Category: Tips

With the winter quickly approaching, gone are the afternoons spent at the beach, soaking up the sun and working on your perfect tan. Even though we’re all going to be stuck inside for the next few months, there are still some precautions you can take to ensure that you’re keeping your skin looking fresh this winter!

Moisturize

This is a practice that should be implemented all year long, but during the winter it’s especially important to make sure you are keeping your skin moisturized! With the air getting so frigid and dry, you might find your skin cracking, which is never a good look. Try some petroleum jelly based lotion for your hands and arms. For your face, shoulders, neck and the rest of your body, look at your pharmacy for a moisturizer that contains lactic acid as its first ingredient. Make sure to protect your skin all winter long with daily moisturizer!

No Alcohol-Based Product

We’re not saying that you can’t enjoy a few alcoholic drinks during the winter (that would be absurd!). We’re simply suggesting that you don’t use products containing alcohol on your face, especially during the winter!

Alcohol is never a good mix with your skin. Stay diligent when shopping for new products; you’ll want to keep an eye open for products containing either “ethyl alcohol” or “isopropyl alcohol” as its main ingredient, as that’s a huge red flag. It’s actually very good skincare practice to always pay close attention to your products’ ingredient listing! Rubbing that stuff all over your face is going to make your skin look puffy and dry, and we definitely don’t want that!

If you are having ongoing skincare issues, you may want to consider limiting your consumption of alcoholic beverages as well. Just something to consider. 

Avoid Hot Water

This next tip may seem ridiculous, but it is incredibly beneficial to the appearance and general wellbeing of your skin. Once you come inside from a freezing, snowy day your first instinct might be to hop into a nice, steamy shower. Bad idea! While it would probably feel amazing, it’s not worth damaging your skin! 

Depending on how hot your water is, you could dry out your skin or even cause it to start peeling. It has been argued by some that hot water is equally detrimental to your skin as sun exposure. 

Instead of getting the steam rising throughout your bathroom, opt for a lukewarm shower (or bath). It might not feel as instantly refreshing, but the hot water isn’t worth your skin aging prematurely. 

Invest in a Humidifier

The cold air is Public Enemy Number One of refreshing looking skin. That’s why it’s a great idea to have a humidifier ready for this winter! While there are many types of humidifiers, we strongly recommend an ultrasonic humidifier, as it can significantly improve your indoor humidity levels. The dry air has never done favors for anyone’s skin, so investing in a humidifier will keep your skin looking fresh and clean all winter long!

See Your Dermatologist 

It’s never a bad idea to become acquainted with your local dermatologist, especially in the winter months. They’ll be able to analyze your skin type and make specific recommendations as to what products would work best for you. 

If need be, they can even prescribe you a lotion or product to help with any pressing issues you may be having. If you’re noticing any longterm changes in your skin, it’s also crucial that you see your dermatologist as soon as possible, as it could be one of various skin conditions. 

If you take those six tips into consideration, you should be having refreshed skin all winter long!

Now that you’re freshly tanned, you’ll want to make sure you’re dressing so that your tan is accentuated. We’ve compiled a list of clothing/color suggestions that will make sure your tanned skin tone is getting constant compliments! 

It’s important to understand the difference between warm and cool colors, as wearing them will both do very different, but both helpful, things to your tan. An easy mnemonic device to remember this is warm colors are warm like fire, while cool colors are closer to ice. So red, orange, and yellow are your main warm colors, while the other side of the color wheel, including green, blue, and purple, are considered cool colors.  

Citrusy Colors

If you want to show off your newly tanned skin, think about rocking some red, orange or yellow. All shades of orange, from peach to carrot, will make your tan especially noticeable. You’ll want to stick with the shades of bright yellow, as they will do your skin the most favors. WIth red, you’ll want to try to find a balance somewhere between pink and orange. Finding the right shade of red can be difficult, but it if you can do it, you’ll be surprised at how tan your skin looks!

These bright colors will enhance your tan and really draw focus to your fresh color!

Coral Colors

It’s really all about finding the right colors that highlight your skin. While bright colors are typically recommended to make your tan pop, not everyone feels comfortable in such bold, rich colors. Your tan doesn’t have to suffer because of this!

