- Take a shower and exfoliate using an abrasive soap or scrubbing sponge. You want your skin to be clean and free of dead skin cells. This will enable your tan to last longer. According to The Boston Globe, about 30,000-40,000 skin cells fall off you per minute, and on average 8.8 pounds of dead skin cells fall off your body per year.
- Use a high quality tanning lotion. Lotions designed for tanning beds can increase your tan from 40 to 70 percent. They can be expensive but they are worth it. Your tanning results will be better and your skin will be softer, smoother, and most of all tanner.
- Do not burn. Whatever you do, do not stay in the bed longer than you should. Initially, your first tanning session should only last from 4 to 8 minutes. You may need to stay at this time for several sessions before bumping it up. If ever your skin is burned, wait till the burn is completely gone before tanning again, and bump your time down. Burning is bad for your skin.
- Wear goggles while in the tanning bed. Protect your eyes and always wear goggles. Your eyes can be permanently damaged without them, take this seriously and wear them always.
- Wait at least 48 hours in between tanning sessions. Once you have reached your tanning goal, your tan can be maintained with 1 or 2 visits per week to the tanning salon.
- Use a tan extender after tanning. Tan Extenders are lotions that keep your tan lasting longer. They often have bronzers in them that give you a little extra color and they have ingredients that keep your skin looking smooth and tan.
- Tan in moderation and be responsible about tanning
