Frequently Asked Questions...
What is the benefit of using lotion in the tanning bed?
The most important reason for using a tanning lotion is that it replaces the depleted moisture that your skin loses during the tanning process. Dry skin reflects UV light, so if you are not using an indoor tanning lotion, you can be wasting up to 50% of your tanning session.
Think of it this way, dry skin is what color? It is white. What does the color white do to light? It reflects it. If you have white skin you will actually reflect a certain percentage of the UV light. Just by applying lotion, you will increase your tanning potential.
What is a bronzer and why is it beneficial in a tanning lotion?
In recent years there has been a craze in the tanning industry. This craze is the amount of lotions now being sold that contain bronzers. It is not uncommon for a tanning lotion to contain 4 or 5 high end bronzer ingredients. Using lotions that contain a bronzer is a way to get better results from your tanning experience and to greatly increase the length of your tan.
There are three main types of bronzers. Each gives a slightly different result. Below is a brief description of all three.
• DHA Bronzers – These do not need any light to produce a tan. DHA bronzers are known as self-tanners. These bronzers work by reacting with certain proteins on the surface layer of the skin. Some of our lotion products contain low levels of DHA bronzers, which can help extend your tan to seven to ten days.
• Cosmetic Bronzers- Cosmetic bronzers give you immediate results, allowing you to achieve a dark brown color directly
after tanning.
• Low-maintenance Bronzers – These are the newest and most advanced addition to the bronzer family. Low maintenance bronzers have the ability to not to stain or streak because of a certain mix of ingredients that give them this property. Low maintenance bronzers do not give the immediate results of the two listed above, but it does keep your tan looking golden.
What is a Tingle lotion?
Tingle is an ingredient added to lotion, usually niacin or Vitamin B, that can help clients achieve quicker and darker results than if they just used a regular lotion. The ingredients in a tingle lotion increase the microcirculation and oxidation of blood in the surface layers of the skin. Blood also carries melanin to the surface of the skin. Since your skin needs oxygen to tan and the activation of melanin is what is needed to maximize that tan, the more melanin at the surface of the skin, the darker you will get.
Since niacin causes a slight flushing effect at the surface layer of the skin, you can get a slight to moderate “tingle” or warming sensation. This feeling is completely harmless and will start to dissipate soon after your session is over.
I’m not into all the fancy bronzers, tingles, etc…Will I still see a benefit if I just use a tanning accelerator?
Absolutely! Miss Vivian's Tanning Parlor carries several products that are just tan accelerators. Accelerators help super hydrate your skin, in turn causing your skin to absorb increased amounts of UV light. This lets you get the absolute most out of the tanning session you just purchased. All of our products also contain vitamins and nutrients to keep your skin as healthy as can be.
What is the best way to extend the length of my tan?
Keep you skin healthy!! How do you do that? Keep it moisturized – constantly. Using a high-end lotion that is specifically formulated with hydrating and skin-repairing ingredients is essential for proper skin care and to help achieve a healthier-looking, longer lasting tan.
Moisturizers should be applied after each shower, after tanning, and any time during the day you feel your skin is dry. By simply keeping your skin moisturized you can nearly double the length of your tan and keep your skin looking younger for years to come.
Miss Vivian's Tanning Parlor carries a full line of inexpensive, high quality skin moisturizers, specifically engineered for the indoor tanner.
Can’t I save money by just buying one of the cheap “drugstore” brand lotions?
Keep in mind, all of our lotions are specially formulated and engineered specifically for the indoor tanning industry by companies that spend millions of dollars annually on research. All of our product lines contain high end ingredients that include active vitamins, minerals and nutrients to keep the skin as healthy and moisturized as possible, thus maximizing your tanning potential. Cheap, store brands do not contain these ingredients. In fact, many “drugstore” lotions actually contain alcohol in them, which will dry the skin and actually hinder the tanning process.
I’ve heard I can save a few dollars by buying lotion online,is there any truth to that?
As with any product you buy online, the only advice we can give is caveat emptor, let the buyer beware!! There is not one single company in the entire United States that is licensed to sell any of the products and lotion lines we carry anywhere other than in a tanning salon.
So where are the online products coming from? Many products online are actually counterfeits. Yes, just like fake watches and designer handbags, they actually counterfeit tanning lotion now. Others are coming from individuals that are buying them in a salon, using the product, and filling the bottle back up with some cheap store bought lotion and selling them online. Others have reported paying for the product, and never actually receiving it.
Since high end lotions have active ingredients such as the biosaccarides and vitamins and minerals, they do have an expiration date. There have been reports that many lotions showing up on the internet are expired products, which can result in a foul odor and lack of effectiveness.