What tanning lotion is best for you: Our guide to slimming down our collection to work out the best product for you.

No matter your skin type, if you’re getting ready for a tanning session, you should be applying lotion. Not only does this enhance your tanning results, but it helps them last longer, prevent you from smelling, combat the signs of ageing, prevent skin from drying out and becoming irritated, and make the whole tanning experience more luxurious. However, there are so many different lotions, how do you choose what is right for you? Typically there are four different ways of being able to scale down your choices to get the right tanning lotion for you:

1. Type of lotion
2. Extra added features
3. Price 
4. Skin sensitivities

Here we will break down these ways of selecting a lotion, to help you work out what lotion is right for you.

Here at Australian Gold®, we have three main categories of lotion, as well as a few specialties too. These categories dictate what ingredients have been added to help enhance your tan:

Intensifier

Intensifiers (aka Accelerator) work to naturally promote your tan through hydration, natural colour boosters, and skin-conditioning ingredients. The tan you develop is 100% natural and will only be able to go as dark as your skin is capable, depending on how much melanin you naturally have in your skin.

Intensifiers are ideal for: beginner tanners to avoid streaks, those looking to only develop a natural tan, layering with SPF when outdoors, and applying in between sessions as a premium moisturiser for enhanced results.

Immediate Bronzer

These lotions have the same great skincare as an Intensifier, but they also provide immediate colour to the skin. This is not like a "fake" or sunless tan, as it washes away with water and simply works to act as a guide colour for an immediate sun kiss and to ensure even full-body application. Immediate Bronzers (aka Natural Bronzers or Cosmetic Bronzers) use botanical ingredients for an instant glow without staining, which lasts 1-2 days and washes away with water.
Immediate Bronzers are ideal for: those who want an immediate glow whilst their natural tan develops underneath, layering with SPF for enhanced sunbathing results, beginner tanners to avoid streaks, and providing a guide colour.

Delayed Bronzer

Delayed Bronzers provide an additional delayed colour that develops 2-8 hours after tanning, alongside all of the great skincare ingredients added into an Intensifier. This type of lotion should be applied in a circular motion to avoid streaks, as the bronzing ingredients will develop as they have been applied. Although these lotions have the same bronzers as a sunless tan, it is of a much lower quantity and of premium quality, ensuring any colour developed looks very natural, and not at all brassy.
Delayed Bronzers are ideal for: those who have been tanning but are not seeing the tan results they want fast enough (typically those with a naturally fair complexion, as this can help boost results faster), those on a short deadline looking for a golden glow, those who like to get the deepest colour possible.

Specialty lotions

Leg bronzers: If you struggle to get an even colour on your legs when tanning, just know you’re not alone! Our specially designed leg tanning lotions work to combat all the things which delay your tan: dryness, lesser melanin, and the constant removal of skin cells from hair removal, which typically can result in uneven colour.
Facial lotions: We always recommend using a facial lotion, in the same way, that you have a separate moisturiser for your face and body; they’re designed for different skin types and unlike many of the body lotions, don’t contain fragrance. These are also hypoallergenic and gentle enough to be used as a daily moisturiser, making them dual purpose.

 

Tanning lotions can also contain other features which can make them the right choice for you:

Tattoo technology: Deeply hydrating ingredients work to nourish and soothe skin, and also ensure tattoos remain vibrant.

Cooling: Skincare ingredients such as menthol work to create a cooling, soothing experience during your tanning session. An ideal addition for those who don’t like to get too warm during their session!

DermaDark®: This exclusive technology is ideal for helping build your tan, especially for those with fair skin. The ingredients work together to encourage natural tan development. This works both with and without reliance on UV, making it ideal for applying in between tanning sessions too.

Tingle*: This was initially created to prove that tanning lotions genuinely work and make an impact on your tanning performance. These lotions work to irritate the skin, encouraging enhanced blood flow, resulting in deeper natural results even faster. These are ideal for experienced tanners who are looking to boost their tan results further.

 

One of the main reasons why some people think they shouldn’t apply lotion is if they have a skin sensitivity; the belief that tanning without a lotion will stop them from feeling irritated is untrue and can actually cause the opposite effect. The tanning process can be drying on the skin. Without any tanning lotion to counter this, skin can dry out, and produce more oil than usual to compensate. However, the increased production of oil can result in skin sensitivities worsening. 

We therefore recommend four things for those with skin sensitivities:

1. Always use a tanning lotion for your session
2. Never apply a tingle lotion
3. Always use a hypoallergenic lotion; these lotions are typically fragrance free which is the main cause for skin sensitivity. 
4. If you have any further skin sensitivities or allergies, always get in touch with us and we can recommend a lotion which doesn’t contain those particular ingredients!

If you have any other questions about our tanning lotions or what may be best for you, don't hesitate to contact us, but in the meantime, CLICK HERE to view our range of tanning lotions!

 

*Don’t forget: tingles shouldn’t be applied to the face or delicate areas, always wipe your hands after tanning to avoid it transferring, don’t shower, gym, or do anything to warm yourself up for four hours after using this lotion to prevent the tingle sensation starting again, and always always ALWAYS do a test patch first!