How to tan on a sunbed: how many sessions, and 5 rules to follow

We’re not among those who disapprove of sunbeds: used properly, they give you a lovely tan and help you keep it all year round. But UV rays, natural or artificial, put your skin under strain: tanning is its way of defending itself. How many tanning sessions does it take to tan, how long should they be, how often? Here are our answers, and five simple rules for tanning on a sunbed safely.

How to tan on a sunbed: how does it work?

A sunbed is fitted with lamps that give off ultraviolet rays, mostly UVA with a small share of UVB. UVA quickly darkens the melanin already in your skin; UVB stimulates the production of new melanin, the kind that gives a lasting tan. It’s the same mechanism as tanning in the sun, with controlled exposure: session length, lamp strength and how often you tan are set by the salon.

How many tanning sessions does it take to tan?

It depends mainly on your skin type. Generally, a first light tan appears after a few sessions, and a well-established tan takes around ten sessions, 2 to 3 days apart. Olive skin will see results faster than very fair or red-headed skin, which needs to go more gently. After that, one session a week is often enough to maintain your tan.

A single tanning session isn’t enough to tan: it may give you a bit of a healthy glow, but melanin builds up session after session. That’s where a tanning accelerator makes the difference: its tyrosine helps your skin produce melanin during each session, for visible results sooner, with the same number of sessions.

1. Know your skin type

Not all skin is equal under UV. Red-headed skin, fair skin with blue eyes and olive skin react in completely different ways. Your tanning salon or beauty therapist should help you find out your skin type, and advise you on the number of sessions not to exceed in a year.

2. Choose your salon carefully

Big chain or small salon with a single sunbed, you should be dealing with real professionals. They should give you information without you even asking, make sure your sessions aren’t too long and are well spaced out, check you’re old enough (sunbeds are banned for under-18s in France), provide sunbed goggles and recommend the right products for during and after your session.

If you come across a ‘professional’ who just takes your money without asking a single question or giving a single piece of advice… run!

3. How long to tan on a sunbed, and how often

How long should a tanning session last? Your salon should set it according to your skin type, the type of sunbed, your age and your experience. If in doubt, always start with 2 or 3 sessions of 10 to 15 minutes, and leave at least 48 hours between sessions (one every 3 days is even better). If you get sunburnt or slightly burnt, apply plenty of after-tan moisturiser and take a break twice as long as it took the sunburn to disappear. For example, if it has completely gone after a week, wait another week before your next session.

Always follow the session time recommended by your tanning salon to avoid burning.

4. Don’t combine a sunbed and the sun

If you’re tanning at the beach or by the pool, don’t use a sunbed the same day. It seems obvious, and yet every year people burn themselves by doing both. For tanning in the sun, our advice is in the article tanning accelerator and sun cream at the beach.

5. Go at your skin’s pace

If you have very fair skin or find it hard to tan, don’t make up for it by having more sessions than recommended. Your skin has its own pace, and rushing it will only cause problems. For your first sessions and for fair skin, choose a bronzer-free accelerator, which helps your skin produce its own melanin, such as Soleo Mango Tango (tyrosine, mango, carrot seed oil). For olive or already well-tanned skin, a bronzer such as Soleo Tropic Kiss (DHA, erythrulose and collagen) revives the colour: bronzers don’t create the colour, they transform it.

Between sessions, moisturise generously: an after-tan moisturiser and tan extender such as Soleo So Moist helps your skin hold on to its tan for longer. And at every session, wear sunbed goggles to protect your eyes.

Frequently asked questions

Is one tanning session enough to get a tan?

One session gives a slight healthy glow at best. A tan builds up over several sessions, at least 48 hours apart, with an accelerator to help your skin produce its melanin.

Are sunbeds dangerous?

Like the sun, artificial UV puts your skin under strain, and too much of it increases the risk of skin ageing and skin cancer. Hence these rules: short, well-spaced sessions, a reputable salon, goggles, and never getting burnt.

What should you put on before a tanning session?

A tanning accelerator designed for sunbeds, applied a few minutes before your session on clean skin. Never sun cream with SPF on a sunbed: the filter blocks the UV and stops you tanning.

In short

Know your skin, choose a reputable salon, space out your sessions, don’t combine a sunbed with the sun, go at your own pace: with these five rules and the right product, around ten sessions are enough for a great sunbed tan. Find all our tanning accelerators and our after-tan care.