, and then the other leg do the same thing.
10. Avoid wearing make up, deodorant, and perfumes during your tanning session. These can possibly have a bad reaction to the UV rays. Also, if you wear deodorant you will notice that you are not tanning as well under your arms and will have to remove it prior to tanning.
When it comes to tanning every person’s skin type is different and results will vary. Consult with your local tanning salon for a skin type analysis so you can get a good idea of where to start.
Learn more about tanning lotions. Stop by Jackie Black’s site where you can find out all about tanning lotion and what it can do for you.
categories: tanning lotion,tanning, beauty, skin, health and beauty, health, beauty
Thanks for the tips! I tan a lot, and I use Klima Antiperspirant so it does not interfere with my tanning. You apply it at night – and only need to apply it every 5 days. Since it shrinks your pores to prevent sweat, rather than coating them to block sweat, there are no chemicals to interfere with your tanning. I got mine online at http://www.klimadeodorant.com
I think it’s the best deodorant to use if you like to tan or sunbathe.
Thanks
-Emma