The best sunless tanning lotion: Today’s top picks

September 8th, 2010

The use of sunless tanning lotion is on the increase as more of us realize that sun bathing is dangerous for our skin and subsequently health. Due to the global warming the sun has become along the years a real danger for our skin; causing premature aging and serious skin disease such as cancer. In the recent year we have seen increased concern in the direct exposure to sun.

How does the sunless tanning lotion work?

Naturally our skin protects us from the UV damage by producing melanin. This is a substance that absorbs the harmful sun rays in order to protect our DNA. When the body produces melanin it darkens the skin thus, creating the tan.

Sunless tanning lotion replicates the process by using a chemical called Dihydroxyacetone – DHA. DHA colors our skin by interacting with the amino acids in dead skin cells; when the dead skin cells shed so does the color.

Sunless tanning lotion works it its best especially for those with fair complexion getting them a darker tan then what they would have achieved through sun exposure.

The following products have been picked as the best value on the market in regard to the quality they offer.

- Banana Boat Sunless Tanning Crème
- Coppertone Oil Free Effortless Sunless Tanning Lotion
-    Neutrogena instant bronzing foam
-    Neutrogena Sunless Tanning foam
-    L’Oreal self tanning lotion with SPF 15

There are many more sunless tanning lotions to pick and experiment with as you like. Some top house like Lancôme, Clarins, Estee Lauder and YSL to name a few have excellent products as well but a bit more on the expensive side.

Helpful information

To get the best results from your sunless tanning lotion, try doing the following:

-    Exfoliate the areas that you wish to apply the lotion before application. This will eliminated the dead cells thus, the tanning will last longer.

-    Do not to a shower, take a bath or use water just after you applied the sunless tanning lotion. This will prevent irregular streaking.

-    Do not forget to use gloves when you apply the lotion or else your hands are going to be orange for the next week.

Sunless tanning lotion is a great product which gives you the look and at the same time keeps you in great health. Besides you can have a tan when you choose and how you choose.

Read More »

The Benefits of Vitamin D

September 8th, 2010

By Susan du Plessis

Vitamin D is an important part of a healthy diet. New benefits of this vitamin are being discovered every day, but many people still do not receive enough vitamin D to reap the wonderful benefits it can provide to their health. Vitamin D is most famous for its contribution to joint and bone health by helping the body absorb calcium. It has been shown that people who take in enough vitamin D are less likely to suffer from osteoporosis and joint pain. This vitamin can also slow the affects of arthritis and lessen back pain in many individuals. Studies have shown that vitamin D can also prevent certain types of cancer.

Vitamin D is one of the only vitamins produced naturally by the body. However, in order for the body to produce vitamin D, it has to be exposed to an adequate amount of sunlight. Generally, an hour per week is more than enough, but surprisingly, many people are still not exposed to enough sun to produce beneficial amounts of vitamin D. Also, studies have shown that as we age, we tend to produce less vitamin D even with adequate sun exposure. These are the primary reasons why many adults have to monitor their diets to make sure they are taking in enough vitamin D.

Milk is often fortified with vitamin D, and you can also find good amounts of vitamin D in certain kinds of fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Cod liver oil is an herbal supplement that is rich in vitamin D. Vitamin D supplements are also widely available.

While it is important to have enough vitamin D in your diet, it is possible to take in too much vitamin D. This often happens when a person receives a good amount of sun exposure and consumes many foods that contain moderate amounts of vitamin D, but also continues to take a vitamin D supplement. For this reason, it is important to discuss with your doctor whether or not you require a vitamin D supplement as part of your diet.

Read More »

Tanning Beds for Sale

September 8th, 2010

By Ken Marlborough

Ranging in price from a $150 to $50,000, tanning beds are available in a vast array of styles for home and commercial use. The most common style is the horizontal bed, followed by the vertical bed or tanning booth. New technological advances are improving these two styles to make them more portable, roomier, and more temperate, as the average bed interior heats up to a hundred degrees Fahrenheit when in use.

