What do you use when u go tanning?

[saboudian]

Hey guys my skin is just about snow white so i'm gonna start tanning about 4 months out. I never been tanning before and i wanted to know what type of lotions, oils, products or whatever you apply before u jump in the tanning booth.

[overactive-girl]

I use VIBE lotion. it works well.
there is now this new thing called mystic tanning...it's like a tanning car wash. There are no lights, you go in the booth and get prayed. You get dark quick and easy and don't damage your skin.

[tt333]

I just use regular sun tan lotion.

[babysqeeze]

bath and body works has a good self tanner that doesnt get on anything but the skin, ie sheets, clothes, etc. just wear gloves to apply. its about $9 a bottle and you have to get it in season. it worked great for me

[zzo18]

babysqeeze...How long does the stuff last on your skin?

[babysqeeze]

zzo, it last for about a week, the more you shower and put lotions on though, makes it some off quicker. i use it in addition to a bed. you can also add more coats during the day to get darker.

[powerlifterjay]

I use a bronzer one one trip, then i switch to a tingle lotion on the next, then i use a oil. Then repeat. I use a different one each time i go in. I switch brands too. My wife has about $1000.00 dollars worth of lotion!! So that helps. Need a good moisturizer too. That way you keep your tan longer.

[Doc M]

If you decide to use a sunless tanner, and are a male, I have some helpful advice. I prefer to use a sunless tanner because I hate to lay in the sun and the thought of going to a tanning bed 3 times per week doesn't do anything for me either. However, I do like to keep a good color so this is what I have prfected over the years through trial and error.

Depending on your hair color, you should pay careful attention not to get it on your hairline, eyebrows, or facial hair. I am clean shaven so this is not a huge concern, but it can discolor your hair to an orangish tone whick looks ridiculous. I follow these steps and always have a great color. During the winter I really only concentrate on my face, neck, and arms/hands.

1.) Shower prior using a exfoliating scrub on the areas you are going to apply to the lotion to. I use a product by St. Ives. It is called St. Ives Medicated Apricot Scrub which is sold at Walmart. It does a great job exfoliating my face and neck. I then use a loofah to do my arms.

2.) Make sure you are COMPLETELY dry before applying the lotion. Water is the enemy in the initial stage. Make sure you apply it evenly and lightly because too much can cause a browninsh/orangisn stain on the skin. Very Bad!!

3.) Make sure you let the lotion absorb completely before coming in contact with any clothing. Different products have different drying times so read the recommendations on the back.

Me and my wife have just tried a new product from Nuetrogena. It is a sunless tanning foam. I was skeptical about it at first, but after we tried it I am telling you it is the best. I have tried evrything on the market. High dollar stuff at the mall and cheap stuff at Walmart and this is hands down my favorite. It is very light, goes on great, and doesn't have a rancid odor like most of them do. It dries in about 3-5 minutes. I put it on about 15 minutes before I go to bed and I have not seen anything on our white sheets and pillow cases.

Believe me, I have been using these since I was in Med school (6 yrs ago) and I feel like a damn sunless tanning professional. I get a lot of compliments on my color so it definitely looks good or I would be getting my balls busted. I do visit the sun booth one time per week just to keep the rest of the bod with some color. Okay, my wife is laughing at me now, so I hope this helps.

Oh hell, I alomost forgot. If you apply it to your face and neck, wash your hands VERY thoroughly after you are done. I wash mine two times because it can stain your hands. I have my wife put it on my arms and hands afterwards. If you have to do it yourself, do your face first, the your hands down to yuor wrists, then wash your hands. I then will use a Q-tip to apply it to my hands and fingers. Pay careful attention to your hands and fingers. They are very easy to overapply the tanner and this will discolor them especially the knuckels. Okay, I'm done now!

[skinnyhb]

good post forecon. im not sure that he is looking for sunless stuff, but more i think that he wants tan enhancers that you put on before and after using tanning booths. if i am incorrect in this, saboudian, check out this site, its got some good stuff on sunless tanners. http://www.sunless.com/

[saboudian]

well u're right skinnyhb, but hell i'd try anything. So forecon, u're saying this stuff is just like a tan in the can? I was looking more towards trying to build a base tan for a contest so when i apply all the instant tan stuff i'll look decent.

BTW, thanx for throwing out the link skinnyhb, i'll give it a look

[saboudian]

Only problem with the site, is that there are so many products, i have absolutely no idea where to start or even what to look for in a tanning product.

[Doc M]

Sabo..

I should be more specific on what the tanning foam is and how I would approach it. You're right, there are tons of product and it is very hard to determine what will work for you.

The tanning foam is not like the competition tan in a can you are referring to. Most pre-contest tanners fade away when you shower and scrub. There are some that stay with you, but most are just for effect and making a BB look more muscualr and ripped for a show.

Tanning foam (Neutrogena) is a self tanning foam that gives you a base color after an hour or two and will stay with you for 2-3 days. You can reapply it a couple of times throughout the day to make your color deeper, but I have never been a big fan of doing that. these products are really for keeping a good, healthy color throughout the year without spending a lot of time and money in a tanning bed.And by the way, tanning beds are very bad for your skin if used excessively. So enough of the medical advice. If you are looking more at pre-contest prep, than I would spend some time int he tanning salon to develope a good base and then use the tan in the can when you are getting ready to do a contest.

I would strongly suggest you ask some of the veteran's on this site about which products are really good and which one's to stay away from. A bad application before a show can be a disaster to your look, so maybe some of the veterans of contests can give you some more info. I hope this helps.

[durbin22]

I was considering Mystic Tan but it runs like 25.00 a session and only lasts a week. Check the tanning place for a good lotion. I got one for 15 and cannot see spending 50.00 on lotion.

[rxarms]

Bain de Soleil is what I use. There is light, dark and deep dark. I prefer the deep dark, but I also alternate with the dark. It really gives you a natural looking tan. The deep dark has a tint that helps you guide the lotion on your skin so you don't miss spots. Very imbarasing. However, I have never been able to get it to a point of real deep dark tan even after multiple aplications.

It sounds French, but it is an American product made by Pfizer. I wouldn't be caught dead using French shit. The Bastards.

[Luke530]

there is some new stuff called "tatoo" which is supposed to work great for tanning beds... should help you tan much faster and get darker quicker... the only problem is it runs about $45 per bottle...

[BIG R]

Lotion is super expensive, I agree. I bought the lotion SMOKE by Supre it works dam good with or with out sun!

R

[SwoleDiesel662]

get a decent base at the cancer coffin, then finish it of with the new neutragena self tanning foam, that stuff works so good, plus less chance for cancer

[nj juice]

if you want a great tanning lotion go to hollywood tans. They sell a bottle of their house brand shit. Its got a bronzer in it and a high tingle factor. I think tingle factor means it brings new skin cells to the surface and they will tan easier, leaving you more dark. If youve never used it youll know why they call it tingle when you go to sit down and ur ass is on fire, oh and never use it on ur face. The bottle they sell is like $35 i think and lasts forever, ive used it about 10 times and still half-full.