Indoor Tan Blog

Everyone desires to have a golden skin, perfectly tanned. It looks healthy and attractive. Sadly not everyone has the time and money to tan at a beach all the time. This has led to the popularity of tanning salons. Tanning beds use specialized light bulbs that emit artificial sunlight which is a mix of UVA and UVB rays, which together help a person get tanned. There are varieties of tanning beds, some in which a person lies down, booths where one stands up to get tanned and the latest in tanning beds, the bronzer tanning bed.

The normal tanning beds have ten to fifty 100W to 200W tanning bulbs. These bulbs emit 95% UVA and 5% UVB rays. Bronzer tanning beds differ from regular beds. They have 35 to 60 bulbs of 160W to 220W that emit 98% UVA rays.

Bronzing tanning beds are much better that the usual tanning beds since the low level of UVB rays used in bronzing beds do not result in the skin turning red. This reduces the risk of sun burn and help the person achieve a longer lasting and dark tan.

However one has to consider the fact that bronzer tanning beds work slower than the regular beds. It takes a longer time to achieve a dark tan, even though it lasts much longer and does not fade away as fast as tan from regular beds. It is advised that you should first have a base tan before using a bronzing tanning bed.

People often confuse bronzer beds and bronzing bulbs with hot bulbs. Hot bulbs produce more UVB rays than bronzer beds, and produce tan much faster but the tan is lighter. To achieve the perfect bronze look, check with your tanning salon and ensure that you are using a proper bronzer tanning bed.

In case you have a bronzing tanning bed at home, you must ensure that you change the bulbs after 800-1000 hours of use. The bulbs have a longer life but stop emitting the amount of UV radiation that is necessary to produce a tan.
Bronzer tanning beds give you the perfect bronzed look that is attractive and creates an impact. Moreover since they do not emit much UV radiation, they are considered safe. This does not mean that one can use bronzer tanning beds without exercising some caution. Safety of tanning beds is still a hotly debated issue with some scientists insisting that they are harmful and can cause premature wrinkles and skin damage. Use all the precautions and never overdo the duration you spend on the tanning bed.

When someone enquirers ‘are tanning salons safe’, one is tempted to respond with ‘as safe as driving on an expressway’. Take that with a pinch of salt. Within limits, they are absolutely safe, though there are many who would tend to disagree. After all, we are talking of inducing something by artificial means involving a high degree of ultra-violet or UV Rays. Some people will tell us that the plexi-glass is not sufficient protection from UV Rays so they penetrate deeper and cause premature wrinkling of skin or even cancer. They would prefer the usage of sunless spray tanners available in stores, or really lather up with oodles of sun-tan solution and head out to an open beach.

The counter-point is that we are talking of obtaining a tanned look in off-season, like when it is pouring or snowing outdoors. The point is that the whole matter became a big issue when a medical report mentioned that sunscreen lotions and oils cause skin cancer, but not about the tanning process. And one actually need not apply the lotions or the bronzers to obtain a tan, whether indoor or outdoor. Let us face it, the sun is also good for the skin within restricted months, and the tanning salons are primarily meant to make you look good throughout the year. If we study the entire process of tanning, the end summary would be that a tanning salon is either as bad, or as good, as the natural sun. With questions on the limitation of the sun exposure that a body can actually take, we come back to ‘are tanning salons safe’.

To take the question ‘are tanning salons safe’ further, we will need to delve more on the safety within the confines of the salon rather than compare it with the outdoor sun exposure. Let us know that the average salon has variable facilities and booths that afford a good degree of privacy, with the option of lying down, standing, or even getting the desired tan in the buff. The range of solutions is vast and as the salon staff is familiar with the various skin-types, they usually assist in the selection. This is important as the right solution accelerates the tan while preventing any skin burn. Goggles in any salon are mandatory equipment as lengthy and regular exposure to the UV Rays can be harmful to the cornea. The main reason to conclude tanning salons as safe is that they follow a controlled procedure and provide proper supervision by professionals.

Tanning is a procedure by which the skin becomes dark or gets a tanned or bronzy look due to excess exposure to the sun. This effect is basically due to the ultraviolet radiations that tend to increase the secretion of a pigment called melanin that aids in a darker skin.

If we go back to history, we can see that people were fonder of whitening their skin for which in ancient times white paints or chalk powders were used. People used to cover themselves thoroughly with full sleeved dresses and long scarves so as to retain their natural whiteness and avoid darkening due to exposure to sunlight.

Anyone darker or with a slightly darker complexion was considered to be of a lower class just because of the dark look. This was the main reason why people used to try and maintain their complexion lighter or would try and use artificial lighteners to make their complexion look lighter.

The tanning which is today a very popular procedure and a style icon used by numerous people was discovered accidentally.

In the early 1920’s there was French designer who had been for a long tour to different countries for her work. On return from her tour that involved her travel from Paris to Cannes, people realized that she had altogether come with a different look and soon people started liking the new look of hers.

Later it was discovered that the tan which her skin had got due to excessive exposure to the sun during her travel had brought about the difference in her skin. This tanned look was liked by one and all and soon tanning became a trend and people started trying out sunbathing and beach bathing as a procedure to get them tanned.

