Lotions / FAQ

Try this! Put lotion on one arm. After about 2 minutes, put both arms together and see which one is darker. The arm that you put the lotion on will always be darker. Darker, moisturized skin will absorb UV light better than ashy, dry skin.

Tanning, whether indoors or outdoors can be very drying to the skin. If you're not using lotion, chances are your skin is getting too dry to maximize your tanning potential.

All of our high-end indoor tanning lotions contain ingredients that are called biosaccharides. Biosaccharides are antibacterial ingredients designed to help diminish the after tan smell that can occur when you are done tanning. When you are done tanning you do not have an after tan smell. If you have any fragrance at all, you will have a faint fragrance of the lotion you just used. Keep in mind, outdoor tanning lotion as well as cheap drugstore lotion do not contain biosaccarides.

In recent years there has been a craze in the tanning industry. This craze is the amount of lotions now being sold that contain bronzers. It is not uncommon for a tanning lotion to contain 4 or 5 high end bronzer ingredients. Using lotions that contain a bronzer is a way to get better results from your tanning experience and to greatly increase the length of your tan.

There are three main types of bronzers. Each gives a slightly different result. Below is a brief description of all three.

• DHA Bronzers – These do not need any light to produce a tan. DHA bronzers are known as self-tanners. These bronzers work by reacting with certain proteins on the surface layer of the skin. Some of our lotion products contain low levels of DHA bronzers, which can help extend your tan to seven to ten days.

• Cosmetic Bronzers- Cosmetic bronzers give you immediate results, allowing you to achieve a dark brown color directly after tanning.

• Low-maintenance Bronzers – These are the newest and most advanced addition to the bronzer family. Low maintenance bronzers have the ability to not to stain or streak do to a certain mix of ingredients that give them this property. Low maintenance bronzers do not give the immediate results of the two listed above, but it does keep your tan looking golden

Tingle is an ingredient added to lotion, usually niacin or Vitamin B, that can help clients achieve quicker and darker results than if they just used a regular lotion. The ingredients in a tingle lotion increase the microcirculation and oxidation of blood in the surface layers of the skin. Blood also carries melanin to the surface of the skin. Since your skin needs oxygen to tan and the activation of melanin is what is needed to maximize that tan, the more melanin at the surface of the skin, the darker you will get.

Since niacin causes a slight flushing effect at the surface layer of the skin, you can get a slight to moderate “tingle” or warming sensation. This feeling is completely harmless and will start to dissipate soon after your session is over. If the sensation continues or becomes annoying, you can take a shower and it will take it away immediately.

In recent years, top lotion manufacturers have started adding “cooling” ingredients to some of their products. These ingredients are similar to that of what you would think of in sports creams (only without the odor). The “cooling effect” as it is called can be very relaxing as it mildly cools the skin and gives a cool tingle sensation as the fans blow on your body while you are tanning. The cooling agents don’t effect the tanning process, but do provide an enhanced experience while you are tanning. Cooling lotions have quickly become some of our best selling products.

Absolutely! South Beach Tanning Factory carries several products that are just tan accelerators. Accelerators help super hydrate your skin, in turn causing your skin to absorb increased amounts of UV light. This lets you get the absolute most out of the tanning session you just purchased. All of our products also contain vitamins and nutrients to keep your skin as healthy as can be.

Keep you skin healthy!! How do you do that? Keep it moisturized – constantly. Using a high-end lotion that is specifically formulated with hydrating and skin-repairing ingredients is essential for proper skin care and to help achieve a healthier-looking, longer lasting tan.

Moisturizers should be applied after each shower, after tanning, and any time during the day you feel your skin is dry. By simply keeping your skin moisturized you can nearly double the length of your tan and keep your skin looking younger for years to come.

South Beach Tanning Factory carries a full line of inexpensive, high quality skin moisturizers, specifically engineered for the indoor tanner.

Absolutely! While South Beach Tanning Factory carries one of the largest selections of lotions in the industry, it is nearly impossible to carry all of them. Just ask any member of our South Beach Staff and they will gladly place a special order for the exact lotion you want.

Keep in mind, all of our lotions are specially formulated and engineered specifically for the indoor tanning industry by companies that spend millions of dollars annually on research. All of our product lines contain high end ingredients that include active vitamins, minerals and nutrients to keep the skin as healthy and moisturized as possible, thus maximizing your tanning potential. Cheap, store brands do not contain these ingredients. In fact, many “drugstore” lotions actually contain alcohol in them, which will dry the skin and actually hinder the tanning process.

As with any product you buy online, the only advice we can give is caveat emptor, let the buyer beware!! There is not one single company in the entire United States that is licensed to sell any of the products and lotion lines we carry anywhere other than in a tanning salon.

So where are the online products coming from? Many products online are actually counterfeits. Yes, just like fake watches and designer handbags, they actually counterfeit tanning lotion now. Others are coming from individuals that are buying them in a salon, using the product, and filling the bottle back up with some cheap store bought lotion and selling them online.

Others have reported paying for the product, and never actually receiving it. Since high end lotions have active ingredients such as the biosaccarides and vitamins and minerals, they do have an expiration date. There have been reports that many lotions showing up on the internet are expired products, which can result in a foul odor and lack of effectiveness.