Tpsyduck
05-25-2005, 09:06 AM
Here are some basic lessons/tips for the beginning tanner.
Tanning:
*Finding an educated salon is important. You can find a Smart Tan certified salon at their website, http://www.smarttan.com
*Your salon should skin type you. If you don’t know your type, you can use this questionnaire, http://www.naatso.org/frameset_survey.htm
*You should start off at the minimum exposure time the bed manufacturer allows for your skin type. Only increase your time, by 1-2 minutes, after going a couple sessions at your current time. If at any time you burn, wait until all the pink is gone, and cut back on your time at your next session.
*You should tan in moderation, every other day, 3-4 times a week to build your base tan. The tanning process continues for 48-72 hours after your session and tanning everyday will overexpose your skin. Tanning is not a race. It is to your skin’s benefit to build your tan slowly.
*Please remember that wearing eye protection is a must while tanning. It is recommended that you buy your own pair of eyewear to use while tanning. Your salon should sell them to you. Please click on our eye pro banners and read through the articles explaining the importance of wearing eye protection and how UV exposure can damage your eyes.
*Moisturized skin tans better than dry skin, so please make sure you tan with an indoor salon quality tanning lotion. Stay away from the drug store brands because a lot of those contain mineral oil, which can ruin the acrylics on the beds. We recommend facial lotions because the skin is delicate and they have ingredients specifically intended for that area.
*Some good lotions for building a base tan are: Swedish Beauty's Swedish Hemp Crème, Australian Gold's Dark Tanning Accelerator, Emerald Bay's Dark 'n' Dazed, CalTan's Climax, Designer Skin's Drama Queen, and Synergy's Brown Envy. All of those lotions are just accelerators - no tingles, bronzers or shimmer.
*Tingle lotions are used to break plateaus and you should have a base tan before using them, so you should avoid them while building your base. If you choose to use a tingle, start with a low level after doing a patch test. And, never use a tingle on your face. It can cause broken capillaries, which can lead to rosacea.
*Bronzing lotions contain DHA, the ingredient used in sunless tanners. If you're aren't dark enough for them, they can turn you orange. A beginning tanner shouldn’t use them because they can make your appear darker than you are. Seeing your real color is important for gauging how your tan is developing and to know when to increase your time.
*Here's a link to explain the different types of lotions: http://www.iamtan.com/viewtopic.php?topic=7301&forum=12
After Tanning/Skin Care:
*Keeping your skin hydrated is essential to building and maintaining your tan. It is recommended that you moisturize at least twice a day, preferably after showering while your skin is still moist. Salon quality tan extenders are best. Some popular tanning moisturizers are Supre’s Hempz, Swanky Girl’s She’s the Cats Pajamas, Designer Skin’s Angel, Fiesta Sun’s Fully Loaded, and CalTan’s Total Immersion.
*If you haven’t used a tingle or bronzer, there really is no reason to wait to shower after tanning, unless you wish to reap the benefits of the ingredients in your tanning lotion. Tanning is an internal process, not an external one, so you can't wash your tan away. If you have used a tingle lotion the water can reactivate the tingle, so wait at least a couple hours before showering. And, if you used a bronzer it needs at least 4 hours to react with your skin.
*It's best to use a body wash to shower with. Body washes are more moisturizing and bar soaps tend to strip your skin of your skin's natural oils and moisture.
*It is important to exfoliate your skin every 7-10 days in order to shed dead skin cells and keep your skin healthy.
Tanning:
*Finding an educated salon is important. You can find a Smart Tan certified salon at their website, http://www.smarttan.com
*Your salon should skin type you. If you don’t know your type, you can use this questionnaire, http://www.naatso.org/frameset_survey.htm
*You should start off at the minimum exposure time the bed manufacturer allows for your skin type. Only increase your time, by 1-2 minutes, after going a couple sessions at your current time. If at any time you burn, wait until all the pink is gone, and cut back on your time at your next session.
*You should tan in moderation, every other day, 3-4 times a week to build your base tan. The tanning process continues for 48-72 hours after your session and tanning everyday will overexpose your skin. Tanning is not a race. It is to your skin’s benefit to build your tan slowly.
*Please remember that wearing eye protection is a must while tanning. It is recommended that you buy your own pair of eyewear to use while tanning. Your salon should sell them to you. Please click on our eye pro banners and read through the articles explaining the importance of wearing eye protection and how UV exposure can damage your eyes.
*Moisturized skin tans better than dry skin, so please make sure you tan with an indoor salon quality tanning lotion. Stay away from the drug store brands because a lot of those contain mineral oil, which can ruin the acrylics on the beds. We recommend facial lotions because the skin is delicate and they have ingredients specifically intended for that area.
*Some good lotions for building a base tan are: Swedish Beauty's Swedish Hemp Crème, Australian Gold's Dark Tanning Accelerator, Emerald Bay's Dark 'n' Dazed, CalTan's Climax, Designer Skin's Drama Queen, and Synergy's Brown Envy. All of those lotions are just accelerators - no tingles, bronzers or shimmer.
*Tingle lotions are used to break plateaus and you should have a base tan before using them, so you should avoid them while building your base. If you choose to use a tingle, start with a low level after doing a patch test. And, never use a tingle on your face. It can cause broken capillaries, which can lead to rosacea.
*Bronzing lotions contain DHA, the ingredient used in sunless tanners. If you're aren't dark enough for them, they can turn you orange. A beginning tanner shouldn’t use them because they can make your appear darker than you are. Seeing your real color is important for gauging how your tan is developing and to know when to increase your time.
*Here's a link to explain the different types of lotions: http://www.iamtan.com/viewtopic.php?topic=7301&forum=12
After Tanning/Skin Care:
*Keeping your skin hydrated is essential to building and maintaining your tan. It is recommended that you moisturize at least twice a day, preferably after showering while your skin is still moist. Salon quality tan extenders are best. Some popular tanning moisturizers are Supre’s Hempz, Swanky Girl’s She’s the Cats Pajamas, Designer Skin’s Angel, Fiesta Sun’s Fully Loaded, and CalTan’s Total Immersion.
*If you haven’t used a tingle or bronzer, there really is no reason to wait to shower after tanning, unless you wish to reap the benefits of the ingredients in your tanning lotion. Tanning is an internal process, not an external one, so you can't wash your tan away. If you have used a tingle lotion the water can reactivate the tingle, so wait at least a couple hours before showering. And, if you used a bronzer it needs at least 4 hours to react with your skin.
*It's best to use a body wash to shower with. Body washes are more moisturizing and bar soaps tend to strip your skin of your skin's natural oils and moisture.
*It is important to exfoliate your skin every 7-10 days in order to shed dead skin cells and keep your skin healthy.