How to Tan With Fair Skin

Tanning with fair skin can be tricky. But, having fair skin does not mean that a gorgeous tan is out of your reach. People with fair or pale skin can still benefit from the tanning bulbs. Just follow these tips for the best ways to safely tan if you have fair skin.

Tanning can affect different types of skin differently. Skin types are classified into six different categories, labeled I-VI. If you have the lightest type of skin, you are a type I skin type. This means that your skin type is most prone to burning while tanning.  There are some precautions you can take to avoid the burning.

• As strange as it may sound, showering before you tan can make a big difference. This is because perfumes and makeup can cause your skin to be more prone to burning.  
• Apply a sunscreen that contains an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least twenty to thirty. This helps the skin to tan without burning.
• Be certain to keep your fair skin moisturized. Purchase salon quality moisturizers which are specifically designed for indoor tanning. Apply the moisturizer before and after tanning sessions. Such formulas are specially intended to help skin remain healthy while tanning indoors. 
• Don't use tanning lotion when outside. These lotions are created for indoor tanning beds, which do not emit dangerous UVC rays. 
• Consider all areas of your exposed skin. Wearing a lip balm to protect against UV rays is a smart idea. This will keep your lips from being overexposed. Along with this, you should wear protective goggles every time you tan.
• Tanning fair skin is best done, initially, in very short time spans. This way, you are able to see how your skin will react. Then, you can increase your tanning times a little bit at a time, building up to your maximum session time. Stay patient and complete this process over a long period of time. 
• Between sessions, allow 24 to 72 hours to pass. Your tan develops over time. Try not to give in to the temptation to rush the process. 
• If tanning nude, during the first three or four sessions you should tan your sensitive body areas for only half the amount of time. 
• If you experience any skin problems such as a rash or itchiness after tanning, you should consult a physician.

Getting Rid of a Fake Tan Easily

When you don't have access to a tanning salon or tanning bulbs, sometimes the best option for getting a golden glow is sunless tanning lotion. Sunless tanners come with inherent issues though. If you aren’t careful you can turn more orange than tan and sunless tanners are known to streak. Should you find yourself with a bad sunless tan, fear not however, as there are some simple ways to getting yourself looking good once more with minimal effort!

1. Remove a poorly applied self tanner is to exfoliate your skin. The exfoliation process is one in which you remove the dead skin cells. Since your top layer of skin is the one that was affected by the sunless tanner application, you can remove much of the lotion along with the dead skin. Look for something that will give you a good, deep exfoliation - a nylon puff won't do in this case!
2. Make certain you follow up with a moisturizer to prevent your skin from drying out.
3. Shaving will also help remove some of the tanning lotion. Scraping the razor across your skin removes that top layer of skin and some of the tanning lotion.
4. Spend some time soaking in a hot soapy bathtub. Sure you can take a shower, but soaking in a tub of hot water eats away at the self tanning lotion. If you follow the soak up with a round of exfoliating, you can more easily remove the tanning lotion. 
5. Mineral oil wreaks havoc on self tanning lotion as it breaks down the colors in the lotion and quickly fades it out. Put the mineral oil on a clean washcloth, rub it in and then use your loofah or nylon scrubber to remove it.
6. Fresh lemon will also fade the dyes from a self tanner and help it go away more quickly. You can use lemon by simply rubbing it right onto the affected area. Because lemon has a natural bleaching agent, it will break down the tanning lotion and get your skin tanner free. 
7. Pick up a self-tanning lotion remover from your local department store. These are lotions specifically made to remove the incorrectly applied tanner.

How to Clean Tanning Bulbs

Owning a tanning bed means you will have to set aside time to remove the acrylics and bulbs occasionally to clean them of dirt and dust and dead skin cells. Whether you have a tanning salon or a tanning bed at home, it should be a monthly task that you set aside time for to remove the acrylics and the bulbs and clean it all thoroughly. If dust builds up you won’t tan as quickly or as evenly as you did before they got dirty. While it may seem that because you’re not tanning as quickly you might need to replace the bulbs, that is a mistaken belief. Many times as they might just need a thorough cleaning!

