How Tanning Products Work
How do tanning products work exactly and what benefit can they be to me? Well, if you are relatively new to solarium tanning and wondered what all those brightly colored bottles behind the reception of your salon actually do, read on as they will save you time and money.
The Science
Tanning products inject an amplifier into a process which happens in all of us, whether we tan under a tanning bed or not, naturally. Melanin is a protein pigment found in the dermal layers, lower layers of our skin’s. It is this protein pigment which is responsible for giving us our natural skin color. People with more of the pigment have darker skin tones than those with less of it. When melanin comes into contact with UVB rays output by the tanning beds a tan develops. A good indoor tanning lotion with turbo-charge this tanning effect.
Indoor tanning lotion are specifically designed ONLY for use on a tanning bed, so no point taking them on the beach. The tanning beds produce 98% UVB and very little UVA–the rays that cause skin cancer. So an indoor tanning lotion offers no protection from UVA and therefore cannot protect you on the beach or out in the midday sun.
Outdoor lotions must not be used in tanning solarium’s. Not only do the oils in their makeup damage the acrylics of the beds but they are also highly unproductive. Reason being, they are blocked the UVB rays–the very rays that you are paying for to get your tan. This sounds crazy, but many indoor tanning newbies still turn up for the first session with a bottle of sunblock in their bag.
What’s The Best Lotion?
If you are new to the game, stick to the top brands and you can’t go far wrong. Names like Australian Gold, Swedish Beauty and Designer Skin should be on your wish list.
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