A third style becoming more and more common, the canopy-style bed moves on a hydraulic arm to accommodate your tanning needs while you kick back in your favorite chair. Finally, there are the solariums, which are small tanning lamps that tan portions of your body at a time. As always, when browsing tanning beds for sale, opt for those that utilize low UVB-to-UVA ratio lamps, and preferably high-pressure lamps, to minimize UV harm to your skin.

No matter what you’re looking for, whether for home or salon, you’ll probably find it, as there are hundreds, if not thousands, of particular makes and models of tanning beds for sale. The best place to begin is online. There you’ll see what the market looks like. Find out what they have to offer within your budget. Start with the industry leaders: ETS, Sunquest and, of course, Wolff.

Wolff Tanning Beds

Wolff tanning beds are beds that, while manufactured by other companies, use Wolff lamp and reflector technologies. Wolf is commonly considered the industry standard for quality and safety. The name refers to German scientist Friedrich Wolff, who was studying the effects of UV light on athletes when he noticed an interesting effect: tan skin. He knew he had hit the jackpot, and so brought his lamp and reflector technologies to the United States in 1978. He has retained the patent on his systems throughout the entire tanning boom, and Wolff equipment is still used in all the leading tanning beds.

Read More »

Tanning Beds By Wolff From Sunco for Home or Commercial Use

September 8th, 2010

By Bo Carter

Sunco Tanning (suncotanning.com) is proud to announce their new line of Wolff “mega tanning beds” and equipment to help boost salon business and sales and generate more return customers. This significant increase in available models advances Sunco’s already extensive line of Wolff tanning beds and booths featuring Sunvision, SunQuest, SunScape, Vortex, Velocity, SolarForce, Starpower, Solaris, Sunstar and Sunco’s very own innovation of Wolff X-Power tanning units. Church Hill, TN

(PRWEB) April 1, 2005 –- Sunco Tanning – the nation’s largest distributor of Wolff tanning beds, now offers 12 new, large tanning units representing the highest grade of Wolff tanning beds and booths available, along side the already popular SunQuest, Sunvision and X-Power units already proven to be so successful in the tanning industry.

The latest Wolff innovations are now available through Sunco and can be viewed at http://www.suncotanning.com/megabeds.htm Looking like something from outer space, some of these units feature external lighting, integrated stereo systems and variable speed body cooling systems on a suspended acrylic. These large commercial tanning beds and booths come pre-wired for a T-Max Timer, allowing salon owners to keep track of bulb hours, session counts, vary session times and auto start delay features of multiple beds.

Many of the same features which are available on Sunco’s home and commercial tanning beds include Wolff tanning lamps (some with optional facials), extruded aluminum and steel mainframe, Biotech tunnel design, curved tanning surface, exclusively designed acrylic sheets, specially glossed aluminum reflectors, Duramax 2000 exteriors, hour meter, digital timer, and the popular QuickClip acrylic removal system. Other options, depending on the model, include an exclusive control key lock that allows the tanner to lock the bed in the “off” position for greater security.

Or get face and arm tanning capabilities in the Wolff X-Power line. This technology incorporates a special, noticeable pink phosphorous inside the lamps around the face and arm areas resulting in greater tanning results in those areas. Some beds even come ready to use, allowing owners to plug them right into a 120 volt outlet with no special wiring required although consulting an electrician is always suggested. Along with Sunco’s extensive line of tanning beds and now the new “mega tanning beds”, Sunco Tanning also offers extras like accessories and supplies, tanning bed parts, lotions and lamps.

Highlighting the lamp line is the new X2M lamps and new Wolff X-Power PLUS lamps which deliver more tanning power and longer lamp life resulting in reduced tan times and higher performance. Sunco Tanning can offer financing to qualified buyers and encourages everyone to visit their newly designed website for conveniently browsing their entire line of tanning equipment.

