The Importance of Using the Right Tanning Bed Lotion
The sun is rising earlier and setting later, and the sun beams are brighter than they were even a week ago. This can only mean one thing: summer is coming. There are many things that have to happen before summer gets here. The snow needs to melt, the grass needs to green, the spring cleaning needs to be completed, and your tan needs to be started. Before summer is here, you need to choose a tanning bed lotion and get into a tanning bed.
Proper chemicals used in tanning bed lotions
Tanning bed lotions are not the same as outdoor tanning lotions that are used when sun tanning at the beach, in your yard, or for everyday protection. Tanning bed lotions do not contain or have low amounts of the SPF that is used for sun protection. Tanning bed lotions do not contain chemicals that will build up or react to the acrylic barrier on the tanning bed. Outdoor lotions often have chemicals that will damage the tanning bed.
Use of basic and advanced tanning bed lotions
There is a lot of discussion about getting a good pre-tan before the tanning season begins. This pre tan is often completed through the use of indoor tanning, such as tanning beds. The use of a tanning bed lotion helps with this process. Outdoor tanning lotion is used for long periods of exposure to the sun’s rays, where the tanning bed lotions are designed for short periods of time under a specific ultraviolet light. Basic tanning bed lotions protect the moisture in the skin. This opens the pores and allows more ultraviolet light to be directed into the skin. This process is completed in a very short period of time, reacting to the melanin in the skin and changing the skin’s color.
There are more advanced tanning bed lotions that use a refractive prism effect. The use of some chemicals refracts light off the natural oils in the skin and intensify the tanning effect. These tanning bed lotions usually contain minerals and combine them with aloe. The aloe will increase the moisture in the skin and cause a deeper reaction to the ultraviolet lights. When using the wrong tanning lotions, or no tanning lotions, the skin becomes dry. Dry skin will reflect the ultraviolet light instead of absorbing the light.
Risks of using the wrong or no tanning bed lotion
When not using the proper tanning bed lotion, it could mean that over half of the ultraviolet light is reflect and not absorbed, wasting your time and money in the indoor tanning bed. This also causes the skin to become dry and to not properly absorb the ultraviolet lights, creating the potential for skin damage and diseases. When tanning without the use of lotions or the wrong lotions, it can cause the skin to lose elasticity and age faster. It can also cause the skin to become inflamed and/or oxidized, and this can lead to redness and swelling.
When using any form of indoor tanning, it is important that the proper indoor tanning bed lotion (typically has 95% of UVA and 5% of UVB, +/-3%) is used to protect the long term effects of the ultraviolet rays, and to provide a great base tan.
Preparing for using tanning bed lotion
Before heading to the local tanning salon, there are a few things to do. The first step is to ensure that any medication that is being taken will not have any negative interactions with the use of the sun tanning bed or the sun tanning bed lotion. Before leaving for the salon, make sure that your body is cleaned, and when cleaning, use an exfoliator for a day or two prior to tanning. This will help open the pores of the skin and allow the moisture to come to the surface where it can be trapped with the use of the tanning bed lotion. When using the tanning bed lotion, it is also important to use the proper application process. Do not just dab and spread the lotion. It is important that the lotion is applied in a small circular motion. This allows the lotion to spread evenly, helping to ensure that the base tan is going to be even.