Unlike normal tanning lotion or sunscreen you would use while outside or at the beach which blocks UV (ultraviolet) rays, indoor tanning lotion is designed to capture these and amplify the effects. This is usually done by using ingredients which increase the production of melanin or increasing the blood flow to the skin, in turn, increasing the amount of melanin in the top layers of skin.

There are often a few different types of indoor tanning lotions which offer a variety of different effects. Some lotions may include a couple of the following and your personal preference may differ from another persons. These lotions help you achieve the best looking and feeling tan in a shorter time as well as offering ingredients to help your skin feel refreshed or tingly.

The first type of indoor tanning lotion is the tingle factor. The tingle factor is the standard description for indoor tanning lotions that contain ingredients to increase blood flow at skin level. This type of lotion is usually created by using chemicals that cause a reddening sensation, flushing the skin. Lotions offering a tingle factor often vary from person to person, and since everyone is different, some users may experience a very strong tingle feeling and some may not feel as much.

The second and another very popular type of indoor tanning lotion is a bronzing agent. Most lotions now contain some type of bronzers, usually DHA (dihydroxyacetone). DHA, along with other ingredients help your tan and give you immediate color. These types of bronzing lotions are often used to jump start your tan and may even contain some type of tingling ingredients or even cooling ingredients which may include menthol to make your skin feel cool and refreshed.

Personal preference is key and choosing the right type of lotion for your skin is crucial. Most indoor tanning salons offer you the ability to test or sample their lotion lines before buying a full bottle. If you have questions about which indoor tanning lotion is for you, simply ask one of our trained employees at any of our Extreme Tan & Smoothies salons and they would be more than willing to help you out and point you to something that fits you.

Active ingredients such as melanin and L-Tyrosine are often found in most tanning lotions. Some lotions even offer tea oil, copper, green tea extract and other natural oils. All lotions differ and may contain different active ingredients and oils. Most of the indoor tanning lotions you may purchase range from 8-9oz bottles and some even up to 16-17oz. Each tanning session uses approximately .5oz – 1.0oz of lotion, depending on your personal preference and covering your exposed areas. Most lotions also often contain a very distinct fragrance which offers no advantage but leaves you smelling great after a nice and relaxing tanning session. Some of these lotions may even contain a type of aromatherapy scent, which some users may enjoy. Under no circumstances should you use an outdoor tanning lotion inside of an indoor tanning bed since outdoor tan products feature ingredients (mineral oil/baby oil) which may damage the tanning beds acrylic surfaces. Acrylic is used in tanning beds because of its transparency to UV lights and damaging this can be costly.

The primary purpose of indoor tanning lotions is to help moisturize your skin because tanning, inside or out, can dehydrate your skin rapidly and these lotions help keep the moisture in, leaving your skin looking healthy. The primary ingredient to help moisture your skin in tanning lotions is the same as you would find in hand lotions but may tend to have less alcohol. You may find that one of the most popular ingredients in tanning lotions to help moisturize your skin is often hempseed oil. The hempseed oil is THC-free and completely legal in the US. Because of hempseed oils high volume of fatty acids, it greatly helps to moisturize and maintain the effects of tanning.

Indoor tanning lotions offer no type of protection from the sun and should be used with caution if you are going to be using them outdoors. Over exposure is greater when outdoors than when in a controlled environment such as a tanning bed. When tanning outdoors, we recommend you use a tanning lotion that offers some type of SPF to help from burning and damaging your skin from the harmful rays of the sun.

I hope this tanning lotion document has helped and increased your general knowledge of indoor tanning products and please remember if you have any questions, feel free to stop in one of your local Extreme Tan & Smoothies Florida tanning salons and any of our highly trained associates would be more than willing to answer any questions as well as help you picking out the lotion that best suits your needs.