Most people go to a tanning salon or lay outside for one simple reason, they want to be dark! There are many more things you need to do in order to achieve the darkest tan of your life other than simply buying the latest trendy lotion. Tanning should be thought of as a process, not just a 20 minute excursion a few times a week. It’s vitally important to take good care of your skin all day long if you want to get and keep your dream tan.
Step 1 – Tanning Lotion
The first step is to pick out a high-quality tanning lotion with great acceleration and moisturization as well as a variety of skin care ingredients. Look for ingredients such as L-Tyrosine and Unipertan and apply lotion shortly before tanning. If you want instant color while you build your base tan, use a lotion with good bronzers.
There are many tanning lotions on the market, all claiming to be the best. You want to find a brand with a reputation for quality ingredients. Just because a brand is popular at any given time, doesn’t mean that it will deliver past the fancy packaging. Lots of products make a big splash when released but people don’t buy them twice.
Another aspect of the lotion that you want to pay attention to is the skin care ingredients such as Shea Butter, Hemp Seed Oil, Caffeine, Exotic Oils and many others that nurture and protect your skin while you tan. Read the descriptions and look for these ingredients.
Step 2 – Facial Tanning
Faces are harder to tan than the rest of the body. This is usually because faces are exposed to the sun more and therefore have more resistance to it. To solve this problem get an advanced facial tanning lotion with great skin care properties.
Step 3 – Leg Tanning
Legs can be harder to tan than the rest of you which can be frustrating. Just like your face, legs are exposed more often to the sun can have more resistance to tanning. A leg bronzer can give your legs a boost in color and help to balance out your tan as well as keep them soft and smooth and moisturized.
Step 7 – Lips & Sensitive Areas
Lips, nipples and other sensitive areas do not have melanin and therefore do not tan. It’s best to protect and moisturize these areas with a good spf lip balm while tanning or out in the sun. There are several brands on the market that not only protect your lips but also keep them soft and supple.
Step 4 – Eye Protection
Along with avoiding overexposure, eye protection is extremely important when you are tanning. You must wear tanning eyewear when tanning because the damage done to your eyes from tanning without eyewear is cumulative over time and irreversible. Sunglasses or closing your eyes will not protect eyes from UV penetration.
Most people don’t realize the damage they may be doing until they have vision problems such as night blindness, color blindness or start getting cataracts at a young age. If you are worried about “racoon eyes,” try a different brand of goggles. Some are slimmer than others and contour to the shape of your eyes. I recommend Sunnies Evo goggles which are flexible and comfortable. Alternatively, you can use disposable tanning eyewear that stick to your eyelids when you tan.
Step 5 – Tan Maintenance
The next step is to find a high-quality daily moisturizer for tanners. These typically contain L-Tyrosine, Vitamins & Anti-oxidants. Use after tanning, bathing and even at night before bed in order to promote healthy skin and increased melanin production.
One very good way to boost your tan is to take tan enhancer pills daily. These either 100% L-Tyrosine or a combination with anti-oxidants to promote healthy skin and dramatically boost your tan. Take these daily as directed and watch the dramatic results.
Step 6 – Gentle Cleanser
Another very important part of tan maintenance is to use a gentle cleanser when bathing. Soaps can be harsh and drying to your skin and can dramatically reduce the life of your tan. Use a shower gel or body wash that is gentle and soothing.
Step 8 – Measuring Your Tan
Have you ever looked in the mirror and felt that you just weren’t getting any darker? Tans are hardest to see on ourselves so it’s important to have a way to measure your progress. One of the best ways to do this is with tanning stickers applied in the same spot every time you tan. You will see the results with your own eyes and be much more satisfied with your tan.
Remember, healthy skin tans best!