A free catalog is available for mailing or download at http://www.suncotanning.com/catalog.htm About Sunco Tanning Sunco asks you come visit our showroom in Church Hill, TN as we celebrate our 20th year supplying the tanning industry with quality products like Wolff brand equipment and supplies. With a long history of experience, Sunco has become the nation’s largest distributor of Wolff products and Wolff X-Power technology.Contact Information Mr. Bo Carter Sunco Tanning 876 Holliston Mills Road Church Hill, TN 37642 800-382-8932 Web Site: http://www.suncotanning.com

Read More »

Tanning Beds, Are they Safe?

September 8th, 2010

By Jay Moncliff

We all like to have that healthy glow that comes from being outdoors and getting some sun. However, we know that sun damage can be harmful to our skin. Many turn to tanning salons to maintain their glow, but is using a tanning bed safe?

The skin tans when exposed to ultraviolet light. To keep itself from burning, skin will manufacture extra coloring, called pigment. This pigment is what causes us to “tan”. However, when we get too much ultraviolet light and burn, serious problems can occur. We may suffer damage to our eyes, early wrinkling, blistering and rashes. At worst, we may develop certain types of skin cancer.

Exposing your skin to the ultraviolet light of a tanning booth is advertised as safe, though. It is now known that there are two types of ultraviolet rays, UVA and UVB. UVB rays are the shorter wavelengths that are most likely to cause burning. Longer wavelength UVA rays are less likely to cause a sunburn, but they have been shown to increase risk of melanoma.

Older style tanning beds were developed using primarily UVB rays. These are the ones that you lay in and close on top of your body so that the light tans both sides at once. After publicity that the UVB rays used by these beds could be harmful, many salons switched to devices using UVA rays. They were thought to be safer, but current studies dispute this.

The shorter wavelength UVB rays will cause sunburn on the outermost layer of skin. The results of overexposure are almost immediate and very apparent. However, the UVA rays reach deeper into the tissues, so the layers of tissue beneath the surface can be damaged. Since the effects are harder to see, we don’t know how much damage we are doing until it’s too late. Both types of ultraviolet light are dangerous.

Continued exposure to these ultraviolet rays can make the skin thinner and limit its ability to heal itself. Not only does this increase premature aging and wrinkling, but it leaves the skin more susceptible to disease, including skin cancer.

Tanning in a tanning bed can also cause retinal damage. Many have experienced burned corneas from overuse of tanning beds, and in extreme cases, even cataracts can develop from overexposure. Even though customers are advised to wear eye goggles, many make do by closing their eyes or placing a cloth over their eyes during tanning, steps that don’t stop the UV damage to the eyes.

Are tanning beds safe? If you can limit the time that you use them, wear goggles and be diligent, maybe. However, the best protection is to skip the tanning bed and use a self tanner. Why take chances with the largest organ in your body, your skin? Be mindful of tanning, indoors or outdoors.

Read More »

Tanning Beds and Its Dangers

September 8th, 2010

By Nora P. Dyson

It is safer to have a golden tan using commercial tanning beds. Just ask the more than one million Americans visiting tanning salons each day, bronzing their skins with these beds.

Or is it?

More and more research studies have shown that while the $2 billion-a-year tanning industry promotes that tanning indoors are safer than sunbathing, ultraviolet exposure from these commercial tanning beds is just as dangerous as direct tanning from lying in the sun.

These findings add credibility to the assertion of most skin experts that tanning is not safe, no matter how it is done.

No Such Thing as a Safe Tan

According to findings published in the May 2001 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, tanning using commercial beds does not mean one’s skin is safe from the harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation as opposed to direct exposure to the sun.

“When the skin is exposed to ultraviolet radiation, either through direct sun exposure or at a tanning salon, it produces a tan to prevent further damage. There can be no tan without the DNA damage,” said dermatologist James M. Spencer, MD, tells WebMD Medical News in an online report.

The study found out that after a single tanning session, molecular changes linked to melanoma, a deadly skin cancer, are routinely triggered. As a result of these biologic changes from tanning bed use, one could get skin cancer, according to the findings.

Many tanners seem privy to this information. In a study made by two researchers at the Brownman Gray School of Medicine in Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, North Carolina, those who regularly go use tanning beds may be aware of the harmful effects of the sun to the skin, but may not be aware that tanning beds can also do the same.