Consider wearing soft corals. Colors and other warm pinks will accentuate the rosy colors of your tan, making your skin look extra bright and bold!

White

You may be noticing a trend throughout this post. Bright colors bring out your tan, while darker colors supply contrast that can accentuate your fresh bronze. 

Of course, there is no color brighter than white, making it quite possibly the best color to wear to show off your new tan at the beach. 

Contrasting Colors

While citrusy colors will do wonders to highlight your tan, have you considered trying to contrast it? Your tan could look sharper by contrasting your skin against a lime green shirt. If you don’t have anything lime green in your closet, think about a berry purple or a dark pink. Wearing any of these colors will highlight the distinction between your clothes and your freshly tanned skin!

Blue is the Warmest Color

In general, all shades of blue will help accentuate your tan. However, some shades work especially well. A good rule of thumb to remember is to stick with shades of the sea. Any kind of light, bright blue will yield a combination of contrast as well as highlighting your skin. 

The lighter the shade of blue you wear, the darker your tan will look in comparison. Conversely, the darker your blues, the less noticeable your new tan will be. 

Accessorize

As you can see, understanding the color wheel and knowing color schemes are incredibly important in accentuating your tan. This knowledge of colors can, and should, be applied when you’re choosing accessories as well since the right accessories can do wonders for your tan. 

The right shade of nail polish will make your hands and toes pop! A good, gold necklace can leave you looking (and feeling) like a bronze goddess. Make sure to keep these colors in mind when picking out your summer bathing suit, because chances are you’ll look tannest at the beach, under the direct sunlight. 

Moisturize

You might be noticing a trend with these posts, but the importance of moisturizer cannot be overstated enough. A good moisturizer can do more for your skin than any color shirt or nail polish ever could! While a tan is temporary, implementing a good, consistent moisturizer into your daily routine will have a lasting and noticeably positive impact on your skin’s health and appearance! 

As Summer approaches, the warm weather and sunshine-filled days make it hard to stay inside. There’s nothing quite like feeling the warm rays on your skin, but sun protection is also essential-especially if you have a tattoo. When you’re out baking in the sun for hours, or even for a couple of minutes in one of our beds, be sure to properly protect your new tattoo. 

Can Tanning Impact Your Tattoo?

So, you’re thinking about getting a new tattoo. We recommend you stop in and prep your skin with a nice tan before your tattoo and then visit us after while using caution. You are going to want to cover the tattoo or use very high SPF before going into a tanning bed after getting your tattoo. Tattoos are usually considered well-healed after about 3 months.

Tanning Beds

It’s important to know that even the tanning bed can irritate your new tattoo if you do not prepare properly. A protective cover or use of sunscreen is critical in tattoo healing process. 

SPF is Key

Ultraviolet rays, while adding a nice bronze tone to your skin, can drain the life out of a tattoo. The more you tan, the more the ink fades, and it slowly goes from brilliant to boring.

Does that mean your tanning days are over? NOPE. Good news is, there are plenty of ways to protect your fresh ink. Find the highest SPF level you can find and re-apply often if you’re going to spend a lot of time outside. If your goal is to go out and get some color, make sure you at least protect your tattoos with as much sunscreen as possible. If you’re indoor tanning, be sure to constantly moisturize and preferably get your tan on prior to getting your tattoo. 

Spray-Tan

Luckily, spray tans are a safe option to achieve a golden glow if you have a healed tattoo. As long as your tattoo is completely healed, you can apply lotion or tanner to it like you would other parts of your body. Because spray tanning doesn’t have UV-rays, there’s no risk to your tattoo. When you get a spray tan, you may notice that some areas of your tattoo appear darker, but this is not permanent and will fade over a couple of days, with the natural lifespan of your spray tan. To prevent the temporary darkening, you can clean the skin where your tattoo is immediately after getting a spray tan. 

