Indoor Tanning Lotion | Airbrush Tanning

When it comes to looking at alternatives for traditional tanning many people turn to using an indoor tanning lotion.  Some people, though, do not want to use a normal indoor tanning lotion because it means that you still have to use this type of tanning solution in conjunction with time spent in a tanning bed.  This is where many people are starting to look at airbrush tanning as an alternative option.

Airbrush tanning is a relatively new way of producing a golden tan without having to expose oneself to the damaging effects of the sun or the possible overexposure on a sunbed.  The application of this type of designer skin tanning lotion is very simple and very quick to apply.  If you go to your local tanning salon that offers airbrush tanning they should have you sprayed up in no time at all.  All in all it should take anything from one minute to ten minutes to give you one of the most even all over indoor tans available.  Your newly acquired all over tan will start to show after about an hour or so from application.  They often look more natural and even than any other sunless tanning option you may have tried.

What do they spray onto your skin?  

The tanning salon uses an airbrush in order to spray a solution of dihydroxyacetone (DHA) in a very even application.  The airbrush is attached to an air compressor which produces a fine mist as it is sprayed onto the skin.  

As discussed previously (indoor tanning lotion - how does it work?), DHA reacts with the layer of dead skin cells on the surface of the skin to stain it a darker colour.  Before application you should make sure that you scrub your skin and exfoliate properly.  This will give you better results.  Your mouth, eyes and nose should be covered and protected as you don’t want to be inhaling the atomised DHA solution.
 

Because of the fact that your dead skin cells slough off continually throughout the day your tan will last anything from five to ten days – airbrush tanning ages in a similar way to a conventional tan.

Indoor Tanning Lotion | Self Tanning Products

Some of the self tanning products I’ve been looking at, as we get ready for summertime here in South Africa, are the indoor tanning lotion, the tan accelerator and the self tanning lotion.

We hear such a lot nowadays about being careful in the sun, so as not to get skin cancer. Yet, we all need the sun for the Vitamin D.  So how can we be balanced so that we get just the right amount so that we don’t get skin cancer and at the same time we get the Vitamin D that we need?

You might ask - why do we need Vitamin D? Well if you recall at school [and for some like me that was a long time ago] we learnt in health or hygiene – I’m not sure what they call it nowadays (maybe Biology) - that we need it for the absorption of calcium into our bodies so that we can have healthy bones. For most of us it’s easier to go to the chemist and buy some calcium supplement which we hope does the trick.  But if you think about it – all we need is about twenty to thirty minutes of good old sunshine on our bodies about twice or three times a week – and wait for it – WITHOUT sunscreen!  They say too that if we take our glasses off or take our contact lenses out, close our eyes and at the same time as the warm rays of the sun are infusing Vitamin D into our bodies, they can rejuvenate our poor old eyes too!  Mmmm, sounds good to me… and it’s free…

On the other hand, as mentioned at the outset if we want more than Vitamin D to build healthy bones – perhaps a lovely all over tan so that we can unselfconsciously bare our scantily clad bodies to all in summer – then we definitely need more than thirty minutes of careful sunning twice a week!

What we need are self tanning products such as a self tanning lotion or a tan accelerator.  A self tanning lotion is any one of the many creams and lotions available which gives a glowing golden tan in just twenty minutes – no sun required!  My experience with self tanning lotions and sunless tanning many years ago was that they smelt awful and made my legs look orange.  Well self tanning products and tan accelerators have come a long way, and this summer I’m definitely going to give it another try.

Of course, it’s not enough to just wear your self tanner.  You have to still apply sunscreen lotion when you go out into the sun because the self tanner on its own has none or very little SPF (sun protection factor).  

There’s just one small problem – self tanning products are usually so expensive.  However I heard on the radio the other day, that if you shop at the sidewalk craft tables you’ll find sunscreens and self tanners at hugely reduced prices – and they’re OK.  

So I’ll investigate that option and do all the necessary preparation before actually applying the sunless tanning lotion to my legs – maybe this time I’ll be successful, who knows?