Now that the summer is coming to an end and we brace ourselves for the long winter ahead, it would be a shame to lose the golden tan that took all summer to achieve. Luckily there are many options for keeping your skin golden brown in the absence of the sun.
A lot of people are skeptical when it comes to sunless tanning because lets face it, the thought of tanning without the sun just sounds like an oxymoron. Rest assured though that these products and methods do work, and in fact can be safer for you than spending long hours in the sun damaging your skin with harmful UV rays.
In this article we explore some of the most popular options that people choose to keep up their beautiful golden skin tone during the long winter months.
Spray Tanning
Probably the most popular sunless tanning method available, spray tanning creates a similar skin tone to actual tanning, without the necessity of baking in the sun. By carefully spraying a mist on the skin which contains and ingredient called Dihydroxyacetone (DHA), chemical reactions occur on the surface of the skin causing it to turn a golden brown hue, similar to what you would achieve with sun tanning.
This form of tanning is completely safe (as long as you don’t inhale the spray) and the results can last up to 7 days. There are several different ways you can get a spray tan completed on your skin including:
- stepping in an automated spray tanning booth which evenly sprays the mist on your body
- getting it applied to your skin by a professional with a device similar to a paint gun
- applying it yourself with a store bought aerosol version
For best results, visit a tanning salon and have it applied to your skin by a professional or in one of Midnight Suns state of the art spray tanning booths.
Tanning Bed
Another very popular method of tanning your skin without the need for natural sunlight is by using a tanning bed. Although this does not use natural sunlight, the lights used in tanning beds still emit UV radiation to tan your skin, similar to the sun.
As a result of using UV radiation to change the color of your skin in a tanning bed, the detrimental effects are very similar to what you would get from sun bathing. A big difference, however, is that you have much more control over how much UV radiation penetrates your skin and you can use a tanning bed year round, day and night.
Sunless Tanning Lotions
Similar to spray tanning, sunless tanning lotions have DHA in them, causing the tone of your skin to darken when it comes in contact with the lotion. These lotions are another great alternative to sunbathing, and also a cost effective alternative to spray tanning.
The major downside of using sunless tanning lotions is that you never know if you applied it evenly to your skin until the results show up, which may be too late. This can result in an unnatural looking and uneven tan, something that is rare with spray tanning applied by a professional.
