Can You Use Tanning Oil in a Tanning Bed?

Tanning is a passion for most people and it has become a determining factor when it comes to beauty and fashion. However, most tanning salons don’t like using tanning oil in their tanning beds. So, if you’re a beginner and you’re wondering if you can use tanning oil in a tanning bed, the answer is, no.

Most people love going to lie on the beach to soak in some sun as you get your natural tan, while others don’t have the time or energy to do that. A great alternative is the tanning salons where you lie in a tanning bed for about 30 minutes and let the artificial UV rays give you a tan.

Using a tanning bed is a simple process that will give you a flowing golden tan in the least time possible so you don’t have to bask in the sun the whole day and damage your skin in the process.

Can you use tanning oil in tanning bed? Using tanning oil for your indoor and outdoor tanning will give you a great tan, but unfortunately, it isn’t advisable to use it in tanning beds. This will cause damage to the tanning bed as well as your skin. Tanning oils offer many benefits to your skin and even in tanning beds, the difference is you need to check the ingredients they contain.

So, get a tanning oil that doesn’t contain mineral oil which will make it safe to use in a tanning bed, but you need to first consult your tanning salon manager and assure them that your product doesn’t contain mineral oil.

It’s better to use tanning lotions since they don’t have any effect on the tanning beds.

 

What is Tanning Oil?

This is a product you apply on your skin as a coating before you get inside a tanning bed. There are different brands of tanning oils in the market today.

Tanning beds contain acrylic which reacts with the mineral oils then starts to slowly spoil the tanning bed, but you can use tanning bed lotion instead.

Tanning oils aren’t the best option if you’re using a tanning bed, but you can use other products to improve the health of your skin.

What’s in a Good Tanning Oil?

However, if the tanning oil you’re going to use contains bronzers, it will give you a good tan just for a week. The best oil should contain useful substances and hydrating ingredients that will keep your skin safe and guarantee the health of your skin.

A good tanning oil should consists of these incredients –

  • rich in glycerin,
  • sun protecting factor
  • coconut oil,
  • vitamin E, and other vitamins.

These ingredients contain skin-friendly cosmetic oil that can help to enhance your tanning process and give your skin a great color. 

How does a tanning bed work?

For you to get an even tan on a tanning bed, you lie on the bed of glass, then the UV rays are projected onto your skin to mimic the effects of the sun which stimulates the production of melanin in your skin. The tanning beds are lined with acrylics which forms a thin surface of the glass that protects your skin from the heat when you’re lying on the bed. If the tanning oil you’re using in the tanning bed contains mineral oil, it’s deadly for a tanning bed. This acrylic isn’t very friendly to mineral oil. Although the mineral oil contributes to giving you a tan, it degrades the acrylic lining which is costly to buy and maintain.

Tanning oil in a tanning bed

Now that you know what a good tanning oil should have, you now understand why it’s not wise to use tanning oil in a tanning bed. If you’re a regular visitor to your tanning salon, you might have noticed they don’t like using tanning oils in their tanning beds.

Some of the tanning oils contain chemicals that damage the tanning bed, and although the effects aren’t immediate, the results are disastrous.

It’s said that you can use a tanning oil for the first time to get an efficient tan. Unfortunately, problems start to emerge several days after your tanning session when you notice that your skin isn’t as smooth and soft as it was immediately after tanning.

Despite the use of tanning oils in tanning beds being discouraged, they have a few benefits for your tanning session.

Advantages of using tanning oil

Speeds up tanning

Oil, as you know, reflects light and because tanning oil has no UV rays protection, it can reflect light which gives you an illusion of a darker tan and at the same time speeds up your tanning process. This means you get a tan faster. Some tanning oils may contain other ingredients like melanin or tingling ingredients that accelerate your tanning process than others. If you experience a slight burn when using tanning oil, it will increase the production of melanin in your skin which helps to speed up your tan.

Keeps your skin moisturized

Keeping your skin well moisturized ensures that you get a better tan than dry skin. If you experience winter, then you tan during summer or spring, you will notice the difference in your skin because winter tends to dry out your skin. Applying tanning oil keeps your skin flexible and soft which gives you an even tan. You should get a tanning oil that contains sodium PCA, sodium isethionate that forms a good bond with water and glycerin.

Helps to protect your skin

Apart from moisturizing your skin, a good tanning oil contains natural ingredients that help to improve the health of your skin. These natural ingredients provide essential nutrients to your skin. Some of these natural ingredients include hemp, coconut oil, riboflavin a botanical natural extract, and L-tyrosine. Vitamin E contains anti-aging properties that are very beneficial to your skin.

Further Reading

How does Tanning oil Work

Tanning Bed Rash