There are few things that can quite match the look of a beautiful, deep, golden bronze tan. Whether you desire it for a special occasion or simply as a means to look healthier and ready for summer all year long, a tan can add a dramatic flair to your look, in addition to making you appear more slender and with a natural, healthy, sunkissed glow. But when the cold months of winter come along, your tan can often begin to fade with the shortening days and diminishing amount of sunlight. Tanning beds have long offered a solution to this issue, and a savvy consumer can make the most of these periodic tanning sessions with the use of indoor tanning lotions.

The most common type of indoor tanning lotions is a bronzer. When applied to your skin, it helps to speed up the development of a tan. It is possible to see results in less than a week, which is certainly far faster - and much safer - than simply using a tanning bed on its own. This can be helpful when just starting a tanning regiment to boost the effects and help develop the tan at the beginning. On average, a tan takes eight to ten weeks of ten to thirty minute sessions to fully develop, depending upon your natural skin tone. After it is complete, you can switch to only one session a week for maintenance, but you should ask your salon associate for their advice before making this switch. It's also very likely that your favorite tanning salon will offer a selection of indoor sun tan lotions to help supplement your tan's progress between visits.

At this point there are lotions developed specifically for people who are already accustomed to using a tanning bed and do so regularly. One popular variation of indoor tanning lotion is called a "sizzle lotion" for its tendency to make a sizzling sound when tanning. Usually these are formulated for the legs, but there are lotions available to help with facial tans as well. Sizzle lotions should not be used by someone who does not already possess a tan, as they can cause redness on pale skin. If you experience any similar problems with a sizzle lotion, you should discontinue the use of it immediately. Again, it's best to consult a tanning professional before using this type of indoor tanning lotion product.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are cooling tanning bed lotions that help you to deal with the heat inside of a tanning bed. In direct contrast to a sizzle lotion, these will feel like a gentle breeze moving over you. In a similar vein, there are also moisturizing lotions that are available to use in conjunction with an indoor tanning lotion to ensure that you skin remains supple and hydrated after a session. These should be used after every visit to the salon to keep your skin at its healthiest.

A final note on the use of indoor tanning lotions. As the name suggests, it is meant to be used indoors - and consequently, this means that they are not meant to be used for outdoor tanning. Indoor and outdoor tanning lotions should never be confused or interchanged, as they are made for two very different types of light and UV sources. Furthermore, you should always read all of the directions on your lotion's bottle before usage. Being informed about your lotions and the tanning process in general will guarantee that you will have successful results whether you are just starting to use an indoor tanning lotion, or you are a tanning veteran!