Winter has come to an end. The sun is shining, and you’re sick of seeing your pale complexion every time you look in the mirror. It’s time to bake under the sky’s great heat lamp till your white skin turns a golden-brown tan. The only issue is that getting a good tan can take weeks. However, as a quick alternative to spending hours in the sun, you may have considered tanning lotion. Is it true, though, that slathering on some lotion and staying indoors works?
Tanning lotions, often known as sunless tanners, are designed to give consumers a tanned appearance without exposing them to the sun’s radiation. But exactly what do these lotions do to your skin to give it that glow? Dihydroxyacetone, or DHA, is the most common tanning lotion ingredient. It’s just a colour additive that combines with the amino acids in the skin’s surface to darken it.
Do you know that utilising sunbed creams can help you achieve a darker, longer-lasting tan? That is correct. Sunbed creams, often known as tanning lotions, are specially formulated treatments that help to enhance and speed up the tanning process. Ingredients that keep your skin moist can be found in sunbed creams. Amino acids like L-Tyrosine, natural oils, and a variety of vitamins are examples of such components. It’s common knowledge that moist skin tans better than dry skin because it absorbs more UV rays. UV light causes the production of melanin, which causes the dark colour on your skin. Sunbed lotions with bronze or tingling effects increase the production of melanin even more, giving you an instant colour.
Furthermore, research has revealed that the sun and UV rays are among the leading causes of skin ageing. Sunbed creams and lotions containing vitamins, particularly Vitamin E, can help to reduce the ageing effects of UV rays and keep your skin looking young.
Certain oils in tanning creams may help in the absorption of additional UV radiation. This causes your body to produce more melanin, the pigment that gives you a tan, which speeds up the tanning process. These creams, unfortunately, aren’t really safe. When spending time in the sun, use a lotion that shields you from dangerous UV radiation rather than one that aids in their absorption. If you do decide to use a sunless tanner, make sure to read the label to determine if it has sunscreen components and an SPF.
Different types of sunbed creams and tanning lotions
Many of you may be unsure about what type of sunbed cream to use or how to select the best product for your skin. You may find yourself wondering, “Which sunbed cream is right for me?” On the market, there are a plethora of sunbed creams and lotions to choose from. To begin with, sunbed creams are divided into categories such as Accelerators, Bronzers, Coolers, and Tingly Lotions, each of which serves a particular purpose.
Sunbed accelerator creams
Accelerators are sunbed creams that are primarily moisturising and conditioning, keeping your skin hydrated and smooth while also preventing it from drying out. Keeping your skin moisturised allows you to tan more quickly, avoid dryness and exfoliation, and keep your tan for longer. Before and after each tanning session, natural tan accelerators can be employed. We recommend starting with an accelerator/maximiser lotion if you’re new to tanning or have pale/sensitive skin. Most starter accelerators have powerful anti-aging ingredients like CoQ-10. Beginner accelerators are non-tingling and do not contain bronzers, making them ideal for establishing a foundation tan.
Coolers
Because of the heat created by UV radiation, you may feel uneasy on a sunbed at times. Cooling lotions provide a feeling of cooling and freshness, making your tanning experience more enjoyable. Cooling lotions are the polar opposite of tingles. Coolants are pleasant and provide a cooling effect. They also help you chill down more quickly after a sunbathing session. Exhilarating cooling chemicals in our coolants revitalise and soothe the skin for a wonderful tanning experience.
Bronzers
The bronzer is the next step up and the most popular type of tanning accelerator. The immediate and delayed bronzers are the two types of bronzers. Bronzers have the advantage of combining DHA and active chemicals to provide fast dark results and long-lasting colour, while also continuing to grow after a tanning session to deepen your tan. If you use bronzers, make sure you apply the cream evenly or you’ll get a spotty tan. Bronzers contain additional substances that give your skin an instant natural colour and improve the tanning process. With a bronzer, you’ll notice a difference after only one application.
There are two types of bronzer lotion/cream:
- Natural Bronzers—Rather than employing chemicals to give the face a bronze appearance, natural bronzers use plant-based substances to boost melanin synthesis and deepen the skin’s colour. These bronzers contain moisturisers to keep the skin appearing healthy and fresh in addition to imparting a natural glow. Because only natural components are employed, the impact lasts for only four days. Natural bronzers must be reapplied on a consistent and frequent basis.
- DHA Bronzers — DHA bronzers are a form of tanning bronzer that dyes the skin’s pigment. The primary component, dihydroxyacetone, causes dead skin cells to turn brown. A DHA bronzer can take several hours to take effect, and the tan typically only lasts a few days before those skin cells are lost.
Lotions with tingles
Tingle tanning creams get their name from the fact that they make your skin tingle. They contain substances that boost the creation of oxygen and melanin by stimulating blood circulation. Your skin will appear red, but this will diminish and your skin will become tanned in a shorter period of time. They’re typically used on difficult-to-tan areas like the legs. They should not be used on delicate regions of the body, such as the face. Apply a tingling lotion to a tiny area of your skin and notice how your skin reacts.
Benefits of using sunbed creams and tanning lotions
- The correct tanning lotion will help your skin achieve a natural, healthy glow by assisting the biological process of tanning.
- A tanning lotion will improve the intensity of your tan and allow you to obtain better results in less time.
- Moisturizers in indoor tanning lotions protect your skin, keep it hydrated, and help you look your best.
- Tanning lotions are relatively simple to use, which is why they are the favoured self-tanner of choice for individuals who want to do it themselves. This type of tanner is applied in the same way as conventional lotions and moisturisers are applied. Tanning lotions have a formula and texture similar to moisturisers, and are packed with chemicals that provide quick hydration, while their fast-acting composition and wide range of tones and hues make tanning lotions the most popular DIY sunless tanning alternative for individuals all over the world. In fact, the only significant difference between other types of body lotions/moisturizers and tanning lotions is that the latter contains DHA. DHA is the chemical that causes sunless (or synthetic) tans to appear. When DHA interacts with top-layer skin cells, it darkens the tone of your skin.
- Getting a natural tan by spending long periods of time in the sun might raise your risk of developing skin cancer, as well as cause other skin disorders and irreversible damage. This is why one of the key advantages of tanning lotion over normal sun tanning is its safety. Additionally, while prolonged contact to the sun can trigger early indications of skin ageing, tanning creams can help you avoid wrinkles.
- Improved colour consistency. Applying tanning lotions correctly, especially high-quality ones, can ensure that your new tan is as even as possible and that the dreaded orange-y tint is avoided. New formulae and advances in the fake tanning industry ensure the most realistic tanning effects possible, which are often better and more consistent than natural sun tanning.
Our Best Sunbed Cream & Tanning Lotion Options
Here are our best recommendations for the best sunbed cream/ tanning lotion: