Tingle or Not?

Indoor Tanning Tips

Your Guide To A Fabulous Tan All Year Long

First Things First

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize
Ok ... Why? 

You'll Tan Faster, Get Darker, Your Tanning Lotions will Work Better, You're Skin will Be Healthier, Help with Peeling & Flaking, Adds Vitamins to your Skin and System, Helps Keep Away Wrinkles, Dryness and More.

How do Moisturizer's help you to tan faster, more efficiently and make your tanning lotions work better for a more complete tan? Moist skin is healthier skin, and healthier skin tans better and more evenly.
Moisturizing on a constant continual basis will soften the horny layer of your skin (epidermus) which allows for easier and better penetration of UVA & UVB rays to be absorbed by the melanin in your skin. Your tanning lotions when applied to a well moisturized skin area will seep down into your skin layers working more efficiently, increasing your tanning.
Moisturizing also adds vitamins, as most tanning lotions do. Lotions are  enriched with vitamins and supplements to help rejuvenate and balance the skin.
It is now believed that topical application of antioxidants (vitamins) is the most effective way to reap their benefits. We are still learning a lot about the benefits of vitamins when applied directly to the skin. Lotion manufacturers have discovered that vitamin C and E have the ability to neutralize free radicals and fight the environmental damage that typically occurs to the skin.
To ensure maximum absorption and benefits, most manufacturers now use a stable form of vitamin C to which plant extracts are added and other antioxidants to stabilize, support and aid the penetration of  vitamin C. Additionally, vitamin E seems to be effective in blocking sunburn reactions. In recent studies, vitamin E was shown to block sunburn reactions even when applied eight hours after exposure.
The reduced barrier function of the skin due to dryness can allow a variety of external pollutants to penetrate the skin. These pollutants can deplete the antioxidant system of the skin, making the skin more susceptible to oxidative damage. Vitamins may reduce or, in some cases, eliminate this damage. Moisture is critical to good skincare because it's necessary to maintain a barrier and creates a flexible, pliable skin that is soft to the touch. Be sure to use a liberal amount of moisturizers and one designed for the special needs required by indoor tanners. 

*(I can't emphasize enough the importance to using a high quality
brand of moisturizer such as the following products)*

       California Helioderm- Australian Gold Moisture Lock, Overnight,
         or Vitamin-Swedish Beauty Celestial Satan, Tan Extender System 

To understand this we first need to know a little about skin anatomy. Let's  take a few minutes and review the structure and function of the epidermis along with the origins of skin color. Although the skin is less complex than most other organs, it covers the entire body and accounts for about 7 percent of our total weight, making it the largest organ. It has been estimated that every square centimeter of the skin contains 70cm of blood vessels, 55cm of nerves, 100 sweat glands, 15 oil glands, 230 sensory receptors and about 500,000 cells that are constantly dying and being replaced. The epidermis is the outer and visible layer of the skin. It contains four distinct types of cells-- keratinocytes, melanocytes, merkel cells and langerhans cells and two layers.  The Germinative Layer (sometimes known as the "living" epidermis) and the Horny Layer (sometimes known as the "dead" epidermis) When exposed to "ultraviolet light" melanocytes in the germinative layer produce melanin which is absorbed by the surrounding cells. This creates a protective barrier from ultraviolet light reaching deeper, more sensitive layers of the skin.  Thus the whole tanning process is the body's own natural defense against sunburn and skin damage.

Three pigments contribute to skin color--melanin, carotene and hemoglobin. 
Melanin, the most important pigment, is made from an amino acid called 
tyrosine. Melanin ranges in color from yellow to red to brown to black. Its production depends on an enzyme in melanocytes called tyrosinase. 
Carotene is a yellow to orange pigment resulting from certain plant products, such as carrots. The pink tone of Caucasian skin reflects the crimson color of oxygenated hemoglobin in the capillaries of the dermis, or middle layer of skin. 

Ultraviolet light, whether produced by the sun or an indoor tanning unit, consists of two main components. UVA & UVB, both of which contribute differently to your tan.

**Indoor Tanning Equipment utilizes a carefully formulated and controlled mixture of the two light waves, designed to tan you with a minimum of risk of sunburn.  Outdoor tanning does not give you this control, because the sun emits the entire spectrum of ultraviolet light, including the most intense rays that burn you more quickly.  
That's why we call Indoor Tanning "Smart Tanning"!**

Cells called melanocytes. When exposed to ultraviolet B light (short wave ultraviolet), melanocytes produce melanin-the pigment which is ultimately responsible for your tan. The pinkish melanin travels up through the epidermis and is absorbed by other skin cells. When exposed to ultraviolet A light (longer wave), the melanin oxidizes or darkens.  

UVA the longer ray penetrates the skin more deeply & slowly than UVB. The Melanin in your skin absorbs the UVA rays, turning the pigment brown.
UVB rays are short, intense waves of energy stimulating melanocytes in your skin to produce the pigment we call melanin.