Spring time is when our thoughts turn to beaches, bikinis and warm summer days, swimming, and tanned bodies.  We need that tan to make us look good and increase our confidence.

The only problem most of us think we have is the time and effort it takes to get a beautiful brown tan that makes us look good.  If we are to believe the commercials, most celebrities already have their tans and are looking beach ready. Come to think of it, celebrities always look beach ready.  How do they do that, anyway?

Have you thought about how you are going to get your tan?  You have several choices, the old fashioned way out in the sun, or the modern way, in a tanning bed or out of a can.  Either way, you know that a good tan goes a long way toward making you look sexy and lean.  There is nothing like a  warm, brown tan ito boost your confidence booster when you hit the beach or go to a party.  You always want people to admire the way you look.

Many people take the time to tan naturally using only the sun and a tanning solution of some kind. You can usually tell because their skin looks dry.  Other people use a tanning solution such as the Idol Tan or buy a sunless tanning lotion or spray at their favorite store. How you get your tan is a personal choice.

Your choice of tanning method can have a significant impact on your exposure to skin cancer. All of us know that sun exposure can cause skin cancers, a problem that I have had for years. It all started with a life lived in the sunlight getting a great tan.

We have been told for years that using a tanning bed has the same skin cancer risk as the sun, so if you want to reduce or eliminate your exposure to this disease, that only leaves one option. Get your tan out of a can.

Sunless tanning has been used for many years by celebrities and ordinary people alike. Years ago, people mixed iodine with baby oil and used that as a tanning solution. It probably worked, but all that oil probably made it hard for the body to stay cool.

There are a lot of sunless tanning brands available to choose from and if you can get your hands on a free or low cost sample, you may be dollars ahead on the process. The biggest downsides are the cost and the sunless tan starts to fade after three or four days and needs to be reapplied periodically.

Almost all tanning solutions are made with a substance called Dihydroxyacetone (or, DHA). DHAs skin darkening characteristic was first noticed in the 1920s. It is a natural material found in sugar cane and beets and was approved by the FDA as a tanning agent in 1973.

The big advantage of DHA is that it only tans the outer layer of skin and does not penetrate, causing any other problems. DHA does not damage the skin, and is considered a safe skin coloring agent and nutritional supplement.  A full report on DHA can be found at wikipedia.com. The cost of tanning lotions varies widely and several brands can be found at your favorite store or online.

There are a couple of advantages of sunless tanning? First of all, you  can avoid the risk of skin cancer that you get with sun or tanning bed exposure. These can cause skin cancer and that is the reason you need sunscreen with SPFs high enough that you can be protected while you enjoy the warm sun. A good sunscreen with a high SPF should be used anytime you are exposed to the sun. The second biggest reason is that you can get a tan without the sunburn. Most of us end up with a slight to severe sunburn and all of us know that it can be painful and not much fun at all.

A word of caution though, for the 24 hours after applying a sunless tanning solution containing high DHA levels, (about 5%), your skin is especially susceptible to free-radical damage from sunlight, according to a 2007 study led by Katinka Jung of the Gematria Test Lab in Berlin. So, for a day after the application, excessive sun exposure should be avoided and sunscreen should be worn outdoors.

Since tanning solutions are readily available, why can't you just go to drugstore and use one of the many choices you can get there? You can do this, but the degree of tanning depends on the amount of DHA in the product. The more DHA there is, the darker and quicker the tan.

Most product DHA concentration ranges from 1% to 15%, with drugstore products ranging from 3% to 5%, and professional products ranging from 5% to 15%. With lower concentrations you could end up with orange skin and many applications may be necessary to get the celebrity looking tan you want.

A good source of sunless tanning systems will let you try it for nearly free before you buy it. The bad part is that you usually enter a contract to buy the material unless you cancel within a trial period. If you cancel late, you might end up with a charge on your credit card.

If you are interested in using a trial product, make sure you read the terms and conditions and understand what the limitations of the trial period. In most cases, a charge to your credit card will be made and more product shipped to you at the end of the trial.

Your best option is to find a supplier that will give you a trial period that is reasonable and a long cancellation period with a refund policy. The best one I have found is from ?sub=ab04" Idol Tan .  This supplier has an order tracking system and a 90 day return policy with a refund for unopened merchandise.

Don't waste your money when it comes to your tanning needs.  A tan can be very alluring and you should be proud of and confident in the quality of your tan.  The best part of this is that you can avoid skin cancer and still be tan.  Good Luck and Enjoy