Even teens know the risks associated with tanning, including tanning bed use. Surprisingly, many teenagers still do it anyway, visiting tanning salons and tan themselves using tanning beds. The Associated Press (AP) on May 2, 2005 reported that the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) conducted a nationwide survey of 505 respondents aged between 12 and 17 on their views about tanning, including commercial tanning bed use. The AAD found out that most teens preferred having a tan. Almost 80 percent said they knew tanning can be dangerous, but 66 percent said it looks better to have a tan.

Skin-related ailments, therefore, come not as a surprise. In 2001, over 50,000 Americans are diagnosed of melanoma, with 8,000 people dying of the disease. Eighty percent of those who died of skin cancer are caused by melanoma. Findings also show that one in five American will develop skin cancer at some point. Worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, there are between two to three million people diagnosed with various skin cancer ailments.

That is why medical experts warn tanners of indoor tanning claims that it has no harmful side effects or that it will not skin cancer or skin aging. Even the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said that tanning using commercial tanning beds damages your skin. One gets a tan because the skin produces coloring or an additional pigment to protect itself against burn from UV radiation. Too much UV exposure can cause you skin cancer, not to mention, eye injury and early skin aging.

Read More »

Sunless Tanning And Products

September 8th, 2010

By Andrew Green

Sunless tanning, like the name suggests, is getting a tan without sun exposure, and still produces an effect similar in appearance to a traditional suntan. This method of tanning does not involve skin pigmentation or UV exposure, which is often dangerous, to set off the change in skin color. Sunless tanning is also often non-toxic and thus, is quite safe. However, tan is temporary and will wear out or fade away within a couple of days.

Sunless tanning products affect the Stratum Corneum, the surface layer of the skin or the outermost layer of the epidermis, while the Stratum Basale, the deepest layer, is affected by tanning under the sun. There is a wide variety of sunless tanning products available on the market today, such as tanning pills, sunless or self-tanners and bronzers, available in the form of gels, lotions, mousses, sprays and wipes. They can be applied at home in private, or professionally in spas, salons, and other health centers.

Many sunless tanning and cosmetic product manufacturers use an active ingredient called dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a colorless sugar that interacts with the dead cells located in the stratum corneum of the epidermis, as an active ingredient. This is because a change in skin color occurs when dihydroxyacetone creates a reaction with amino acids in the dead layer of the skin. The American Academy of Dermatology suggests that sunless tanning products that contain DHA are the most effective in creating a long-lasting tan.

Erythrulose, a natural based keto-sugar which reacts with the amino acids in the keratin protein on the outer or dead surface layer of the skin, is also often combined with DHA to create a longer lasting sunless tan. However, Erythrulose, like DHA, may cause contact dermatitis, a skin irritation characterized by red, flaky skin, sometimes with cracks or tiny blisters.

Other types of sunless tanning products such as tanning creams, lotions or pills usually contain the amino acid – Tyrosine. It is believed that Tyrosine aids in the stimulation and regeneration of melanin (Melanin is a pigment and the primary determinant of color in human skin). This, if true, greatly affects and accelerates the tanning process so that’s why many sunless tanning products are called tanning accelerators.

Tanning pills also belong to the category of sunless tanning products, and often contain the chemical – Canthaxanthin. The chemical works by depositing and spreading itself all over the body, including in the skin after it’s consumed, taking on an orange-brown color. Canthaxanthin is basically a coloring agent used in foods so the FDA does not approve its use a tanning agent. However, many cosmetic companies continue to use it in large quantities as an active agent in tanning products. It has also been established that continual use of canthaxanthin can cause hepatitis and canthaxanthin retinopathy.

One of the recent additions to sunless tanning remedies is Melanotan, a melanocyte (cells located in the bottom layer of the skin’s epidermis) – stimulating hormone. Melanotan works by inducing skin pigment. Although extensively tested in countries like Australia, it has to be yet approved for clinical trials in the USA.

