Finally a non-technical question! This is a common question to boot:

Dear TanningBeds.org,

How long after tanning should I wait to shower???

[name not given]

—————————–

Dear Showerless,

It depends. If you are using tanning lotion (generally a good idea) then most people say wait about 30 minutes, and then use an aftershower accelerator. Body Drench or Body Invests Accelerator is a good, inexpensive aftershower product that has been around for a very long time. If you are not using tanning lotion, then it really doesn’t matter as the only reason you wait is to allow the ingredients in the lotion to react with the melanin that you stimulated by tanning.

The most common misconception is that “you tan only while you are in the tanning bed” and this just isn’t true. The tanning bed is there to kick start the tanning process, but the actual bronzing takes place over the next 24 hours. You can often see a little color by the time you get out of the bed, but this is usually from the heat or a little bit of burn (which is not particularly good). The idea of waiting is purely to let the tanning lotion do its thing. Additionally, it is a good idea to put on your tanning lotion 20 minutes before you tan, to allow it to fully soak into the skin.

I know this sounds like a lot of extra time, but this is the advantage of tanning in your own tanning bed. You can spend more time but you get a better return in each session.

Dennis