I am very fair complected, ( I was once nicknamed Whiter shade of Pale) and have never seen the appeal of getting a tan from a salon. I usually wear a SPF 40 lotion in the summer. However, a severe sunburn last fall (standing in a field for 7 hours, no shade) and an upcoming family trip (Christmas present from my parents) to Aruba have convinced me to try this, just to get a base, and avoid being sick and blistery.
So I researched, and picked a place, bought my “minutes” and my goggles, and was ready to go. But… what lotion? At 30 or more bucks a bottle, I was horrified. I just bought a sample packet for 6 dollars, and decided to wait. Is this accelerator lotion really necessary? Is this a ripoff? Why are all the cites supporting the necessity on the net basically for lotion manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and salons? Would just a good basic body lotion work somewhat as well? Also most seem to have Hemp oil in them, and I once had a reaction to some hemp butter skin cream, although I don’t normally have sensitve skin.
Please can someone help this poor pasty-complected gal get some melanin?
Try Jergens Natural Glow. It is cheap and if you use it daily you will get subtle color. Check the ingredients if you have allergies. I’m light too and stay out of the sun.
I don’t have cites but I am pretty sure that when you go tanning, the actual tanning process takes longer than the 10 minutes or whatever you are in the bed, and that moisturized skin sort of soaks in the tan better, so staying moisturized during/after tanning helps. Like it keeps your tan longer. I usually just use a normal unscented body lotion awhile before I go tanning then use some more after. I have used the expensive tanning lotion before but it was years ago and I don’t remember if it made $30 of difference. But I do know that you have to moisturize some way or it’s likely your skin will become dry and itchy! The chemicals in some of those expensive lotions may be better than regular lotion for tanning but I am not sure. Just make sure whatever you use doesn’t have SPF or anything.
And as a fair complected person who has the ability to tan (albeit slowly), make sure you do not go too long in the beds and wear your goggles (I got ones that were not connected so I would not get a line between my eyes or anything). I go tanning now at my gym and they are crappy with their bed upkeep - the bed I ALWAYS was put into was weak because they never changed the bulbs so I could go for a much longer time earlier on. A couple weeks ago I went and they put me in the other bed and I got totally fried. It sucked bad. A real tanning establishment should be much better than this and be able to give good advice on your times based on what bed (they should know when the bulbs were changed - newer bulbs are stronger, go less time).
Since you already bought the lotion you might as well give it a try. All the ones I have used have distinctive smells, sort of sweet, that will stick around until you shower. You’ll still smell sort of like them anyway regardless of whether you use any or not because that smell seems to soak into the acrylics on the beds.
If you just go slow and take care of your skin with lotion I think you will be fine. I only go tanning to get a base too or like recently when I went for a couple weeks because I had to wear a dress in January and did not want to look too ghostly.
Thanks… I just bought a 6 dollar packet good for two uses. I really resent the “now buy our fancy dancy goo” it felt like a hair salon where they push you to buy “product”. If drugstore shampoo was as bad as they say everyone’s hair would have fallen out years ago. So I think I will run with my sample pack and then go back to Aveno. Or Jergens.
I started at 4 minutes in the bed today. I don’t want to be dark, (I probably can’t GET DARK) I just don’t want to turn lobster red on the first day and not enjoy the rest of my trip.
I used to tan a lot, and although the lotion prices were scary, I realized I saved money, and theoretically, my skin, because I was able to get the same color with less time in the beds when I used the lotion. I found it really did make a difference in how dark I got. Now that you can get the stuff online, I would say definitely do that. I don’t know that it matters what kind you get as long as you get some sort of accelerator made for use in a tanning bed. If your skin is sensitive, definitely don’t get the “tingly” kind – I forget what they call it – but it gave me a weird reaction IIRC. I second the goggles thing but if you don’t tan very well the line on the bridge of your nose might not be visible anyway. If you want to be sure to avoid the line on the bridge of your nose, you can get “Wink-Ease” which are the little stickers that make a cone over each eye instead of goggles. Good luck.
If you are that fair-skinned, my un-fun advice is to wear and reapply an SPF 30 or above sunscreen every couple hours or so while you’re exposed. You’re still going to get some color. A “base tan” doesn’t protect you from sunburn. And if you’re as fair-skinned as I am, tanning beds should scare the crap out of you; I can burn within half an hour in just regular ol’ summer sun.
Friends of mine use the “tanning accelerator” lotions b/c apparently it magnifies UV rays, so that you burn/tan quicker. If you’re as fair-skinned as you say, you certainly don’t need any help in that department, and most reputable tanning salons shouldn’t let you be in the tanning bed for more than 5 or 7 minutes your first time.
Tanning accelerators contain chemicals that (supposedly) increase the rate of melanin production in response to a given level of UV. They don’t “magnify UV rays”; in fact, I’m pretty sure that’s impossible.
“Some tanning accelerator lotions do contain tyrosine. You can be sure they’ll advertise it if they do - an amino acid that’s essential to melanization (darkening) of the skin. But, melanization is an internal process and spreading lotion on the skin’s surface does nothing to fuel it. (bolding added) Similar logic would have us trying to rub food through our pores to satisfy hunger. (Matarasso) Manufacturer’s claims for the efficacy of tan accelerators remain unproven; a recent, independent study of these products failed to demonstrate any augmentation of tanning. Indeed it is doubtful that sufficient amounts of tyrosine can penetrate to the level of the skin where it could enhance melanin production.”
Unless the seller(s) of these high-priced products can demonstrate quality clinical studies showing they work, they’re a scam.
And as noted, a “base tan” doesn’t protect you from long-term hazards associated with excess sun exposure, such as premature aging and skin cancers.