Posted : 05/01/2003

Posted : 05/01/2003

Summer Skincare Essentials
Helping Tanners Meet Their Skincare Needs

Healthy skin tans best. It's simple, to the point and one of the indoor tanning industry's most important battle cries. Today's tanners want more than just a golden glow; they want healthy skin through and through. Since the best time to look good with a tan is in the summer, it's also the best time for salons to capitalize on tanners' skincare needs by offering moisturizers and sunscreens.

Anissa Stancato, corporate manager of Sunset Tanning Salons in Wooten, Ohio, says salon operators shouldn't think twice about catering to a tanner's skincare needs.

"Moisturizers are needed by tanners after tanning," she says. "You have to tell a lot of your tanners that the tanning process itself can dry out the skin and skin can't tan well if it's dry. People need sunscreens outdoors because they do not stay outdoors for controlled periods of time as in a tanning bed. They are out playing basketball, swimming, having a picnic, etc., with no regard to the length of time they are exposed to outdoor UVR. Depending on the time of day and length of exposure, outdoor enthusiasts take a great risk of burning, which can be very detrimental to their skin."

Skincare 101

Not everyone who walks through a salon's door has a Ph.D. in skincare, so it is very important to spend time on the initial visit discussing the importance of taking excellent care of their skin, says Tom Kleinert, co-owner of Baja Tan, Inc. in Sachse, Texas. "We make it part of the salon tour," he says. "We show them the water cooler and discuss proper hydration of the skin through many avenues."

Samples are an important tool in the education process. Kleinert gives each new customer three samples. "We give them a quality tanning lotion, a body wash and a top-of-the-line moisturizer," he says. "We also go over the key ingredients in moisturizers and explain why they work. I'd love to see the industry start to look deeper into proper skincare before, during and after tanning. The more healthy tans there are, the better the industry looks."

Skincare is a science just like chemistry, so education is vital, especially in areas where human health is at risk, says Stancato. "Salon owners who do not make it a priority to train their staff are setting themselves up for potential lawsuits," she says. "Not that failing to use moisturizers or sunscreens will result in a lawsuit, but education helps to dispel fears of UVR."

Moisturizers have grown popular in recent years because all of the beauty magazines and scientific journals throughout the nation have preached their importance. People realize the need to moisten their skin, regardless of whether they want a tan.

"The majority of indoor tanners are very interested in keeping their skin looking young," Kleinert says. "By that I mean not wrinkled, dried out or looking older than a person's true age. We have found that offering high-quality moisturizing lotions that also offer key ingredients such as copper, hemp seed oil, Crimson Sea copper, white birch extract, and vitamins A, C and E help tanners achieve that golden color as well as maintain healthy skin."

When it comes to moisturizers, besides effectiveness, scent is the most popular trait, Stancato says. "Beyond that, texture and consistency as well as how the skin feels are what matters," she says. "Ingredients seem to only play a part in a small segment of tanners."

In the end, a lot of tanners need to be told how to tan and practice healthy skincare habits. Kleinert uses detailed skin-typing forms that allow him to take clients with any skin type to their maximum potential without overexposure.

"We naturally promote moisturizers and sunscreen," he says. "We take the time with all new clients to go over the proper care of their skin while tanning. This includes many factors such as drinking plenty of water, not using bar soaps and using a hydrating moisturizer right out of the shower or bath and then again after tanning. We also encourage the use of a good, quality sunscreen that we carry."

Selling Sunscreens For Profit

The first commercial sunscreens came out during World War II, when U.S. sailors used zinc oxide preparations to prevent sunburn. The general public picked up the practice in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1972, sunscreen sales were roughly $18 million; today the U.S. market for sunscreens is estimated at more than $500 million in annual sales. Salons should take note because, typically, most salons don't sell sunscreens because it seems counterproductive to sell a product that blocks what they are selling.

"I think the main reason the salons should sell sunscreens is that while salon tanning will certainly produce color, a tanning product won't protect someone who's going on vacation where he or she will be in the sun all day," says one sunscreen industry veteran. "Sunscreens are vital for golfers, tennis players, etc., who are in the sun and have perspiration issues. A smart consumer who wants color will use a tanning lotion in the salon or when laying out by the beach or pool and a quality sunscreen when they do something active outdoors."

Kleinert agrees. He says a great tan will only protect skin so much. "Everyone needs the protection of a good, quality sunscreen," he says. "We try and encourage our clients to tan in moderation and protect their skin with the use of sunscreen whenever they spend any amount of time outdoors. Repeated overexposure will certainly increase the chances of problems later in life. Not to mention the chance that someone with years of overexposure may end up looking like they have leather for skin."

The best message to relay to tanners is simply that a tan will not prevent sunburn, Stancato says. "All people can burn, regardless of their skin type," she says. "Therefore, if a Skin Type V person can be burned, definitely a person with a Skin Type II and a good base tan can be burned."

Technology for sunscreen has improved dramatically over the years. Many manufacturers of indoor tanning lotions also make sunscreens for the outdoor tanner. Selling sunscreens and moisturizers created specifically with the indoor tanner in mind is another reason for tanners to rely on their tanning salon for all of their skincare needs. Being a complete one-stop skincare shop also shows that the industry is health-conscious, which virtually all tanners are. Sometimes, they just need to know that a salon sells skincare products.