Conclusion

You want to avoid tanning in the sun and in UV bed for 3 months after getting a new tattoo. The best ways to stay bronzed during this time is to get a few UV bed sessions in before your tattoo appointment and then switch over to spray tanning until the tattoo heals. This will give you the best results and your tattoo will heal properly. Check out our single visit and membership prices!

Have you heard of the idea of a base tan? It may seem like a reasonable idea, before you head off to the beach for vacation, getting a tan ahead of time. This might help you avoid burning, and there is the added benefit of not looking pale when you first arrive.

Getting a base tan

So does a base tan prevent burning? Experts estimate that going out in the sun with a base tan is equivalent to wearing a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 3 to 4. This means the skin can be exposed to up to four times more sun before burning than without the base tan. For example, if you would ordinarily burn after 20 minutes in the sun, a base tan might mean you can be in the sun for up to 80 minutes before burning. While it’s better than nothing, it’s a modest benefit; most recommended sunscreens have SPF of at least 15 to 30. Just because the skin can be exposed longer when you have a base tan, does not necessarily mean to skip the SPF. Base tans will make you feel and look better but you should still protect your skin.

Everyone’s skin is different. Some burn easy and others never burn. Despite your melanin levels, gradually tanning before a vacation can give you that proper glow and ensure you wear sunscreen without feeling like you won’t get the tan you want if you were to not wear any. With that being said, the tanning bed is not for everyone- which is why another great option is getting a spray/airbrush tan.

For those who have never tried a tanning bed or swear them off, spray or airbrush tanning is highly recommended. Despite the rumors, these “false” tans do not require as much work as you might have heard. With the simple and proper care, you can keep a nice airbrushed/spray tan for up to 2 weeks. Find yourself a trustworthy and reliable tanning location and get that sunless glow before your next vacation, to give the illusion of skin kissed by the sun.

Smile for the camera

Getting a base tan before vacation not only helps you avoid sunburn, it also allows you to glow in all of your photos! Many people are not tan by the time they go on their first vacation of the year and worry that their skin will not be as dark as they want for the photos. A few trips to Sizzle Tans will make it so you love the way your photos come out and you will be able to display them in your house and share them online with confidence!

One of our customers said “I visit Sizzle Tans multiple times in the month leading up to our week long family vacation that we take every year. I am always happy with the service and results!”

Conclusion

Whether you get a tan from the bed, airbrush, or spray, it is more than likely that you will be able to focus on the quality time of your vacation rather than the idea of laying out in the sun all day. Although, there is nothing wrong with laying out and baking all day, it can get quite boring. Get that quick and easy base tan before your big trip so you will be able to enjoy and explore wherever you are headed.

Double dip tanning allows you to get very tan in a small amount of time. Whether you have a work event, a wedding, or a vacation, you will be able to be picture-ready!

Double dip tanning is a session in a UV sunbed and then an immediate spray tan. Sizzle Tans takes advantage of multiple styles of sunbed tanning machines that help you achieve your perfect color. After the sunbed opens your pores and gives you an initial tan, you go to our professional spray tanning booth for your second round of tanning. We have an article that covers our first spray tan tips, but we will go into detail on preparing for double dipping and then post-double dipping maintenance.

Preparing For Your Double Dip Session

Before you visit for your double dipping session, you will need to shower and exfoliate your skin. This will be the last time that you can shower until at least 6 hours after your spray tan. Make sure when you schedule your session in a time slot that allows you to stay dry for the few hours after it is completed.

Your choice of clothing is important and needs to be considered before double dipping or just getting a spray tan. Avoid tight-fitting clothing because we do not want the spray tan to smudge or rub off after completion. Wear dark, loose-fitting clothing that you do not mind getting stained. Light colors will stain easier and it will be harder to remove the stains when you wash the clothing.

Make sure you remove jewelry and watches so that it does not get stained. If you are going to be wearing underwear for the tan, make sure that you do not mind it getting stained. You may also want to wear a hair cap, eyewear, and lip balm. This is personal preference, but we believe that it allows for a better tanning experience.

Post-Tan Care

After you finish your double dip session you will need to avoid coming into contact with water for at least six hours. This includes showering, swimming, walking outside in the rain, and sweating. This will allow the tan to last longer and look even.

