Encore Salon ~ Painted Post, NY Made with Xara Know Your Skin Type With a little common sense and some education, most sunburns can be avoided altogether.  Whether you tan indoors at a tanning salon or achieve your tan outdoors from Mother Nature, learning about your skin type and how to tell when you have had enough ultraviolet exposure will help you quickly identify when to come in from the sun. TANNING TIPS • Clean, moist skin tans better.  Remove all makeup before tanning.  Most makeup products contain SPF's that are not necessary when tanning in a controlled environment.  Some cosmetic products may even contain ingredients that will increase your sensitivity to ultraviolet exposure. • Lotions offer better magnification to maximize results.  Moisturized skin absorbs UV light; dry skin reflects it.  We recommend using tanning accelerators before each session and moisturizers after and between all visits.  Moist skin tans best …you can achieve up to 70% better results tanning with a lotion than without.  Indoor tanning can be dehydrating to the skin; lotions will help replenish any moisture that has been depleted during the tanning session.  • Protect your lips. They do not produce melanin and they will burn easily unless you protect them with lip balms or sunscreens. • Avoid using loofahs or body poufs in the shower or bath. These products increase your natural rate of ex-foliation. Remember, tans don't fade. They naturally ex-foliate with your skin every 28 days. Lack of moisture and harsh products such as loofahs will increase this cycle. • If you plan to tan in the nude, cover previously unexposed areas for the majority of your exposure time for the first few visits.  Gradually increase exposure to these areas until they catch up to the rest of your body. Understanding Skin Types The skin types outlined here are general descriptions and apply to the AVERAGE of each skin type. Other combinations of hair, eye and skin coloration can occur in each skin type.  There are six skin types categorized by scientists, depicted in the chart below. Skin type 1 burns most easily and skin type 6 rarely burns.  When determining skin type, it is always safer to choose the lower value for determining exposure schedule. If you are an indoor tanner, you must take into account your skin type, as well as the maximum exposure time in the tanning unit you are using.  We recommend the VersaSpa Sunless Spray Booth for Level 1 and Level 2 non- tanning skin types.  Our Salon Associates will help you achieve the best tanning results possible in a responsible manner with the recommended exposure schedule posted per tanning unit.