Read More »

Sun bathing or commercial tanning bed – how to get your tan safely

September 8th, 2010

Commercial tanning bed provides sunless tanning through out the year. Those of us who like the healthy sun tanned look are very well acquainted with it.

In the recent years we have been more and more made aware of the fact that the sun damages the skin causing it to age prematurely and more serious diseases such as cancer. Due to these life threatening facts many of us have taken seriously sun tan lotion and some of us have limited our sun exposure as much as possible.

However, one does not have to give up the tan altogether; we can still get the fabulous look from a commercial tanning bed.

How does the commercial tanning bed work?

Commercial tanning beds in two forms: vertical and horizontal. You can lie down and get a tan or stand, whichever is comfortable to you. These capsules tanning beds have a lid which are lined with tubular ultraviolet lamps and a glass or plastic bench on which one can lie down. The lamps are made of quartz which allows their internal air pressure to be higher than the regular ultraviolet lamps thus filtering unwanted UVB rays.

All commercial tanning beds must have a timer which will automatically turn off the lamps at a prior set time, as a requirement by FDA regulations. The tanning is the tanning beds occur through artificial UVB and UVA rays which have the exact same composition as the sun rays. So, how safe are these commercial tanning beds?

Studies conducted on people who frequented the tanning beds have found that excess exposure can cause the same damages as the sun – premature aging of the skin and other serious skin diseases. Other studies have found that people lying in the commercial tanning bed and likely to stand radiation levels to the eyes as much as 100 times then the outside sunlight.

The advantages of sun

The advantage of sun exposure is that it produces melanin – that is the pigment that protects the skin from UV rays naturally. It also stimulates the production of vitamin D in the body.

Conclusion

As long as you do not over do your sun bathing and do not forget to apply the sun protecting lotion there is no reason to hide from the sun. At the same time if you do not over do your tanning in a commercial tanning bed there is no reason why you should not have a tan at Christmas.

Everything in moderation is healthy.

Read More »

Self Tanners: Your New Best Friend?

September 8th, 2010

By Danna Schneider

Have you ever known a sun worshipper, one of those people who can never seem to get a dark enough tan? They are always looking for that new product that will break their newest tanning plateau and deepen their color even more. Some of them are the lucky few who’s skin tans easily. They rarely burn, and after a few hours in the sun, will emerge looking like most of us would after a long Caribbean vacation. The rest of us though, are left to envy these lucky few, as we know darn well a few hours in the sun will wreak at least a week’s worth of peeling, dry, red havoc on our skin, not to mention the multitude of fine lines and wrinkles that will surely follow.

That is, until the past few years have produced the latest and greatest generation of self tanning products. No longer do you have to suffer  the unnatural orange color, the intensely unpleasant odor, or the unsightly fading of the old self tanners.

Today’s self tanners, at least the quality ones, are formulated to give every user an even, natural tan that lasts longer, has a deep brown undertone rather than orange or red, and fades just like a real tan.

There are even several good “spray” self tanning services offered by
Many tanning salons for those who don’t feel comfortable with self
application. I’ve only personally tried the Mystic Tan salon service, and it does look quite good for about two days, but it fades in to what looks similar to age spots or freckles (NOT very attractive I can assure you). It also can have quite an overpowering smell depending on how much of the active ingredient (DHA) the particular salon has the device set to. Unfortunately, the better your tan, the stronger the smell, as this is the DHA at work giving your skin the darker appearance.

The most effective, longest lasting self tanners that produce the most
beautiful color are the self tanning creams). They tend to go on a lot easier, are easily blended, and result in the least amount of streaking and patchiness.

The gels, sprays and mousse do not have the same even, natural results that the sunless creams do. You definitely want to go with whatever type you feel most comfortable applying, but the cream form is highly recommended.

There are some very important steps you need to take in order to get
The best tan possible. The first step prior to applying the self tanner is EXFOLIATION. I’ve found that if I skip this step, the tan fades a lot faster, and tends to not blend as well. By exfoliating thoroughly in the shower, you are providing the self tanning cream a clean slate for maximum adhesion and staying power. Also, use a makeup sponge to apply the self tanner to the tops of your hands after you have washed them, as well as to your face for a more blended, natural look. Be sure to get everywhere – behind your ears, the back of your neck, etc.

