Have you ever walked into a tanning salon, and felt like you just wanted the person working to pick out a lotion for you because there were SO many to choose from? Why do they ALL claim to be the BEST bronzer, yet range in price from $30-$150? (Yes I said $150). WELL, my loyal blog readers….then this is for YOU.

First & Foremost: What is the purpose of tanning lotion?

  1. It Moistures our Dehydrated Alaskan Skin: Using a tanning lotion simply replaces the moisture that your skin loses while tanning. Can’t have a healthy glow with cracked flaky skin!!
  2. Tan Faster: Tanning lotions contain ingredients that enable your skin to absorb more of the UV rays. You know what that means, deeper tan in less time!
  3. Slows Aging: Some lotions contain ingredients that are skin firming, and contain vitamins then help prevent premature signs of aging.  (Keep reading for more information on that).

Oompa loompa doompety doo….?

This is the Million $$$ Question: Which Lotion will make me tan quickly, but not make me orange:

There are many more option but I’m just going to go over a few.

Types Of Lotions

  1. BRONZER LOTIONS

    • DHA Bronzers

      You may know of this because of Self Tanners, but it is also used in tanning lotions. It contains, you guessed it….DHA….or Dihydroxyacetone. Google has a much more thorough definition of what this is, but for the sake of keeping your attention, I’ll keep it short. DHA is a carbohydrate that, when applied, results in a chemical reaction between the DHA and your skin proteins. This reaction can take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours and the intensity is dependent on the concentration of the DHA.14 Karat Gold Rush

Designer Skin 14 Karat Gold Rush is one of my favorite lotions for a couple of reasons:

  1. If you are familiar to tanning, you know Designer Skin also comes with Designer Prices….yipee right? No.. However, this particular lotion has a great price point and still contains the ingredients that make Designer Skin so great!
  2. This particular bottle contains Hyaluronic Acid, which I know you read our blog about ;)….but incase you didn’t, to summarize, Hyaluronic acid holds 1,000 X it’s weight in water. Which means, this product is basically a little bottle of anti-aging miracles. Not really…but it does mean it promotes collagen production and decreases the appearance of fine lines.
  3. It has Omega-3’s!!!!! If you don’t know what Omega-3’s do, you should do some research because they are fantastic, but essentially it will leave your skin smooth and radiant.

  • Natural Bronzers 

    These are bronzers made with ingredients that are naturally bronzing…that is the simplest way I can put it. They provide immediate results without streaking or staining. What are natural bronzing ingredients you ask? Things like Henna, Fig, naturally derived caramel…..etc.

Hempz is one our most popularly purchased Natural Bronzer:

  1. It’s Paraben Free, Gluten Free, 100% Vegan, Sustainable and  contains Organic Ingredients.
  2. Because it is natural, it is streak free!!
  3. It contains Botanicals and oils that are great for your skin and will promote a healthy glow.

2. TINGLE LOTIONS

These lotions are NOT for first time tanners, trust me, I tried. Tingle lotions contain an active ingredient that, simply put, increases blood flow and brings oxygen to the cells of your skin. This process boosts your tanning results. When using these products, you will feel a tingling sensation, which makes sense if you think about it :)….and a warming/ reddening on the surface of your skin.    We recommend that you sample it on a small patch of skin before using it everywhere, simply because it can cause a reaction if you have sensitive skin. If you have never used these lotions before, you are in for a real treat. 🙂 Pretty Pink & Blushing is my favorite tingle lotion, because the results are well worth the tingle!

3. ACCELERATOR & MAXIMIZER LOTIONS

These types of lotions are great for new tanners who are trying to build a “base.” These types of lotions don’t typically have bronzers in them, but rather an ingredient called Tyrosine. Tyrosine is an amino  acid that helps the production of Melanin in the skin. Melanin is what gives you the appearance of being “Tan.” JWOWW, yes people still use this, is an example of an excellent maximizer, that is also tattoo safe, which is something to take into consideration if you have tattoos!

JWOWW ONE AND DONE INTENSIFIER - 13.5 oz.

SUMMARY

I know I know, I mentioned a free gift….Here it goes: If you COMMENT on this Blog Post (In the blog) what DHA stands for, and share the blog post on facebook, we will give you 5 free tans! You heard it…5 free tans <3 Follow the rules though, you must comment below what DHA is, and share the link on facebook. READY…..SET…..GOOOOOOOO.

Just kidding…there’s more….

There is a lot more to tanning lotions than that, but hopefully this made your tanning lotion shopping a little bit easier. I realize that walking into a tanning salon, is a lot like my husband walking into Sephora, HOWEVER, knowing the basics will help you make a more educated decision, and possibly save you some money. Some lotions are worth spending more money on, but knowing the ingredients that you are putting on your skin will help you make a more informed decision.

x0x0

Kelsie