You should moisturize daily with the proper moisturizer to keep your tan longer. The moisturizer should be oil-free and safe of harmful ingredients that will impact the tan. There are products that are labeled “post-sunless” and “oil-free”. These will give you the best results.

You should drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated. You can also eat food that are high in beta-carotene. Various studies have shown that it provides a hint of tan coloring to the skin when consumed regularly. Foods with beta-carotene include apricots, sweet potatoes, and carrots.

The final post-tan care tip is to take cold showers to avoid skin peeling. When you are drying off make sure that you pat the skin instead of rubbing.

Best Place To Double Dip Tan

The best place to get a double dip tan is Sizzle Tans. We have four New Jersey locations in East Hanover, Totowa, Morris Plains, and West Caldwell. Come visit us today!

Whether you are on a tight deadline to get tan or the season and weather do not provide a good environment to get natural color, a spray tan is a fast and easy way to reach your tanning goals, regardless of the previously listed factors. Getting a spray tan has come across everyone’s mind at some point in their lives, but too often many first-timers overlook factors of preparation, quality, and their health, on top of a myriad of other questions about what goes into tanning. In order to best prepare for a spray tan and ensure that your tan can be maintained for the longest time, follow the guide below for the best possible tanning experience!

Preparing for your first tan

One of the first considerations for a spray tan is the timing of it. Immediately following the application of the spray tan there should be a minimum four hour window where no contact with water should be made. It is even better to ensure the tan lasts longer by avoiding water for six to eight hours, but if the minimum time cannot be met it may be best to reschedule the tan.

The clothing worn to a spray tan is also an important consideration. Avoiding tight-fitting clothing will prevent smudging or rubbing that could lead to an uneven tan. Instead, it is advised to wear dark, loose-fitting clothing to prevent any issues with how even the tan will be. Looser, darker clothing are also less susceptible to stains from the tan, especially immediately after the spray is applied.

Considerations to preparing your skin might be the most important part in regard to the quality of the tan. Exfoliating is recommended and a variety of products exists to get the job done. Targeting the driest spots like hands, elbows, and knees are a few of the main areas to focus on because dry areas have a strong tendency of absorbing the most spray and leading to  the dreaded orange coloring. Additionally, spa-related activities could have a negative impact on the quality of the tan. Avoiding any kind of waxing and the like would ensure a better spray tan experience.

One final consideration is the use of moisturizer and lotion the day of the spray tan. These should be avoided unless it is intended to be used specifically for sunless tanning, otherwise it can impair how the spray is absorbed into your skin.

The spray tan

Unless you are planning to get the spray tan nude, any clothing or garments worn might be stained, so only wear clothing that if stained will not be an issue. This applies to jewelry and watches as well so remove those before the spray tan starts. Other than a bathing suit or undergarments, many people wear some protective garments to guard certain areas from exposure. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Hair caps
• Eyewear
• Lip balm

While this is not the full list of items, it is a great place to start and focus on some of the most sensitive regions. Be sure to check with the spray tan artist or salon beforehand to see what they supply.

Post-tan considerations

Although previously mentioned, it should be reiterated to avoid any contact with water for a minimum of four hours. This includes pools and showers, but also sweating, so temperature control is hugely important in the hours immediately following the spray tan. The biggest potential detriment could be chlorine, which can strip the solution form your skin if prolonged exposure occurs. In the event that recently spray-tanned skin is exposed to water containing chlorine, immediately pat it dry to prevent the most harmful effects.  

Following the aforementioned steps should ensure the quality and longevity of the tan, but there are a few final actions that can be taken to extend the life of the tan.

Ensuring a longer tan

Moisturizing daily will keep a tan longer than without, but using moisturizers with oils can lead to adverse effects on the lifetime of the tan. There are many moderately-priced products that are oil-free and safe of other harmful ingredients and are a better and safer purchase than cheaper products at convenience stores. Looking for products labeled “post-sunless” and “oil-free” should be the best searching criteria.

