Tanning salons provide us with the ability to get sunshine even in the colder months. Tanning salons provide their own approved tanning products, most of which are SPF 8 or lower. SPF prevents ultra-violet rays from reaching the skin, so using a high SPF in a tanning bed, defeats the purpose of using the tanning bed.
Tanning
Talk to your tanning salon operator about tanning lotions provided. Often, the salon will have several options for tanning lotions. Most of these lotions promote a darker tan and they usually do not contain SPF. Or they have a low amount of SPF. SPF is what prevents your skin from burning in direct sunlight. But, usually people who use a tanning bed, want to become tan, so they do not want to use an SPF.
Purchase a tanning lotion with SPF. If you want to use a sunscreen, which has SPF, to prevent burning in a tanning bed, there are several recommended for tanning beds. Often face sunscreens are most desired to use in the tanning bed. These can contain up to SPF 30, but it is recommended to use a lower SPF of 10 or 15, to allow some sunlight to reach your skin in the tanning bed. Tanning bed lamps use more ultra-violet rays than true sunshine, so your tanning process may differ from what you are used to in real sunlight.
Do not use tanning oils that you would use in regular sunlight. Look for products that specifically say they can be used in tanning beds, like Hawaiian Tropic.
Tips
Try several different tanning lotions to determine which you prefer. If your skin is prone to acne breakouts, be sure your tanning products states that it will not clog pores.
Warning
If you have a fair skin type, be very careful to only tan for short periods of time, so that you do not burn. Getting sunburn in a tanning bed creates the same cancer concerns that burning in real sunlight creates.
