Sunbed vs Outdoor: How to Use a Tan Accelerator for Both
Sunbed vs outdoor.
One accelerator, two routines.
One of the questions we get asked most is whether a tan accelerator works differently on a sunbed compared to outdoors, and whether you need a different routine for each. The short answer: the formula works the same way in both, but your routine should flex slightly depending on where you are tanning. Here is the full picture.
Part one
How the formula behaves in both
Every Delux accelerator is designed to work with your own UV exposure, whether that comes from a sunbed or the sun. There is no DHA and no bronzer in our creams and jelly, which means there is no fake tint sitting on the surface. The product conditions your skin and supports deeper-looking colour as you tan, so the way you apply it does not change between indoor and outdoor sessions. What changes is everything around it.
Part two
On the sunbed
Apply your accelerator to clean, dry skin shortly before your session and massage it in evenly, paying attention to drier areas like knees, elbows and ankles. Always follow your salon's guidance on session times, especially while you are building up, and resist the urge to jump straight to long sessions. Colour built gradually over several visits looks deeper and more even than colour forced in one go. Afterwards, moisturise well; hydrated skin holds its tone for noticeably longer.
Part three
In the sun
The routine starts the same: clean, dry skin, applied evenly before you head out. Two extra rules matter outdoors. First, reapply after swimming or towelling off, as water and friction lift product from the skin. Second, and most importantly, a tan accelerator is not sun protection. Delux contains no SPF and will not stop you burning, so apply a separate broad-spectrum sunscreen over the top, reapply it through the day, and never overexpose your skin. A burn is not a tan, and it sets your colour back rather than deepening it.
Sunbed routine
3Controlled exposure. Let the visits stack up.
Outdoor routine
5Same start, two extra rules, and the sunscreen one is not optional.
Part four
Which builds colour faster?
The honest answer is that the method matters less than the consistency. Most customers notice deeper, richer colour within two to three sessions when they use their accelerator every time, whichever way they tan. Sunbed sessions are shorter and more controlled, sunshine is less predictable, but the accelerator is doing the same job in both. Pick the routine that fits your life and stick to it.
Part five
Using both together
Plenty of our customers mix the two: sunbed sessions through the year, then outdoor sun on holiday. That works perfectly well. Keep the same application habits, keep moisturising daily, and if you are heading away soon our guide on building a tan before your holiday covers the timing in detail. If you are still choosing your formula, cream or jelly breaks down the difference.
Ready to go deeper?
Find the formula that fits how you tan, then use it every time. That is the whole trick.
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