The 7 Best Indoor Tanning Lotions

What Are Indoor Tanning Lotions?

You might not even know what an indoor tanning lotion is. If that’s the case, no need to worry because we’re here to supply you with all the details you need to make use of this incredible bronze building lotion.

Tanning is a massive industry, so there are many different products on the market with each of them promising better results than the rest.

When you’re dealing with a ton of different items, how can you choose only one? 

During our reviews, we take the time to research all the information when choosing our recommendations, so we make sure you get the exact details you need to know to make the best-informed decision. 

The primary purpose of outdoor tanning lotion is to help you get a tan without hurting your skin from harmful UV rays. The difference between the indoor and outdoor tanning lotion is that indoor tanning lotion is supposed to increase melanin production when you’re using a tanning booth. 

Outdoor tanning lotion is for sun protection while indoor tanning lotion is for increased tan production. Makes sense, right? 

Who Should Use Indoor Tanning Lotion?

If you like the idea of using the best indoor tanning lotion, but you’re not sure if you should, here are a few things to think about.

Do you tan regularly? If you go to the local tanning salon consistently, you likely care a lot about your tan. 

You spend a lot of money for a membership or per visit, so you want to get the most out of your tanning experience. 

Having the best tanning bed lotion will help increase the process of getting a tan, and it will also help your tan look better. You’ll have more of a bronze appearance with a reduced chance of getting a baked look. 

Indoor tanning lotion is also useful for people who are worried about exposure to the tanning bed lights. Over time, we’re realizing the dangers of tanning beds as well as UV light from the sun.

You need protection even when you’re indoors, and indoor tanning lotion will help protect you from the tanning booth lights. 

What Kinds of Tanning Lotion are Available?

If we sold you on getting the best indoor tanning lotion, you need to decide on what kind to get. 

As we said, there are so many different products available on the market, and they all do the same thing. Since they are so similar, it’s challenging to pick something unless you know the finer details. 

We love details, and we love sharing them with the readers. We’re here to help clear up any confusion and misconceptions about indoor tanning lotions. Here’s everything you’ll ever need to know about the different types of indoor tanning lotions. 

Bronzers 

First things first, if you’ve never tanned before and you don’t spend a lot of time outdoors, you are probably pale.

You have to be careful at this point because you don’t want to damage your skin and you don’t want to get burned either. You need to get that base layer of tan going, so you can progress from there. 

To get to that first stage, you need a stage one product. Bronzing lotions add color to your skin as soon as you apply them which boosts the melanin in your skin.

Many people turn towards bronzing lotions, in the beginning, to give themselves a leg up so they can get tan faster. 

This is especially useful if you’re trying to get tan quickly for an event like a wedding or prom. You can use a bronzer and get the job done right away. 

Accelerators

Another great beginner choice is accelerators. These promote melanin production in your skin, and they contain a bunch of moisturizing ingredients that keep your skin dry while you’re tanning.

When you use an accelerator, you’ll notice your skin changing and getting more tan as you go each time. 

Bronzers and accelerators are what most people will need to get to their chosen stage. These two will provide you with a tan that you would want for a special event. If you’re looking to take things a bit further, there are options as well. 

Maximizers

Now, once you have the base layer of tan down and you’re ready to move on, you might opt for a maximizer.

These are for people who understand tanning any they know exactly what shade of bronze they are looking to achieve. 

Once you take your tan past the base layer, moisturization becomes key. If your skin dries out, you’ll start to look wrinkly, and no one wants that. Maximizers ensure your skin stays silky smooth and rich-looking. 

Tinglers

One of the best indoor tanning lotion choices is the tingling lotion. These are unique because they cause a tingling sensation on the exterior of your skin.

They’re made to bring oxygen to the surface of the skin which helps promote tanning. 

There are risks associated with these lotions, and you should only use them if you know exactly what you’re doing. 

Manufacturers recommend trying one of these lotions on a portion of your skin first before covering yourself in it.