Tanning bulbs gather dead skin, dirt and dust and it accumulates on the tanning bulb and doesn’t allow for the UV rays to get through and causes your tan to take longer to build up and could also tan you unevenly. Take time on a monthly basis to clean off the bulbs. It will take an hour or so and you may want to recruit some help but it will help extend the life of your bulbs.

The first step in cleaning the bulbs is to remove the clear acrylic panels and set them aside. Read the instructions that came with your bed to find how to properly remove the panels. Lay down a clean sheet and then remove the tanning bulbs and lay them on the sheet. Never stand the bulbs on end as they can easily break.

Caution should be used at all times when handling the bulbs because you don’t want to break the filaments or the bulbs themselves.  Wrap the bulbs in a clean, dry cloth and pull the cloth from top to bottom of the bulb to gently remove all of the dust. After you’ve cleaned the bulb, set it aside onto a clean sheet so it doesn’t pick up the dust from the sheet. Using a clean cloth for each bulb should be the plan so you don’t transfer any dust from one bulb to another.

Replace the bulbs gently back into the bed with the second person helping you ease them back into the bed without bumping into another bulb or the edge of the bed itself. Once all of the bulbs have been replaced, place the thoroughly cleaned acrylic panels back into the tanning bed and you should be ready to go. 

Preparing for a the Tanning Salon Visit

Making your first trip to a tanning salon? Don't make the usual rookie mistakes! There are a few things you can do to get yourself and your skin ready for a session under the tanning bulbs and on your way toward a sun-kissed tan. The time you spend preparing for your trip to the salon will enhance the tan you receive afterwards. So do it right and reap the rewards.

First, if you’re on any antibiotics or other drugs, know they can negatively affect your skin and cause photosensitivity, regardless of the limited amount of time spent under the tanning bulbs. Check with your doctor before you head to a tanning to see if any medicine you’re on can cause side effects when exposed to UV rays.

Make certain your skin is prepared to fully benefit from the tanning bulbs. The way to do this is to have spent some time – days or even weeks if you have time – moisturizing your skin.

Also, exfoliate the day before you tan to get rid of all of the dead skin cells. You can use exfoliating creams and/or bath puffs to scrape off the dead skin cells. Make certain your exfoliation process is a gentle one though as you don’t want your skin to be raw or irritated. In truth, you should be moisturizing daily and exfoliating at least every other day as these processes keep your skin healthy and smooth year round.

You should definitely make sure you’re using a moisturizer the day of your tanning salon visit. Make certain the lotion doesn’t contain any sunscreen and the day of your visit you will want to avoid any kind of astringents or any products that contain alcohol (these will dry out your skin and make it harder to tan properly).

When you go the tanning salon, ask the person who works there how many sessions they think you will need to achieve the level of tan you want. You will want to space out your visits so that you get your tan gradually. If you’re planning to go on a vacation, it’s best to start your tanning sessions at least a month prior to the trip. For individuals with hard-to-tan skin, you may want to look at beginning your tanning two months prior to your vacation.

Time spent in a tanning salon can lead to a nice even tan – the kind you rarely get from lounging on a raft poolside. Having a base tan can also prevent you from getting a burn while on your vacation. So consider time under the tanning bulbs one more to-do item before that vacation, or simply give yourself that boost that comes with knowing your skin is glowing and golden.

How to Extend Your Summer Glow

It’s been a long summer, and now that you finally have that perfect golden glow, it’s time for scarves and sweaters! Just because it is autumn, however, doesn’t mean you can’t make your tan last as long as you can. Several products are on the market to help you extend your bronzed skin, and with a few tips to remember, you too can keep your skin glowing.

The first step is to be sure to keep your skin healthy and cared for. Tan responsibly, provide your skin with the essential nutrition it needs, and be sure to hydrate! Your skin is your body’s largest organ, and the condition of your skin is an important part to your general nutrition and health. That is why hydrated skin tans faster and holds a tan longer, which is why moisturizing with tanning lotions (specifically formulated for these reasons) can increase your results under the tanning bulbs by as much as sixty percent.

When choosing a tanning lotion, look for key ingredients, such as CoQ10, green tea extract, and hemp seed oil. These will help keep your skin hydrated! To get faster tanning results, choose a lotion with an accelerator, as these lotions are designed to increase the tanning potential of your skin by delivering necessary nutrients and vitamins to your skin.

