Tanning Tips

We have been helping our customers get great results for 25 years by providing a clean, comfortable environment and educating people about responsible sun exposure.  Here are some tips to make your experience the best possible:

• Don’t burn!!!  While we all want instant results, overexposure is bad for your skin, especially if you have not had recent UV exposure (and don’t forget areas usually covered by clothing).  Tanning is a gradual process, UVB light stimulates your melanocyte cells to produce melanin and UVA light causes the melanin to darken.  Gradual exposure is the key to great results without burning.  A sunburn damages your skin and delays the tanning process as your skin heals.

• Use eye protection!  Goggles or wink-ease block UV light from entering your eyes.  Your eyelids are only thick enough to block approximately 25% of the UV light.  You can test this by looking at a bright light, closing your eyes and waving your hand in front of your face.  You will see the shadow pass by even with your eyes closed.  This means the light is penetrating to the back of your eyes for processing and communicating with your optic nerve.  UV exposure whether from sunlight or tanning units gradually damages your eyes risking color blindness, loss of night vision, cataracts and other problems.  It is always recommended that you protect your eyes with sunglasses when outdoors and goggles when tanning.

• Moisturize!  Healthy, moist skin will tan much better than dry skin.  We offer a myriad of lotions to assist in developing your tan but if you don’t use our professional products, use your favorite lotion at home.  The best times to moisturize are before bed and immediately after getting out of the shower.

• Soap:  Use a shower gel instead of bar soap.  Shower gels have a lower Ph and are much less drying to your skin.

• Read the label!  Your favorite moisturizing lotion may be preventing you from getting the tan you want.  Lots of daily moisturizing lotions include a SPF ingredient.  This is very common in facial moisturizers, if you are using a lotion that says “SPF XX” with the “XX” being a number ranging from 0 to 50+, the product will prevent you from tanning.  The same is often true of products labeled “outdoor tanning lotion” they often have a SPF and are detrimental when used indoors.

• Shower before, not after!  This tip is especially important when using professional tanning products for two reasons; first, your skin naturally and completely exfoliates over a one month process and there are 4 layers involved in this process.  The top layer of skin is the one that tans and will exfoliate every 7-10 days.  To get the longest lasting results, you should start tanning the newest layer of skin possible.  You can do this by exfoliating in the shower with a luffa sponge or similar product or even use a homemade sugar scrub made with table sugar and olive oil.  Second, when using indoor tanning products, the longer you can leave them on, the better.  Professional products are designed to provide the maximum amount of moisture and ingredients your skin needs to tan and stay healthy.  Let them work by leaving them on, especially when using a bronzing product as the ingredients need 4-6 hours interact with the amino acids in your skin.

• Shaving!  Be sure to shave before you tan.  Shaving exfoliates the skin and removes some of your tanning results.  Shaving before you tan ensures you won’t end up removing the results you are trying to achieve.

• Where the sun don’t shine!  Areas of your body that don’t usually (or ever) get exposure to the sun will be much more sensitive when starting the tanning process.  The melanocyte cells in these areas of your body go into a “dormant” state because they are rarely called upon to perform their function.  While you are certainly welcome to tan in the nude, use caution during your first few sessions by wearing your undergarments or a swim suit and gradually increasing the exposure of those areas of your body over 3 or more sessions.  Sunburns in these areas of your body can be very uncomfortable.

• Don’t ruin your vacation!  Trust us…..despite your best intentions and the liberal use of sunscreen, it will wash off, you will miss a spot, you will forget to put it on or to reapply it.  We live in Vermont and the sun is not strong enough during the winter months to produce tanning results.  The strength of the the sun increases as you get closer to the equator – where many vacation destinations are located.  The increased strength in these areas are far greater than even our peak summer sun in Vermont.  This is because the light from the sun has a shorter distance to travel.  In addition to the increased strength, the reflection caused by beach sand, pools and ocean water further increases your exposure.  A base tan can provide a natural SPF (sun protection factor) of 6-8 giving you a level of insurance you won’t be a victim of a serious sunburn that can ruin your trip.