Tingling lotions can cause a nasty rash or allergic reaction if your skin doesn’t react well to it. If all is well, move forward and get your tan on! 

Why Use an Indoor Tanning Lotion?

Since you’re exposing yourself to UV rays in the tanning bed, you want to get from point A to point B as fast as possible.

The more time you spend in the bed, the more health risks you are possibly causing. To get the job done as quickly as possible, you want to use an accelerator indoor tanning lotion to save time and get dark as fast as you can. 

How to Pick the Best Indoor Tanning Lotion

Now, by this point, you understand quite a bit about indoor tanning lotions.

You know the different kinds, you understand what the point of this lotion is, but you might be wondering; how do I pick one for myself? 

Well, we’re here to clear the air. Choosing the best indoor tanning lotion is quite a task, and you need to pay attention to a few factors. 

First, you need to assess your current tanning situation. How pale are you on a scale of 1 to 10. If you said a 9 or 10, then you want to look for a bronzing lotion to get started. You need to start from the bottom and work your way up. 

The most important thing is that you don’t get ahead of yourself when you’re starting. If you try to tan too fast and you use the wrong lotions, you could get a serious burn, and that might turn you away from tanning forever. 

Luckily, most professional tanning suites will not allow you to get too carried away, and they’ll help you progressively get to the tan you want. 

Next, you want to think about your skin and how it reacts to things. Do you find that your skin is seriously irritated by a lot of lotions, shampoos, etc.?

If you said yes then you might want to pay close attention to the type of lotion you get. 

They have products out there that are great for sensitive skin and some that are not. The most important thing you can do is protect your skin so make sure you read all the labels, so you know exactly what you’re getting into. 

Lastly, you want to look at the tanning lotion itself. If you are considering buying a specific one, take a look at the brand. Does that brand have a good reputation? Are there any positive reviews about that tanning lotion?

What do customers have to say about it? 

Luckily, during our reviews, we only recommend high-quality products with great ratings and a solid reputation.

If you choose any of the products reviewed above, you’ll have no problem getting that beautiful bronze tan you’ve been looking for. 

How Does Tanning Happen?

It’s time to get scientific. To understand how to choose the best tanning lotion, you might want to know more about how tanning happens. You may learn a lot of this when you go to the tanning booth for the first time, but we figured, we’ll give it to you now. 

There are three different forms of ultraviolet radiation or UV light. UVA is what causes tanning, and this is what gets used in the tanning booths to cause your skin to tan. These types of rays break through the atmosphere. 

UVB light is what causes damage to our skin. When you get UVA and UVB together is when serious sunburns and skin cancer can occur. 

UVC light contains the lowest number of nanometers, and as a result, most of this light is filtered out by the atmosphere. 

For people with light skin, UVA radiation causes the production of melanin hormones that change the pigmentation of our skin. The production of melanin takes a long time, so that’s the reason why you can’t jump into the tanning bed and come out with a perfect tan in five minutes.

You need to reach your goals using continued exposure progressively. 

Tanning Outdoors vs. Indoors

We’ve talked a lot about indoor tanning lotions but what if you still want to give it a shot in the great outdoors.

Tanning outside takes quite a bit more time, and there’s more risk associated because it’s not a controlled environment. There are a few things you want to keep in mind when taking your tanning outdoors. 

If you’re looking to tan quickly, you want to apply an accelerator lotion before you leave the house. Follow that with a solar protection layer like a basic SPF. Before applying the sunblock, you want to wait at least five minutes to let the first accelerator layer soak in. 

When you’re tanning outside, it’s most important that you regularly rotate your body at even intervals. During the peak sunlight, make sure you rotate your body once every 10 minutes and take plenty of breaks in between sunbathing, so you don’t get burned. 

After you’re done tanning for the day, consider taking a shower and applying plenty of moisturizing lotions and creams to your skin to prevent it from drying out. Spending an entire day in the sun can do a number on your skin.