Tanning Bed Lotion: What's Best for Your Skin?

Over the years, indoor tanning beds have become popular choices for people seeking to tan their skin without direct exposure to the sun. As the popularity and convenience of tanning beds skyrocketed, so did the option to use a tanning bed lotion to enhance the deepness of an indoor tan’s color. Choosing the best tanning bed lotion for your skin will ensure you’re getting the best possible tanning bed experience while also keeping your skin healthy and safe.

How Do Tanning Bed Lotions Enhance Your Tanning Bed Experience?

Tanning bed lotions contain extra moisturizers. During tanning sessions, your skin can lose some of its natural moisturization, so choosing to apply a tanning bed lotion before your session is a great way to deliver an extra boost of hydration to your skin.

Special tanning bed lotions are also designed to help you spend less time in the tanning bed. Because they are formulated to help you tan quickly and evenly, you can see the same results with far less time under the tanning bed’s bulbs. This can reduce your chances of developing skin irritations or burns. It can also reduce your chances of developing an uneven tan.

Tanning bed lotions can help you stay comfortable during your tanning sessions. Some tanning bed lotions are formulated specifically to keep you cool and comfortable. Tanning beds can feel a little warm and claustrophobic during use. Some tanning bed lotions contain products that cause your skin to temporarily feel cool or tingly to reduce the feeling of being too hot while indoor tanning.

Some lotions also contain skin-healing and anti-aging compounds. Since exposure to UV light produced by the sun and tanning beds can lead to skin damage, tanning lotions with healing compounds can be a beneficial bonus to seek when shopping for a new lotion.

How Do I Choose the Right Tanning Bed Lotion for My Skin’s Needs?

First, you must consider the skin on your face differently from the rest of your body. The face’s skin is thinner than the skin on other parts of your body. In order to protect this delicate part of the skin from harmful UV rays, it is vital to choose a lotion for your body and a separate lotion specifically designed to be applied on your face. Not only will this protect your delicate facial skin, but it will also ensure you’re tanning your whole body evenly—nobody wants their face to be obviously darker or lighter than the rest of their skin!

Consider your skin type to determine what type of tanning bed lotion you should choose. For example, if you are fair-skinned, it is recommended that you choose a highly protective tanning bed lotion to avoid any burns or obvious uneven tanning.

There are other extras you can choose when seeking the right tanning bed lotion for your needs. For example, you can choose the cooling lotions to keep your skin feeling cool while you’re using the tanning bed.

Some people like to choose tanning bed lotions that feature blushers or bronzers. “Blushers” refers to a slightly red hue given right after a tanning session that is meant to mimic your skin’s appearance after a day spent by the pool or on the beach. “Bronzers” are popular choices because they contain docosahexaenoic acid (or DHA, for short). DHA allows the skin to continue tanning for a few hours after the tanning bed session ends. Some bronzer types don’t contain DHA but can still provide some immediate, temporary tanning effects after they’re applied to the skin.

It is common to follow a tanning bed session with a spray tan. If you choose to seek a spray tan after hitting the tanning bed, it is best to choose a “cocktail” tanning bed lotion. These lotions are often thinner than other formulas because they do not contain heavy silicon compounds. Cocktail tanning bed lotions are made this way so they can provide skin with strong protection while also making sure no residue remains on your skin afterward. Leaving a heavier, silicone-based lotion on your skin before getting a spray tan can cause the spray products to not stay on your skin well, resulting in an uneven appearance.

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