Some body washes feature exfoliants, oils, or harsh soaps that can rapidly fade a tan and ultimately should be avoided, especially in the early days of getting a spray tan. Instead, just as with the moisturizer, there are body washes intended to preserve and extend the life of a tan and are a much better option.

A collection of simple health considerations also benefit the health and life of a tan. For example, drinking plenty of water will preserve the health of those newly-tanned skin cells. Beta-carotene, a red-orange pigment, has been shown in various studies to provide a hint of tan coloring to skin if included regularly in a diet. Foods high in this include apricots, sweet potatoes, and carrots.

Even good bathing can make a difference in how long a tan can last! Hot showers or baths can cause faster skin peeling because hot water can dehydrate skin. Sticking to cold showers is a better method of preserving a tan. Also, drying by patting is much safer than rubbing, which promotes could take off some of the tan.

Conclusion

This collection of tips will ensure that your first experience with tanning will be both safe and enjoyable. This guide is a great start and excellent reference point, but it helps to have a highly-regarded tanning salon providing you with your tan! Sizzle Tans offers a great spray tan experience. Whether you are using the UV-free VersaSpa or taking advantage of the precision and ease of the Norvell Colosseum, Sizzle Tans ensures a great tan!

It is finally time to start preparing for your big day! You have been dreaming about this for months and you can’t wait to walk down the aisle and say “I do!” There is a lot of preparation that has to go into making sure that everything is perfect and we wanted to make it easy for you.

Enjoy It!

There is going to be a lot of stressful decisions that need to be made and it can feel overwhelming. You need to realize that this should be fun! You get to plan the wedding that you have been dreaming of and at the end you get to be married to your best friend. You should make sure that everyone on your “planning committee” takes pressure off of you instead of piling it on. Take a deep breathe, create a strategy, and enjoy the next few months!

Create Your Strategy

Creating a list of goals that you want to achieve and come up with a reasonable plan to achieve those goals. If you want to get back to the gym and start preparing your skin so you are looking your best on your big day, you need to consistently working towards being your best. Add the days and times you will be going to the gym in your calendar and make sure that they are a priority. If you want to see results, you will need to be there consistently and work your hardest. You should also make sure you have a proper diet and try to cut out bad things, like soda and sweets. You will also need to start a skin care routine if you do not already have one. This is crucial for getting a spray tan or using a UV tanning bed.

These routines are crucial to achieving your goals and looking your best. They can also create a lasting impression and you will probably continue these routines after your wedding day!

Wedding Day Dream Team

You are going to want the best makeup and hair stylist and you will need to spend time finding the right ones. You need to book them a few months in advance or else they will end up being unavailable on your special day. You can search for these artists by checking Google reviews, asking your friends and family, and consulting experts in the industry. You can use the artists that you like for an event before your wedding day so that you do not waste a full make-up and hair session.

You can do your test runs before a work dinner, charity event, or a night out with your fiancé. You should do at least 2 test runs to figure out exactly how you want to look.

Selecting Your Venue

Selecting a venue can be very challenging when it comes to budgeting and finding a space that can fit all of your guests. You want to make sure that the location is accessible for all of those traveling from far away. You will need to decide if the ceremony and the reception will be in the same location. If they are not, make sure there is ample time to travel between both.

You also want to factor in food and drinks when it comes into selecting the venue. If you use a wedding planner, they may have some insight into which vendors are best and could save you some money. If you do not want to use a wedding planner, you should ask around and see what vendors your friends and family have used.

Entertainment and Photography

You want to make sure that you have photos and videos that you can look back on in the years to come and remember your special day. You should hire a trusted photographer and videographer that have a portfolio that you like.

You will also need a DJ or a system for playing music. You want to make sure that they have the proper equipment and have experience doing it before. The DJ can make or break the reception. You can give them a playlist to choose from or just give them an idea of what you want and let them make the decision.

Take Time for Yourself and Your Future Spouse

This is all about you and your spouse. Make sure that you are relaxed and do not let the planning get in the way of the love you two share. Spend time going on walks, watching movies, and getting out of the house. You should talk about things other than the wedding and make sure that it does not take over your lives. Continue doing the things that brought you two together and you will be ready for your special day!