Tanning Lotions
Tanning dehydrates the skin making it important to use lotion to nourish and moisturize to keep looking smooth and healthy. But not any lotion should be used in tanning beds because tanning beds are acrylic and indoor lotions can damage acrylic surfaces by causing build up.
Indoor tanning lotions accelerate the tanning process, by promoting the production of melanin. Increasing blood flow to the skin is a proposed mechanism, which may in turn stimulate production of melanin designed for use with an ultraviolet source such as a tanning bed or booth.
Some of the active ingredients found in common tanning lotions include melanin and L-Tyrosine. Other commonly found ingredients include tea oil, copper (in many different chemical compounds), green teaextract and many other natural oils. Indoor tanning lotions are usually designed to only use ingredients that will not cause damage or build up on acrylic surfaces. This is because all tanning beds use 100% acrylic in their protective shields. This is one reason people should not use outdoor tanning lotion in a tanning bed, as some common ingredients such as mineral oil (common ingredient in cosmetics, including some baby oil brands) will damage the surface of the acrylics.[citation needed]
Tingle is a standard description for indoor tanning lotions that contain ingredients that increase blood flow at the skin level, or cause a "tingling" sensation.
