Pro Tan

by Matt Morgan

“The idea behind the Pro Tan brand was to build on the brand awareness of these bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts who are also personal trainers, and there is a correlation of people who like to work out and like to go tanning,” says Stacy Kaufman, president of Pro Tan. “The people being trained by these bodybuilders would ask, ‘Hey, where are you getting your tan?’ They’d say, ‘I use this product called Pro Tan.’”

Only within the last five years has Pro Tan been distributed through tanning salons, Kaufman says, and now the brand has seen a strong resurgence in popularity.

“The mission of Pro Tan is simple: expose a worldwide brand name to salons whose customers will swear that they’ve heard of somewhere,” he says. “Familiarity breeds success, and with a brand name that stands for professional tanning, Pro Tan—along with the tanning benefits, great package design and affordability—it might very well become one of the best-selling lotion lines.”

Pro Tan is a family-run business that Kaufman started when he was 19. His wife of 15 years, Cathy, is chief financial officer, and sons Robert, 14, and Brendan, 9, also contribute when not is school: “The older one helps in the warehouse, while the younger one tries out his jokes on the employees,” Kaufman says. As a family man and small-business owner, Kaufman is sensitive to the needs of salons and their customers.

“Our market is geared toward the value customer—the customer who is looking to spend under $24 for a great tanning lotion,” he says. “We designed Pro Tan for the salons that deal with the younger audience, and the home-town salons that have customers who like to have great tans but don’t want to spend much for a tanning lotion.”

Desired results come from formulations that include unique skin-firming, anti-aging and anti-cellulite properties, as well as high-powered tanning ingredients. The components that are missing also add to Pro Tan’s appeal.

“We’ve purposely left out the hemp so we can sell in some of these smaller towns and family-owned salons,” Kaufman says. “We’ve purposely left off the sexual themes from the product names because of the same reason. It’s really a tanning line that salons can sell year in and year out, based on the design elements and the concepts of the products.”

Pro Tan’s line is “unique and narrow,” Kaufman says. It includes five accelerators, three natural-tanning vitamins and two specialty products. “It’s a complete line,” he says. “It’s displayed well, and the ingredients are great.”

The newest accelerator, Glow Girl™, speaks more to the feminine market. It features a white tea and thyme-juice fragrance, and is packed with moisturizers, streakless stain-free bronzers and firming complexes for healthy-looking, glowing skin.

Glow Girl is the latest installment of Pro Tan’s CX2 Skin Firming Complex line, which includes Sun Fuel, a regular accelerator; No Limits, a double bronzer with self-tanner and accelerator; Wicked Blue, a coolant; and High Octane, a hot product.

Additionally, three tanning supplements help promote tanning from the inside out: Slim Tan™ fat burner and tan maximizer; Quick Tan™ energy booster; and EZ Tan™ super-concentrated natural bronzer and tan maximizer.

Two specialty products—Legs Have It™ and Tan Aid— complement the line. Legs Have It is a fast-acting tan accelerator that works exclusively on the legs. The oil-free gelée combines deep-penetrating moisturizers with tan enhancers, stain- and streak-free bronzers, and a touch of warming action. Tan Aid tingle-soothing gel helps tanners quickly calm the heat and tingle from hot-action products.

Pro Tan’s mantra could be “a great tan for a great price.” Marketing for the products may not be too sexy or seductive, but the company’s formula for success is working. The proof: Pro Tan doubled its sales in 2004, Kaufman says.

“It’s a growing line for us right now,” he says. “It just shows me that people are cost-conscious, that they are looking for alternative products that are affordable. The salons that are getting Pro Tan are really enjoying the benefits from it. I am thankful to be in such a fun business with nice people and gorgeous skin color.”