Professional Skincare Products

Every day your clients battle the war to maintain healthy skincare. And as a tanning and skincare expert you are responsible for protecting and preserving your customers’ skin by offering a selection of lotions to keep skin soft, supple and looking healthy.

No one can dispute the fact that the lotion and skincare segment of the tanning industry has experienced explosive growth in the last eight years. Both veteran and newcomer lotion and skincare manufacturers have recognized the market potential and expanded their product lines to provide tanners with a wide array of choices. From lotions and gels, to sprays and greaseless oils, today’s tanners have a plethora of products to choose from.

Research from lotion and skincare manufacturers indicate that the use of products formulated specifically for indoor tanning actually can enhance and stimulate the body’s natural tanning process. When the skin is exposed to natural or manufactured ultraviolet light, it stimulates production of a pigment found in the body called melanin. When melanin is triggered, it rises to the epidermal layer of the skin, allowing the tanning process to begin. However, large amounts of amino acids, which are components of melanin, are not stored by our bodies, which means that it can take days after exposure to ultraviolet light to develop a tan.

There are two basic steps that one can follow in developing an indoor or outdoor tan. Pre-tan solutions are applied before exposure to ultraviolet light. These formulas include vitamins, botanicals and essential oils to nourish the skin and prepare it for the tanning process. The old rule of thumb—healthy skin tans the best—is key. A pre-tan solution lays the foundation for building a rich, healthy tan, and manufacturers of tanning products believe a properly cultivated tan can be the body’s most effective sunscreen against the harmful effects of UV rays on the skin.

Amplifiers are products that moisturize the skin while tanning and allow ultraviolet light to penetrate the skin. Normally, some ultraviolet rays bounce off our bodies. Amplifiers reduce the skin’s capacity for reflection, so more rays can penetrate.

Using post-tanning solutions is another vital step one may follow in a tanning regimen. They serve basically one purpose—to moisturize and replenish the skin that has been dried during the tanning process. This minimizes both peeling and flaking, and keeps the skin moist and healthy.

There are some major differences between indoor and outdoor tanning. Indoor tanning relies primarily on manufactured UVA rays in a controlled environment, compared to outdoor tanning that consists of both UVA and UVB natural rays in widely varying environments. Because of these different conditions in outdoor and indoor tanning, different solutions for protection and tanning enhancement should be used.

Moisturizers are an extremely important weapon in the battle against dry skin. When the skin is moist, it remains supple and lubricated. Environmental elements such as heat, air, sun and water can all contribute to dried, rough skin. Oil-and-water-based moisturizing lotions on the market coat the skin with a film to bind water to the skin and also to maintain a smooth look.

Vitamins are also a popular addition to moisturizers. Among the most commonly used vitamins in creams and lotions are A, C, D and E. Vitamin A helps keep skin soft, lubricated and healthy looking; vitamin C is supposed to act as a preservative; vitamin D is believed to have certain skin healing and UV-blocking properties; and vitamin E is used primarily as an antioxidant to help maintain product freshness. Antioxidants also may slow down the skin’s aging process.