Originally Posted by Whitey
Yes, tanning has been proven to help acne. The UV helps destroy the bacteria causing the inflammations. It also helps to dry out the skin, helping the skin to slough off properly. It's not an end-all, though. It will not eradicate the bacteria, it will only help. It should be an element of a multi-pronged attack. Many tanning lotions will be counterproductive as they are greasy and clog pores. If we are talking about sunblock, this is especially the case. On the other hand, you do want to protect your skin against premature aging, but then again, if you're prone to acne, you probably have oily skin, and this is not a big concern. If you're talking about a tanning accelerator, to the extent that you can find one that is not oily and does not cause you to break out, it may be okay.
The key is you really must use a good moisturizer after tanning. Same principle applies as when you use an acid or peroxide cleanser - when your skin is dry, your oil glands go into overdrive to compensate.