The summer may be half over in the northern hemisphere, but it’s still never too late to work on that tan, or to start preparing to keep your tan over the autumn and winter when you aren’t able to get out to the beach as often. Tanning beds are one of the best ways to properly maintain your tan when you can’t get into the sun, and in order to make the best of your tanning bed salon experience, you should always be wearing tanning lotions for tanning beds.

Tanning beds require a special kind of lotion when you are using them for your tanning needs. So, what exactly should you be looking for in a tanning salon-safe tanning lotion?

Getting Tanning Bed Lotion

Using outdoor tanning lotions can cause damage to the lamination on tanning beds, while indoor tanning bed lotions are especially formulated to not leave behind any residue or gunk that could damage the bed. Anytime you walk into a tanning bed salon, they will have a selection of tanning bed lotions available on hand for you to purchase, but you can always bring your own. When you do purchase your own online, always check to ensure that it is rated to be safe for tanning beds.

Quality Ingredients

Before trying any one of the various types of tanning lotions, you need to get familiar with what is in the product. At the base of all tanning lotions for tanning beds is a strong moisturizer, some form of chemical to help darken the results of your tan, and vitamins and minerals to keep your skin healthy. The best tanning lotions are likely to have upwards of 30% moisturizer, or even more, because dry skin is the enemy of a good tan.

Dry skin blocks UV light, so having well moisturized skin results in less time needed in the tanning bed for the results you want. There are several types of chemicals that help with darkening skin, and a strong bronzer is likely to use Melanin. Finally, vitamins and minerals are helpful at keeping your skin healthy looking, avoiding wrinkles, and giving you a nice ageless glow.

Type of Tanning Lotion

There are several types of tanning lotions for tanning beds, depending on the experience you want and how deep you want your tan.

Bronzers

Bronzers are probably what most people think of when it comes to tanning lotions. Bronzers have some form of bronzing formulation within them to help increase the color result from your tanning session. The level of bronzing is on the label, normally with numbers such as x10, x30 or x50; the higher the number, the darker your tan will be. Always apply evenly to avoid streaking or an uneven tan, and always use clothing you aren’t afraid to get stained.

Tingle

Some tanning lotions have different feel effects to them. One of those is a tingling lotion. The tingling of the lotion is actually from increasing blood flow to the surface of the skin, which increases the amount of melanin being produced during the tanning process.

Cooling

Cooling lotions have additives that give your skin a more cooling sensation, rather than a tingling one. For many, this makes the tanning experience more soothing, relaxing, and enjoyable.

Accelerator

Accelerator tanning lotions for tanning beds do exactly what they say on the bottle: they accelerate the rate at which you can achieve your tan. Accelerators tend to have the highest percentage of moisturizer, and they are the best options for starting out and getting yourself a base tan.

Maximizer and Intensifier

These types of lotions are meant for those with a base tan already who want to darken it even further. These will have less moisturizer overall than accelerators, so they aren’t entirely recommended for newbies. But of course, whatever tanning lotion is most comfortable for you is the one you should choose.

SPF Value

Many tanning lotions for tanning beds will actually not include any sunscreen within them, so you have to be careful when using them. If you stay in the tanning bed too long, you will get a sunburn from the UV light. If you are new to tanning beds and are weary about sunburns, have sensitive skin, or a higher risk of skin cancer, then you should possibly look for a tanning lotion that has an SPF value.

Finding the Right Fragrance in Your Tanning Lotions for Tanning Beds

Finally, many tanning lotions for tanning beds have some form of fragrance included in the formulation, partially to mask the smell of the other ingredients, and partially to give you a soothing smell to enjoy while you are tanning. If you don’t want fragrance, or a minimal one, then be sure to check the ingredient list or the description on the bottle.

The next time you are getting your tan on at a tanning bed salon, be sure to include your favorite tanning lotions for tanning beds to have the best time possible.