HEATWAVE’S PERFECT TAN

Heatwave Tanning Salon has researched various products and offers only the best, including products from Australian Gold, California Tan, Designere Skin, Kardashian, Swedish Beauty and some others. Our customers tell us what works best for them every day. We then expand that line or simply discontinue it!

So why should I buy lotions from Heatwave Tanning Salon?

Heatwave Tanning Salon is a professional salon that sees tanners every day. We'll be happy to give you some information about what works and why, and answer any other questions you may have about tanning. We are trained and certified on indoor tanning so we can answer many questions for you and help you obtain the best tan possible in the shortest amount of time.

Will buying lotions by itself give you some dark amazon tan...probably not?

But the proper lotions, proper techniques and proper exposure WILL get you there as fast as possible. We are not some huge wholesale outlets with thousands of employees. We are a smaller, locally owned facility that offers great products, a professional atmosphere and really do know what we're talking about. Let us help you.

General Info

Indoor and Outdoor tanning lotions are a necessary part of effective tanning that can help reduce and undesirable side effects associated with UV exposure. The moisture and additives present in professional tanning lotions help reduce wrinkling, drying of the skin, and premature aging of the skin and burning and assist your skin to produce that dark tan everyone craves. The old saying, "You get what you pay for" is very true when it comes to tanning lotions. Store brands, "generic" or "no name" brands of lotions typically do not include ingredients that will produce a quality tan or the protection from the unwanted rays that produce many unwanted side effects.

By the way, the rumor that "I burn first then it turns into a tan" is absolutely false! Any burn is damaging your skin. An educated, professional salon will not let your exposure time be long enough to burn you. If they do, find another salon. Heatwave Tanning Salon and all it's staff are certified by a national tanning association to help you get that tan you want as quickly and as safely as possible. Professional indoor tanning facilities know to apply enough exposure to tan you slowly but will not burn you. BE PATIENT! If the salon is professional, has good equipment and proper maintenance; most people will tan to the best of their ability.

Enough about us, here is a few hints about tanning!

Moisture, Moisture, Moisture!
This is KEY to tanning effectively! Always use a quality tanning lotion when tanning indoors or outdoors. After tanning, immediately apply a good tan extender lotion (or in a pinch a quality hand or body lotion will do). This will not only allow you to tan AFTER you are out of the sun (yes this does happen) but it will help keep your tan from fading between exposures as well! You can loose up to 50% of your tanning potential from not moisturizing properly.

Lotions- YES they are important! ITS 42% OF YOUR TAN!!

The first step in lotion is typically called an Accelerator.
This step allows great initial tanning but assumes you do not have a dark base tan already. It will accelerate your tan to a point, but will keep most people from getting the deepest tan possible, or to plateau. Please remember though that this is a necessary step to help you build a BASE TAN so you do not burn

The steps that follow typically are designated as step 2, 3, 4 and so on and assume that you have a base tan. You should always progress through these lotions in sequence. Depending on your skin type you may be able to skip some steps but be careful. These higher steps of lotion are designed to maximize your exposure to the UV rays. If you jump too far you may set yourself up to burn. Again, burning is BAD!

I've been amazed lately the people coming in and telling us that "salon XYZ told me I didn't need to use lotion, that I'm wasting my money." Think about it...Why did they change from that salon to ours? Perhaps they weren't getting tan enough...Hmmm. I think there is some coincidence here. Don't try to cheap out. We see tanners who are very dark every day. You'll see excellent, upper level (and yes more expensive) lotions in there bag every time. If you want a $2.99 tan, buy a $2.99 bottle of lotion from Wal-Mart.

Healthy, moisturized skin is an essential element in the development and maintenance of any tan, but even more so if you’re doing your tanning indoors. If you allow your skin to dehydrate, the flaky top cells of dry will actually reflect the tanning UV light from the sun bed lamp away from you. Moist skin allows the full spectrum of light to penetrate easily, allowing for as much as 30% deeper, darker and longer lasting color.

Moisturizing daily keeps your skin soft and supple so you achieve a better tan. Drinking lots of water also helps. While there are innumerable lotions of varying quality and effectiveness on the market those that are formulated specifically for use with tanning equipment are the most recommended by professionals.

Studies have shown the use of lotion that accelerate and/or amplify tanning have a positive effect on your body’s natural tanning process. Tanning occurs when melanin production is stimulated by either natural or manufactured UV light, but it can take several days after exposure for the tan to fully develop visually. Lotion, when properly chosen and applied, can speed up the tan process and make the color last longer.

Natural lotions primarily feature skin condition ingredients that create and maintain a state for optimum tanning. These are recommended for ALL tanners.

Effect Lotions contain ingredients that produce specific sensations, essentially to speed the tanning process and/or to recreate the look and feel of a natural tan. These include “tinglers”(which stimulate oxidation in the skin for a deeper, darker, quicker tan but tend to temporarily leave the skin red – due to increased blood circulation to the skin- for up to two hours after the session); “bronzers” (which can help even out tan while moisturizing); and combination of both. Effect lotions require at least a base tan and are not recommended for those with particularly light/fair skin.

Can I use my indoor lotion outdoors - or outdoor lotion indoors?

Yes and No. You can use any indoor lotion outdoors but not the other way around. Indoor lotions provide great additives that will produce great results but be careful not to over do it! Indoor lotions do not have any SPF factor in them so your risk of burning due to overexposure will not decrease. Outdoor lotions may not be used in tanning units in general, and they won't allow your tan to develop well either.

Eye protection-

Simply put, WEAR IT! No, sunglasses won't do. Use eyewear approved for indoor tanning. The best ones are goggle types that completely cover your eyes. Contacts should be removed before tanning as well. Your eyes will dry out from tanning and so will your contacts, which can be quite uncomfortable.

How often should I tan?

Typically the best exposure schedule to gain a tan is approximately 3 times per week. Depending on your desired tan level it could be less but in general should not be more. Tanning too often dries your skin and can actually cause you to tan less per session or in extreme cases even go backwards. So don't be tempted to over do it. Most people can maintain their tan in about 6 sessions per month (evenly spread out), after they have achieved their desired level of tan. Everyone is different so adjust this according to your type of skin.

What do the different exposure times do for me?

First, you should only tan enough to receive a very small amount of pink color in tender areas that goes away in a couple of hours. If it does not go away quickly or is sensitive to touch, this area has burned. Burning is bad and does not enhance your tan. This exposure time depends on the person and may be 6 minutes or 20 minutes. It also depends on the power of the unit. For the record, the units with a lower max time are MORE powerful. If you go in a 20-minute unit for 20 min, then go in a 10-minute unit for 10 min, you just received the same exposure of light! It only took you half as long as before...and your time is valuable, right? So this is a HUGE benefit to you, the tanner if you do it’s for the same price, right? These shorter units cost a LOT more money to buy and operate

and will cost YOU more money for the same exposure. As far as wanting "the max" exposure the first time you tan for the season, don't do it. Typically, if you can do this without burning, you either have a very dark complexion, or the units are not kept up. If a 95 pound man and a 430-pound man go to an "all you can eat buffet" they do not eat the same quantity of food. It's the same with tanning. Your maximum amount of time is the best amount for YOU, no matter how many minutes it is. So don't over do it. If it's 7 minutes or 12 minutes, this is the right amount for you to tan you most effectively.

Lastly, use common sense.

If you feel too hot get out of the light! Above all look for a professional salon to ask questions. They should be able to help you tan as effectively as possible and it should be a pleasant experience for you!