Indoor Tanning Lotion: Necessary or Nonessential?

As a business owner, naturally you will try to maximize your sales when able. In tanning this can happen in the form of promotions, recommending package upgrades or encouraging the purchase of product, like lotion. In most cases we might all agree that an upsell is an upsell and whatever is being pushed may not even be of benefit to the customer. However, when it comes to smart indoor tanning, lotion is pivotal in the results your clients see. The most effective way to persuade your clients to purchase tanning lotion from your salon is to educate them on the need for it. Recently, ProSun had a sit down training with Devoted Creations to learn more about their new lotions, the high caliber ingredients used throughout their 15 diverse product lines, and how tanning lotion improves the quality of a client’s tan and skin. When customers know the fundamental reasons and benefits behind indoor tanning lotion, specifically for their skin type and tanning experience, they will almost always consider the purchase a necessity.

When a client questions why they need quality indoor specific tanning lotion, here are some of the reasons you can offer them.

MOISTURIZE Dry skin is at a higher risk of burning, not to mention the difference moisturizer makes in the overall appearance of the skin. Devoted Creations’ indoor tanning lotion is formulated with Aloe as the first ingredient to especially ensure that the intense light and heat of tanning lamps doesn’t dry all of the moisture from the skin. Appropriate moisturizing will not only enhance the look of a tan but extend the life of it as well.

IMPROVES TAN Indoor tanning lotions are developed to accelerate and intensify the tan, whereas regular sunscreen/block will filter, or block, the UV rays that bronze skin. Certain lotions are designed to continue developing a tan for hours after the session ends, which is why immediate showering isn’t recommended for the best results.

ADDED BENEFITS Almost every high quality tanning lotion will have added ingredients that provide some type of benefit for the skin. For example, jojoba oil softens and hydrates skin while vitamin C repairs skin and boosts collagen production. Being able to identify a client’s skin needs will help you match them to a lotion with the most valuable ingredients. It’s important to note that cheap indoor tanning lotion from the drugstore is composed primarily of ineffective fillers and almost never contains the same level of desirable ingredients. You get what you pay for.

SAVES TIME & MONEY You might consider this a business negative, but there are always going to be potential customers who are hesitant to start tanning because of the upkeep cost and time the tanning process takes. By guiding them to an appropriate lotion that will help intensify their tan, assuring them they can shorten and space out their sessions, you might be able to secure a client who originally wasn’t completely sold.

Once you’ve educated your customer on the necessity behind using indoor tanning lotion, it’s time to help them pick one most suitable. There are a variety of lotion categories, the choice all depending on the customer’s complexion goals.

ACCELERATOR (also called tan enhancers, optimizers, intensifiers, maximizers or amplifiers) Accelerators are the perfect entry level lotion for first time tanners or clients building a base tan. Every lotion starts off as a pure lotion and as certain ingredients are added they become categorized. Tyrosine (a melanin stimulant) and skincare elements are the only contents in these level-one lotions. Because the lotions in the accelerator category are not supplemented with bronzer, blusher or tingler ingredients, they will never cause streaking, staining, or that sunless tanning after smell.

BRONZER There are three sub-categories to know about within the bronzer family, as well as the most common bronzing ingredient – dihydroxyacetone (DHA).

• DHA Derived from glycerin, DHA interacts with the amino acids in dead skin cells to produce a brown color change. DHA is found in spray tan solutions and sunless tanners, basically acting as a dye for the skin. The addition of color caused by this central ingredient will keep a clients’ tan darker for longer. This product can stain, so it’s important that users thoroughly wash their hands after a session. Some products will have higher levels of DHA which explains the numbers commonly seen on lotion bottles, i.e. “100X darker”.

• NATURAL BRONZER Just as it sounds, natural bronzers are filled with ingredients that naturally oxidize darker the longer they sit. The benefit to natural bronzers is that they are stain and streak free with no sunless tanning after smell. Natural bronzers are less difficult to work with, therefor ideal for first time tanners.

• COSMETIC BRONZER Comparable to make up for the body, cosmetic bronzers provide instant gratification for clients who really want to be able to see the tan they just paid for without waiting for it to develop. While cosmetic bronzers are instant, they will wash off upon showering.

• TRANSFER RESISTANT (also called clear or white bronzers) Clients will still get dark in 4 hours from the DHA found in these bronzers, yet it’s going to develop exactly as described, transfer resistant, while never staining or ruining light colored clothing.

TINGLE Customers are likely to either love or hate tingle lotions. Tingles produce an intense warming sensation and are not intended for first time tanners or clients with sensitive skin. Customers that tend to reach for a tingle lotion want to intensify an existing tan that has plateaued, or help along areas of the body that don’t get as much oxygen circulation. Benzyl Nicotinates is literal liquid fire included as one of the first few ingredients in Devoted Creations tingle products, which increases microcirculation in the body. Tingles are way too intense for sensitive areas of the body, such as the face, and immediate showers can actually reactivate the product causing the hot sensation to re-occur. It’s imperative that customers are fully informed on the purpose and power of tingle products.

BLUSHER Also known as a warming lotion, blushers increase the circulation in the body without the crazy heat of a tingle. The same precautions taken when using a tingle lotion should be applied when using a blusher.

Realistically, when walking into the salon, your customer’s goal isn’t to walk out with a quality lotion, it’s to walk out with a quality tan. As the business owner, manager, or employee, you’ll have the knowledge to explain why those two goals are actually one in the same. Devoted Creations designs, develops, tests, manufactures, labels, and bottles all products in-house, safeguarding the highest level of quality control. A grand assortment of Devoted Creations products, containing only the finest and freshest ingredients, ensures there is a perfect match for everyone. And if the fun/chic bottle designs aren’t enough to make you want to line your shelves with DC products, you should know that the company is a proud supporter of several tanning industry associations, and regularly donates to an extensive list of charitable organizations. Devoted Creations additionally carries daily moisturizers, body washes and other skin care products.

For more information on getting Devoted Creations cruelty-free tanning lotions in your salon, contact ProSun at (877) 725-2236 or sales@prosun.com.

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