After the accidental discovery of tanned skin, it then became a popular sport kind of thing to bake their bodies in sun and have a wonderful holiday just baking their skins at the beach to get the desired tanned look.

At a later stage when fashion began growing more popular so did tanning become more popular. With the bikinis and swimsuits gaining more place in fashion, tanning also started receiving a special place in the field of fashion. The concept of all- tanned body came into existence where people started tanning their entire body to get a sensuous tanned look.

With the increasing demand for tanning, slowly the market came out with artificial tanning ingredients like lotions, gels, sprays and even pills. In spite of all these products in the market, tanning was a popular event that was restricted to summer since people believed that the natural way to tan was much healthier and safer alternative rather than using artificial tanning lotions.

Later in the eighties, when tanning had gained enough popularity, lot of tanning spas and salons came into existence. The salons guaranteed a natural tanned look in just few sittings ion a tan bed, which slowly started gaining acceptance among the core consumers. This way from the early 1920’s tanning slowly started growing as a huge market and by the eighties there were many salons that were into the business of tanning.

As the eighties ended and the nineties came closer, tanning had taken a big chunk of place in the market and there were enormous number of tanning salons offering artificial tanning using different procedures that would be suitable to different types of skin. Also in the nineties awareness about the health hazards caused due to excessive exposure of skin to sun came into limelight and hence people started preferring artificial or indoor tanning as it is called to be a better alternative to the traditional method of sun tanning.

Soon other benefits in indoor tanning were discovered like the balance of moisture in the skin that is lost when the skin is exposed to the sun for a longer duration and the natural glow that is lost when exposed to sun. Thus indoor tanning became and is still today more popular in countries where the climate is always colder.
Not only this with the advent of new technologies developing continuously, the duration for tanning has considerably reduced from few sessions to few seconds in today’s busy and fast moving world.

With the craze of fashion that is there in today’s generation, it is sure that the concepts of fashion like tanning and other new fashion icons will be well accepted in the market and will continue to grow without slowing down.

Every body longs to get a good tan, because it makes you look great and sexy. The most popular method of tanning until a few years ago was to sit for long hours under the sun to get the desired tan. But studies have shown that ultra violet rays can cause skin diseases even cancer. So people started using tanning lotions, to get a good tan and at the same time maintain a healthy skin. Tanning lotions gives you that instant tan. The tanning products work on the outer layer of your skin, to give you the golden look.

Tanning lotion amplifies the effects of ultra violet rays and increases the production of melanin in your skin, thus giving you the desired tan. They also contain nourishing ingredients to nourish your skin. These tanning lotions can be indoor tanning lotions, outdoor tanning lotions, sunless tanning lotions and bronzers.

Whether you are using tanning lotion at home, by the pool side or at the tanning salon, you must apply the lotion correctly. Only then you will get the desired benefit. You have to keep in mind a few points before you start applying the lotion.

There are a variety of tanning lotions and you must choose the appropriate one for your skin. There are so many brands available for you to select and it is better you don’t choose cheap tan lotions. There are tanning lotions available for different types of skins. Remember tanning lotion works better for people with medium complexion. It works better on dry skin. Tanning gel is better for oily skin. If your skin is sensitive select a tanning lotion for sensitive skin. Select a lotion that has sun protection factor. This will protect your skin from the sun’s ultra violet rays which can cause skin burns. You can also apply an after tan lotion. This lotion will help your tan last longer and replenish the skin with nutrients.

Before tanning always protect your eyes by wearing sun glasses. Wear comfortable dress. Tanning lotions can stain your clothes. Don’t wear foundations, face powder or lipstick.

The first thing you have to do before tanning is take a shower and exfoliate your skin. This helps to remove the dead cells from your skin and prepares your skin for tanning. Pay attention to the dry areas of your body like hands, feet, ankles, elbows and knees. Exfoliating your skin will ensure that the tan is spread evenly on your skin and gets blend with the skin.

First apply a moisturizer on your skin. Begin by applying tanning lotion on your leg first. Take some tanning lotion in your hands and apply on your body with firm strokes. Make sure that the lotion is applied all over your body especially the elbows and torso. Apply the lotion behind the ears and also on the back of your neck. Since it is difficult to apply on your back, ask a friend to do it for you. Remember to apply the product in circular motions. A good tanning lotion will nourish your skin and also prevent dehydration.

Be careful when you apply the tanning lotion on your face. Avoid any make up on your face before tanning. Don’t apply the lotion on your lips, moles or freckles. Buy special facial tanning lotion and massage it gently into your skin in circular motions.

Take care to apply moisturizer before and after tanning. Allow time for the lotion to be absorbed in your skin. Check to see if there are any spots left without tanning. After tanning don’t use harsh soaps on your body, as your tan might fade faster.

Apply tanning lotion on your skin before you get exposed to the sun. Most of the good tanning lotions contain sun screen. If it is not available in the lotion, you should surely use a sunscreen to protect your skin from the harmful effects of the ultra violet rays of the sun.

If you are going for a tanning bed, you should use the necessary tanning lotion. Tanning bed lotions protects your skin while tanning and speeds up the process of tanning. If you prefer to get tanned in a tanning bed, then you should use the lotion at least one hour before you get into the bed.

Tanning lotions are safe and does not cause any allergy. But you can always to do a patch test before you apply the lotion just for your satisfaction.