Have you ever taken a look behind the counter at our Beaches locations?
Well, if you have – you will have noticed the bottles of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Have you ever wondered what all of these lotions are and what they can do for your skin?
Well, when it comes to tanning lotion, there are many different choices to choose from, and once you find the one that works best for you, your tanning experience will be completely transformed. The reason it is so important to use a lotion in the tanning bed, is naturally it takes 7-10 minutes for a tan to begin the activation process – but with lotion, that activation process takes 30 seconds, which in turn will help get you better results in the beds!
Why go for a Bronzer?
A bronzer is typically known as the lotions that contain added color to them, to help darken your tan and blend uneven areas. When a lotion has bronzer in it, this helps “tone” the color of the tan to give you more of a natural glow. When thinking of bronzing lotions, there are typically two main categories that are referred to.
DHA Bronzers: The lotions that contain DHA (dihydroxyacetone), have a colorless, gradual tanning component to them. DHA is a sugar-based ingredient that “interacts with amino acids in dead skin cells to produce a brown color change” (Medicine.net). Since the color change is within the dead skin cells, the brown color from DHA will typically last about 5-7 days. (DHA is the same ingredient used in a Spray Tan, just in a more concentrated, all-over, even spray, which is why a Spray Tan takes a few hours to develop).
Natural Bronzers: The lotions that are known as Natural Bronzers, provide immediate results without staining. The natural color comes from plant or herbal extracts instead of DHA, giving you natural color immediately. Some of these lotions typically contain caramel, riboflavin, walnut shell, and henna.
The deal with Intensifiers/Accelerators?
When checking out an Intensifier/Accelerator, these will be more helpful to hydrate the skin and bring more of your natural color out. Intensifiers have no bronzers in them, and they have ingredients that help bring the melanin in your skin to the surface. When the melanin in your skin is brought closer to the surface, this helps in allowing for it to be bronzed more naturally. Leaving out the bronzer in your lotion will ensure a more natural tan and will help you jumpstart your base color.
*If you are a first-time tanner, using an Intensifier can be a great way to begin to build your base color*
Trying a Tingler?
Have you ever heard of Tingle tanning lotion before? If you are an experienced tanner and you are looking to get a deeper, darker tan – Tinglers could be a great Segway into achieving even better tanning results.
The way that tinglers work is through the active ingredient of Benzyl Nicotinate, which works to increase blood and oxygen circulation in the skin. With the increased circulation, this brings about the production of more melanin, which in turn allows for a darker color to be produced.
Although tinglers can bring about more intense color, they also create an itching/burning sensation, If you have a low pain tolerance or are prone to sensitive skin tinglers are not for you.
To learn a bit more about tinglers and how they work – check out this tip about tinglers we had posted about in the past!
What’s so important about Face Lotions?
Why is it important to use a different lotion on my face than on my body? The skin on your face is the most delicate and sensitive area of skin, and ensuring that you are protecting it and giving it the proper skincare it needs – will help create a healthier tan.
Using a lotion designed specifically for the face will help protect it against signs of aging such as wrinkles, elasticity, and firmness. Face tanning lotions are designed with proper skincare ingredients to help with anti-aging effects as well as the firmness and youthful glow that can be lost due to over tanning the face.
Using a lotion before getting a Spray Tan?
Many people think that using a lotion before a spray tan will block the effects of DHA soaking into your skin… this can be true with the wrong type of lotions. Using a Primer specifically designed for before a Spray tan can help provide a balanced pH level of the skin which will help condition the skin for a more even tan as well as accelerate the development time.
With the use of a Primer, this can help with a color corrector to blend your skin tone to help balance and even out the spray tan.
Tan Extenders
Last, but not least – we have our Tan Extending lotions. The purpose of these lotions is to help extend your tan by keeping your skin moisturized, nourished, and healthy. The tan extending lotions that we sell at Beaches all have ingredients that are meant to nourish the skin with intense moisture such as hemp seed oil, vitamins E and B5, and other HydraRich complexes.
Some tan extending lotions also have a subtle bronzing formula to help provide streak-free gradual color, to extend the color of your tan even longer.
If you have any questions about how any of the different lotions, or which might be the best for your skin type and tanning goals, any of our tanning consultants will be able to assist you!
Happy tanning & Don’t forget that lotion!