Be sure your lotion has oils to help hydrate and condition as well as vitamins, particularly A and E. All of these are essential to help your skin be conditioned and hydrated and, in turn, will help prolong the life of your tan. Vitamin C, in particular, is important for this because it is an antioxidant that repairs and reduces UV damage caused by tanning bulbs or natural sunlight. Herbal extracts are also important as they’ll protect the skin from forming lines and wrinkles while providing antioxidants to attack free radicals.

           

Be sure you are using such products along with tanning to help extend that glow naturally into the fall. Choose products containing caramel, hennal, cocoa extracts, and walnuts to help boost your tan, and also look for one with the nutrients your skin needs.

How to Choose the Best Moisturizer

For those who spend copious amounts of time under tanning bulbs or in the sun, applying moisturizer is a way of life. And indeed it doesn’t matter what the weather is – summer or winter – your skin needs to be moisturized year-round. But what is the secret to finding the perfect moisturizer for your skin care routine? It all comes down to knowing your skin type.

Different types of skin have different types of needs when it comes to being moisturized. You will need to check the the bottles when shopping to be sure you are avoiding certain additives, depending on what skin type you are. Here are a few basic guidelines to follow when shopping, though remember, everyone's skin is different!

For those with dry skin you may want to apply a hydrating serum then follow that with a moisturizing lotion or cream.

Oily skinned folks will want a lighter weight, oil-free moisturizer. Don’t buy into the myth that oily skin doesn’t require moisturizers. If you have an oily face, you may end up producing even more oil as a way for your skin to compensate for unbalanced hydration.

Ingredients count when you’re purchasing a moisturizer! Look for ones that have few ingredients. Remember that the higher concentration of ingredients are listed first; water is an important hydrator and if you want your moisturizer to do its job it needs to have a high concentration of water. After water, your moisturizer needs to be full of ingredients that add moisturizing boosting benefits, such things as: aloe, olive or jojoba oil and shea butter. To prevent any kind of skin irritation look for a moisturizer that is non-comedogenic (this means it won’t clog your pores) and for one that is fragrance free.

Just as you change your wardrobe with the seasons, you will want to change your moisturizer and skin care routine with the change in weather. In the winter, go with a heavier moisturizer as the cold air and low humidity zaps your skins’ moisture even more than the summer heat. In the summer, lighten it up and look for oil-free formulas.

Keeping your skin moisturized not only encourages health but can also make your tan last longer as well. So set into winter with hydrated, healthy skin!

Tips for Tanning Outside

While you may be used to tanning in a tanning bed or in a salon, often times people want to work on their tan outside, in the comfort of their own home. Though this method can be easy, there are some tips to keep in mind because getting a healthy, golden tan is more than just lying around on the lounge poolside. Below are some helpful tips that will help your outside tanning session go smoothly!

You need to know your skin type and just how long it takes you to tan before you become burned. If you know your skin type then it’s easy to plan the amount of time you need to take to bronze up.

When you’re tanning in your backyard you will want to apply sun tan lotion. It sounds counter productive, but sun tan lotion will prevent you from getting a sunburn. You may not tan as fast with the application of sun tan lotion but you will tan without fear of burning and skin damage. Remember, burned skin can lead to skin damage and will also prematurely age you. Regardless of your skin type, you should apply a tanning lotion that offers at least a 15 sun protection factor – higher if you have fair skin that burns easily.

Find out the best time of day to do your tanning. What part of the day it is will depend on the area of the country in which you live. In some areas in the east, the sun is at its peak around noon, some areas to the west don’t hit peak sun until late afternoon. Knowing when the sun is at its peak will let you reap the full benefits of its rays.

Once you’re done in the sun you will want to shower off the sun tan lotion and liberally apply moisturizer. If your skin is dried out, it will produce less melanin and this will make it harder for your skin to produce a tan. If you keep your skin moisturized from the outside with lotion as well as from the inside by drinking plenty of water, your skin will be glowing with your tan.

So next time you head out from under the tanning lamps and toward the sun, remember these tips to make sure your skin is golden and not red by the end of the session!