As most of you know,
I quit my big girl job and now work at a tanning salon.
I was working here part time anyway so it seemed fitting to just make it full time.
I love what I do & I love my clients.
I've tanned since I was 18.
I became a yearly tanner when I discovered it kept my eczema under control.
Much cheaper than a doctor. Some might say I'm addicted.
I call myself a tanorexic.
Yes, I'm aware of the pros and cons of tanning.
Yes, I know it can cause cancer.
Yes, I know ALL the bad things it can do.
I also know the good things it can do.
Like the happy boost I get from the Vitamin D.
A lot of friends and clients ask how I get/keep my tan.
So, I decided to write a little post about it.
First of all, there is no magic trick to being tan.
IT TAKES TIME AND EFFORT!
I cannot stress this enough.
Also, everyone tans differently.
For instance, I do not hold my tan well.
And that means I have to tan at least every other day once I've reached my desired color.
Other people can keep their tans much easier. You just have to know your body.
Burning does not make you tan.
You NEVER want to burn.
& you should not tan on top of a burn.
Being hot doesn't make you tan better.
I don't know where this came from but the temperature of the bed has nothing to do with how your skin reacts to the UV rays. So a hot bed is just that, a hot bed.
(That probably just needs better ventilation.)
Wear goggles! Protect your eyes!
20 minutes is the max you can tan by law in the US.
This is why tanning beds are better than the sun in my opinion.
You can control the amount of UV rays you are getting. You sure can't do that outside!
Based on your skin type you start at 5/6 minutes and go up 2/3 minutes every day after that you don't burn. I always suggest to tan every day until you get your base tan. (TIME) Otherwise, it's going to take you longer to get results. Don't tan once a week and expect to see results. I'm speaking to those attemtping to get a tan at this point. If you're already tan and trying to maintain then you need to learn what your body needs. In most cases, a tan person can maintain their tan with one visit a week in a high pressure (160-200w) bed.
If you don't have access to a stand up tanning bed then you should roll over halfway through your tanning session. This helps keep everything even. It may not be comfortable but it's what it takes. Sometimes I even have to lay on my side to get certain areas to catch up. (EFFORT)
Do not use the same bed all the time.
Although a salon has mulitple beds of the same pressure it does not mean they all react the same. Your skin can become adjusted to a certain bed if you only use it and you will likely hit a plateau. You may also switch it up inside the bed and put your head where you normally put your feet.
If you decide you want to tan your face, make sure it is clean before you get in the tanning bed. Your moisturizer and makeup most probably have SPF in them that will keep your face from tanning. Wish I had a quarter for every time someone complained to me (in full makeup) that their face wasn't getting tan. Tanning is also a great acne treatment.
Before I worked in a tanning salon I was really bad about not using lotion. Even at home.
I learned pretty quick why it was so hard to keep and maintain my tan back then.
Moist skin equals tan skin.
Put tanning lotion on before you tan, moisturizer when you get out of the tanning bed, and moisturizer after your bathe and as often as necessary if you have extra dry skin, like me. There are a million tanning lotions to choose from. I will show you my favorites.
Accelorator:
Bronzer:
Tingle:
After Tanning:
Always check with your salon if you buy a lotion from an outside source. Some may contain ingredients that harm the acrylic and keep the UV rays from coming through which will keep you from getting tan.
Now go get you a tan!
