ETS Tanning Bed Blog

How to Get a Deeper Tan

If you’re a regular in the tanning beds, but aren’t getting any darker you may have hit what tanning professionals call a “tanning plateau.” You want to get a deeper tan, but it’s just not happening, so what do you do next?

Try a New Indoor Tanning Lotion

If you feel like you’ve hit your tanning plateau and you’re already using a good indoor lotion, then maybe it’s time to switch your product.

Think of it like changing your shampoo. You can use the best shampoo out there, but if you use it every day over and over again, eventually your hair will get used to it and go limp with residue build-up. You try a new shampoo and BAM – your hair’s looking great again. Tanning lotions act in a similar way.

So, if you’ve reached a tanning maximum and you’re already using a good lotion, then ask your salon staff for a new product recommendation or try upgrading to a better lotion. And if you’re not already using a good indoor lotion, then now is the time to start.

Everyone Has a Limit

At some point everybody will reach a tanning limit. A person can only get so dark and that level of darkness will depend on their skin type. So, yes, it’s possible to bump up your tan a little more with a new lotion or strategy, but it’s also possible to reach a maximum tanning level.

Enhance a Tan With Spray-On Tans

Some salons call it a cocktail, others call it the double-dip, but the traditional tanning bed session followed by a spray-on tanning session is a great way to enhance an existing tan. Because the pores are open from the tanning bed, the sunless spray-on gives you a deep, dark tan.

A tanning bed tan can actually be better and more exact than a sun tan achieved outside. Why? Because when you’re out in the sun, you can’t control how much ultraviolet (UV) light your skin is absorbing. However, when you opt for a tanning bed tan, you can actually regulate and control your UV exposure.

As a result, you can gradually increase your UV exposure over time in a controlled environment. This lets you take charge of your tan’s deepness while also minimizing the risk of burns. Here’s how:

Knowing Your UV Rays for a Better Tan

Tanning beds are designed, essentially, to imitate the sun. The sun emits three types of UV rays; UV-C, which is the most harmful; UV-B, which begins the tanning process; and UV-A, which completes the tanning process.

Oh, the bikini tan line – that dreaded tanning side effect that curses beach goers everywhere. So, how do you get rid of it or avoid it all together? You guessed it, by using indoor tanning beds.

The best way to avoid a bikini tan line is to tan indoors in the nude. Tanning salons are very secure, you can usually lock the door and they’re also very hygienic. Most people tan in the nude, the salons expect it and they provide towels and sometimes robes for your comfort. Also, a salon is required to sanitize tanning beds after every use, so they’re clean.

Safe Indoor Tanning

Here they are, my picks for the top 10 tanning bed lotions of 2009:

10. Soy Dark

Made from an almost all-natural (95% Paraben-free) formula, Soy Dark is refreshing and pure. The list of botanical ingredients includes camu camu fruit, aloe, honey, soy and hemp seed oil – all combined to rejuvenate the skin and boost tyrosinase and melanin.

9. Henna Sent

Henna Sent is another 95% Paraben-free bronzer that features extracts of black tea leaf, banana, henna and DHA. This almost all-natural product also includes honey, soy and hemp seed oil – all of which nourish and moisturize the skin.

8. Bronze Voyage

Bronzy Voyage is an extremely popular, entry-level natural bronzer. It has a classical tropical scent and acts as a moisturizer, tanning lotion and a bronzer. It’s like an all-in-one introduction to the world of tanning lotions.

I’m often asked about the proper way to tan. My answer? In a tanning bed!

Seriously though, if you’re tanning at a good salon, they will walk you back to your tanning room and show you exactly how everything on the tanning beds works – the timing system, the radio, the fans, everything.

Or, if you’re tanning on a home system, a good retailer (like ETS Tan) will teach you everything you need to know about your tanning bed from the regular maintenance to the proper way to tan in your system.

People often ask me how to get a darker tan and I always say the key is consistency, good tanning beds and going slow. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, tanning is a process. It’s not a race. You need to start your tanning off slow and build your initial tan up to a good base.

Build From the Base Up

Once you have that slowly built-up base, you can start to work on a rich, dark tan. Trust me, deep tans don’t come from single or occasional "power" sessions – they come from a consistent use of good tanning beds over a period of time.

Probably the most common question asked by new tanning bed users (and yes, even experienced tanners) is how often should you tan? I’ve said it a thousand times before and I’ll say it again, tanning is a process and it’s all about consistency when you use tanning beds. So, how often you should tan will depend on your skin type, the type of beds you’re using and your desired tan level.

Getting a Tan Started

It depends on your skin type, but getting a base tan started can take anywhere from eight sessions to fifteen sessions in a traditional tanning bed (3-5 sessions in a high-pressure bed) to develop a good tan. But, you have to do it slowly.