Try to have very little clothing on for as long as you can right after application, as DHA is activated by oxygen, and will work better if it has more circulation during the activation phase. Once this application has dried for a few hours, you may apply a second coat if you would like to achieve a darker color. Just don’t overdo it. To maintain the tan, reapplication should occur every 3-4 days.

With these excellent products and the gorgeous results they produce,
there is simply no excuse to repeatedly subject your skin to the sun’s damaging rays again. With the new sunless tanners, you can be tan year round AND maintain your skin’s youthful and vibrant appearance. It is truly a win/win situation.

Read More »

Save Your Skin and Use Sunless Tan Lotions

September 8th, 2010

By Aaron Trubic

If you have very fair skin that never tans but only burns or freckles; if you have dry skin; or if you are afraid of the very real damage the skin can do to your skin, prematurely aging you and even causing cancer, then you should consider using sunless tanning lotions. Sunless tanning lotions use a chemical called DHA that stimulates the melanin-producing cells in your skin, creating a tan without ultraviolet rays. Most also contain a mild dye that will temporarily darken your skin, gradually disappearing as dead skin cells flake off over time.

There are two basic ways of applying these lotions. The first, cheapest, and most common is to apply it in cream form. Unfortunately, with a cream you will have difficulty applying it evenly, and you’re risking a streaky tan. The really cheap sunless tanning lotions may work, but are likely to make your skin more orange than tan.

The other basic way to apply sunless tan lotion is at a tanning salon using a special misting machine. This is really neat; you enter the booth in bikini, underwear, or nude, and a machine sprays every inch of your body’s surface with a mist, coating you with sunless tan lotion. It’s a process that lasts only a few seconds, and though it’s more expensive, it has excellent results.

There are several things to remember when you use the mist form of sunless tanning. First, you will need to hold your breath during the treatment. If you have trouble doing this (some asthmatics might), you can purchase nose plugs at any dive shop; they’re gross and ugly, but they will keep you from inhaling. If you do have a lung condition, you should speak with a doctor before using sunless mist.

You don’t have to cover your hair, but it will get into it if you don’t, and you’ll have to wash it afterward. A plastic disposable shower cap will work just fine to protect your hair from mist sunless tan lotion. You may notice a peculiar smell after your session, but it will dissipate fairly quickly. You should wash your hands well after your tanning session to avoid accidentally rubbing any of it into your eyes.

For best results from any sort of sunless tan lotion, you should exfoliate carefully prior to application. At the very least, apply a good moisturizer to any rough surfaces on your body (like knees) so that the lotion can penetrate your skin properly. Do not shower, swim, or use moisturizer of any sort after the treatment for at least five hours. After that, moisturizer should be applied frequently to maintain your tan in best condition. Chlorinated water, in particular, is bad for your treatment, as it can bleach the solution and cause streaking.

After you shower for the first time, you may notice that your skin is immediately paler; that is because the bronzing dye, water soluble in some lotions, has rinsed off. However, the treatment you just underwent stimulated the cells in your body that cause a natural tan. You will probably notice your skin darkening gradually for as long as several days after your treatment.

This is not an instant tan. You’ll have a little color after the first application, but it will probably take several sessions in order to achieve the color you want. Once your tan is dark enough for you, you can maintain it by tanning weekly. If you’re in a hurry, you can use both sunless lotion and traditional tanning techniques like indoor tanning booths.

There are dozens of brands of hand-applied lotions available, with the most popular being St. Tropez and Fake Bake. When choosing one of these, be certain to look for one with “color guide” – that is, a pigmented lotion dark enough that you can see where you’ve applied it.

If you decide to try a mist tanning process, you can try Mystic Tan or Sun Spritz. Either of these systems will bathe your body in a mist that will encourage tanning.

Read More »
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »