A Tanning Accelerator Guide and Product Recommendation...

To understand exactly what a tanning accelerator is we must first take a look at how the body works in relation to tanning in general.

There are a broad range of tanning bed accelerators and regular accelerators on the market today. These accelerants can be seen in many different forms...

The largest organ our body has is the skin, and it is divided into two major layers. The first is the epidermis, or the outside layer of skin. The second is the dermas which is underneath the epidermis, and is the deepest layer. The epidermis is further subdivided into five more layers. The Stratum basale is the fifth and deepest layer of the epidermis. This is where you're skin produces "melanogenesis", or more commonly known as the "Tanning Effect".

A tanning accelerator can be a sunless tanning product that accelerates the effects of a spray tan. And there are also lotions and tanning pills that are available that claim to accelerate tans from indoor tanning beds or outdoor tanning.

Many sunless tanning products contain an active ingredient called "dihydroxyacetone", or DHA. This ingredient is a colorless sugar that reaches to the body's dead skins cells on the service of the epidermis. It is this reaction that causes these dead cells to darken or tan. This form of tanning is commonly known as a Fake Tan, because technically the skin does not tan at all it is just colored or dyed. Through the body's natural shedding process the tan go's away on average of five to seven days.

An example of a sunless tan accelerator would be Mystic Tan's Hypertan which is supposed to cut the tanning effects down by 2 hours (it takes time for the tanning solution to take effect). There are other products out there as well.

Indoor tanning accelerator lotions however work in a completely different way than spray tanning or self tanning products. This can be said for tanning outdoors as well. They are most commonly found on the market in a lotion or pill form. Accelerators contain Amino Acids that help boost the body's production of melanin. This is a dark pigment that is produced in the deepest layer of the epidermis. It's the body's natural reaction to produce this pigment when exposed to UV light. This pigment is what actually causes your body to tan.

Theoretically tan accelerators speed up this process and continue to work when the body is not in the sunlight. However, many Sunless tanning products (Particularly Tan Accelerators) are not approved by the FDA (Federal Drug Administration). This lack of approval brings up the debate on whether Tanning Accelerators are actually effective or not.

Here is an example of an indoor tanning accelerator lotion by California Tan. Notice the product information and how they describe it:

California Tan Ionyx - Tanning Accelerator Lotion

• UV amplifying formula for advanced tanning
• Heat activating Ionic tanning with Proteins delivers tanning and skincare ingredients
• Features Time Release Hydration Technology for on-contact and long-lasting moisturization

There are also bronzing accelerator lotions that simply boost the bronzers in the lotions by double or even quadruple for people who want to see instant tanning results from a tanning bed. You are basically paying more for a very simple ingredient, but it can be beneficial for those of us that need to look tan tonight, but don't want a sunless tan.

The best indoor tanning bed accelerator is the California Tan product above. But the best bronze tanning accelerator lotion is the CT lotion described here in the price test we did for good cheap indoor tanning lotion.

Extreme UV light exposure can cause serious health complications. When considering using these types of product. It is highly recommended to do comparable research on the different products on the market, and seek the recommendations of a professional when determining if an accelerator is right for you.