1.  Use the correct tools: a sponge is never a good idea: they tend to stay damp and trap dead skin, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. A clean, nubby washcloth works great, as well as exfoliating gloves.  Either way, make sure to rinse them thoroughly afterward and let them air dry.

2. A scrub solution is a good way to go. We recommend Neutrogena’s Energizing Sugar Body Scrub, $9.99, a great product at a fabulous price point.

3. Exfoliate weekly, and no more than twice per week.  The most common mistake people tend to make is to exfoliate too often because they experience favorable results and think that more will be even better. However, over-exfoliation can cause skin irritation, redness and sensitivity. Have a regular weekly routine and be consistent, but don’t over do it.

4. Keep in mind the time of year - in the winter with drier, colder weather, our skin tends to be drier and need less exfoliation. During the summer months warm weather increases perspiration and oil production, leading to speedier accumulation of dead cells, so you may need a bit more exfoliation.

5. Don’t scrub too hard! The most common mistake people make is using to much pressure, which will only result in red, irritated skin. Use light but firm pressure for the best results.

Unlike dietary or supplementary vitamin D, when you get your ‘D’ from sunshine your body takes what it needs, and de-metabolizes any extra. That’s critical – as vitamin D experts and many health groups now advocate 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily – five to ten times the old recommendations. Because too much ‘D’ from dietary supplements may cause the body to over-process calcium, nobody really knows for sure how much supplementary vitamin D is safe. On the other hand, sunlight-induced vitamin D doesn’t have that problem – it’s the way your body is intended to make it! Here’s the breakdown:

• Sun Exposure (to the arms and  legs for 10-15 minutes): 3,000 to 20,000 IU
• Salmon (3.5 oz. of wild salmon): 600 to 1,000 IU
• Salmon (3.5 oz. of farmed salmon): 400 IU
• Fortified Whole Milk, 8-oz. glass (vitamin D is supplemented into milk. It doesn’t occur naturally in milk): 100 IU
• Fortified Multi-Vitamin: 400 IU

Of course, the easiest and most time-efficient way to get that 15 minutes of UV exposure - in a California Sun tanning bed!  See you in the salon…
Source: Holick, MF. Vitamin D Deficiency. New England Journal of Medicine, July 2007

This tax is NOT an increase from your tanning service provider - it is a federally mandated tax that applies to EVERY salon in the country that provides UV tanning. If you’d like to reach your representatives in Washington to complain about this unfair tax, click here.

Thank you for your business and continued support of California Sun.

In fact, her doctors indicated that she had some of the lowest vitamin D levels they had ever seen!

In addition to spending more time in the California Sun, the actress also went on a prescription level vitamin D supplement.

Don’t let this happen to you - get your daily dose today at any California Sun location!  See you in the salon…

Source: AZCentral

See you in the salon…

See you in the salon!

Ava is a step one (great for building up your base tan), and the other three lotions are Step 2’s (best to build past your base tan plateau, and provide deeper, darker results). All four are available at any California Sun location, in both full size 7oz bottles, and also in packettes.

Don’t just tan - tan in HD!  See you in the salon….

Some of the active ingredients found in common tanning lotions include melanin and L-Tyrosine. as well as tea oil, copper (in many different chemical compounds), green tea extract and many other natural oils.

With the great results that tanners get from using these lotions indoors, many ask if they can also use them when tanning outdoors. The answer is yes, but there are several things you need to consider when using these lotions outdoors.

First and foremost, these lotions have NO SPF in them, as almost all outdoor products do. Even the tannest gal on the beach needs to use SPF when spending extended time outdoors - our skin was not made to withstand hours and hours of full UV exposure. So unless you want to look like that elephant I saw at the zoo last weekend, please use a product that contains SPF when tanning outdoors.

Secondly, indoor lotions are formulated to work with the metered and regulated UV exposure that a tanning bed provides, not with the unpredictable exposure that one receives outdoors. The ingredients are formulated to activate and react with that controlled UV exposure, and to provide great results within just a few minutes.

So: the choice is up to you, but please use caution… Besides, why spend all day tanning outside when its easy and quick to get that glow you want at your closest California Sun?  I know what I’d rather do - see you in the salon!

Dr. Katherine Sherif followed 800 women for five years, checking their vitamin D levels. “Of those 800 women only two women had optimal levels of vitamin D,” said Dr. Sherif.

Having enough vitamin D has been shown to reduce inflammation and improve the immune system, asthma in children as well bone health. Nicknamed the sunshine vitamin, because we absorb D from the sun, it’s found naturally in very few foods.

Dr. Sherif is a staunch advocate of the sunshine vitamin’s reported health benefits – so much so, that she personally supplements vitamin D on a daily basis. She also cautions that drinking milk does not provide adequate amounts of the vitamin, especially for children.

According to the source article, physicians say that appropriate levels of vitamin D can be obtained through 15 to 20 minutes of UV exposure.

So what’s easiest (and most relaxing) way to get your 15 minutes? Hop into a California Sun tanning bed!  See you in the salon…

Source: KOB.com