A Guide To Applying Indoor Tanning Lotions

When sunless tanning cream first came onto the market, it was not taken very seriously. Not only was it viewed as peculiar, but many people did not know how to use it properly and this lead to results that were often less than desirable and sometimes down right comical. However, as time has gone by the manufacturers of indoor tanning lotions have developed better lotions and people have learned to use them more effectively. Today indoor tanning lotions are a safe, quick and effective way to get a healthy looking tan.The key ingredient behind the vast majority of indoor tanning lotions is Dihydroxyacetone - or DHA. DHA utilizes the natural amino acids in your skin to produce melanoids, which are the substance responsible for turning your skin brown. Sunless tans are comparatively short lived and in most cases last less than a week. This means it is actually quite easy to experiment with these lotions in order to figure how exactly they work best on your skin.

Bright orange hands are an unsightly side effect of the indoor tanning process. The reason this happens is because your hands come into prolonged exposure with the lotion due to the fact that it's your hands that are applying the stuff to your entire body. There are two ways to avoid getting orange hands. You should either wear plastic gloves while applying the lotion and then finally taking them off at the end when you apply some lotion to the hands as well or simply make a point of washing your hands every five minutes or so. This prevents the lotion from having enough time to really sink in to your skin and cause that deep orange color.

One of the biggest problems people come up against when using indoor lotions is streaking. These are clear lines that appear on your skin due to the fact that the lotion has not been applied properly. The two keys to avoiding streaking is to apply the lotion swiftly, and in a circlular motion. By doing this instead of simply running your hands straight up and down your legs, you will ensure a more even distribution of the lotion and thus avoid any dark streaks. Generally, it is recommended to start applying the lotion from the top of your legs downwards, then from your hands upwards to your shoulders and then finally to cover the trunk of your body front and back.

Before applying the lotion you should give your skin a thorough scrub in the shower. Exfoliating removes as many dead skin cells as possible, which means that when the lotion is applied you are likely to see the effects for a few days longer. Our body is constantly renewing its skin and shedding off dead skin cells and since these lotions only remain effective until your body has shed off its most superficial layer, you will want to maximize your tan time by making sure you have fresh skin cells on the surface of your skin every time you tan.

As far as lotions are concerned you should not however jump in at the deep end. There are many lotions available these days with varying degrees of power. If this is your first time using an indoor tanning lotion then you should start with something mild to see how it looks on you first and the effect it has on your skin type. Depending on your natural skin tone and hair color a really deep tan may or may not look that good on you. The last thing you want on your first occasion after using an indoor lotion is to come out looking so artificially golden brown as to make it obvious that you've over used a lotion. Initially, less is more when it comes to using these products. Once you're familiar with how to use them and what to expect you'll be better equipped to judge whether or not you should go for that really deep bronzed look.