The most common types of indoor tanning lotions.

Tingles and bronzers and intensifiers, oh my! To the untrained eye, it’s nearly impossible to navigate the big, sparkling, mysterious world of indoor tanning lotion. This guide defines the most common types of indoor tanning lotions so that you can identify the right one for you without pursuing a post-graduate education in sunless tanning terms and know-how.

Bronzer

Some lotions have three bronzers. Others have fifty. Some have none at all. If you’re going tanning, surely you want a bronze, so why would you ever get a lotion that says “no bronzer?” Bronzer refers to the sunless tanning agent that is present in some lotions, and not in others. “Bronzer” lotion means that some sunless tanning agent is present. While lotions used to either be “bronzer” or “no bronzer,” now you’ll find a host of bronzer styles, like: delayed bronzer, immediate bronzer, extended bronzer, natural bronzer and more.

First, consider the number before the bronzer (for example, 5 bronzers or 100 bronzers). The higher the number of bronzers, the quicker you will get color from the sunless tanning agent. Now, look after the number. If there is an “X”, like 50X Bronzers, then the bronzer is an extended bronzer, which gives an added bronzing boost. There are also optimizer bronzers, which give streak-free results.

Tingle

Tingle lotions give huge results, but they’re not for everyone. When applied to the skin, lotions with a tingle agent begin to tingle and redden skin. The lotion increases circulation in the outer layers of skin, which brings the skin’s melanin to the surface so that the exposure to UV rays yields greater results.  

Within a few hours, the discomfort of redness and tingling will stop and you’ll enjoy a dark tan. It’s wise to start out with a lower grade tingle to see if you can handle the “pins and needles” feeling. The “hottest” tingle will yield the most extreme results of any indoor tanning lotion. Tingle lotions are intense, and they should never, ever be applied to sensitive areas like the face.

Intensifier/Accelerator

Both “intensifier” and “accelerator” refer to the same kind of lotion. Rather than delivering an intense tanning experience, the intensifier and accelerator lotions prepare the skin for UV exposure by delivering moisture and nutrients to the skin. This aims to protect the skin and keep it healthy. And, when skin is healthy nd moist, it reacts better to UV rays.

Hypoallergenic/Fragrance Free

Hypoallergenic and fragrance free lotions are stripped down to the bare minimum. They are free of irritants that bother sensitive skin types. Hypoallergenic and fragrance free lotions are perfect for those with sensitive skin, or those who hate the glitter in some lotions, or funky smells of others.



Why purchase the bottle?

Lotions sold at tanning salons are sometimes overpriced, and lotion bottles sold on sites like Amazon can be fraudulent. It’s wise to purchase bottles from a trusted seller, and it’s much more cost effective to buy a large quantity of your favorite lotion rather than buying one sample at a time.