tanTALK - Tanning Salon Business Owners Community

I am completely new to tanning and I need advice.

I've been tanning off and on for a month. I started out with a level 1 tanning solution from "At the Beach" called Blend and using the tanning beds at the gym. My arms from elbow to hand, legs below the knees, and face where already tan from being out in the summer sun. The rest of my body is pale, I have a few stretch marks, and i've lost 35lbs. So I have a half tan, half not tan (rarely seen the light of day) body with some saggy skin and old pale stretch marks.

I've been exfoliating in the shower with just a loofah everyday and right before I go tanning. I heavily exfoliate the back of my arms to get rid of KP (Keratosis Pilaris). After a month now, my arms and legs seem lighter, (Summer is over.) and I seem to be blending into my tan lines where the tan skin meets my pale skin. I also put on Vaseline Cocoa Butter skin moisturizing lotion after the shower and after tanning.

I still feel pale and i'm not sure if this is because of the Blend lotion from At The Beach for my "base" tan or if i'm not tanning enough. (Tanning everyday other day for 6-8 minutes at a time.) I've never burned doing this.

I recently purchased "European Gold Sweet Brown Dark Tanning Lotion" from Wal*Mart. After reading all the reviews about it from a handful of websites I decided to go tanning with it tonight. It's okay for the acrylic in tanning beds, it wasn't oily feeling, and the smell didn't give me a headache.

My question is, am I tanning properly? Am I taking all the necessary steps as far as exfoliating/over exfoliating, moisturizing/not enough moisturizing, tanning long enough?

I want to be a dark tan. Any help would be appreciated and I'll gladly answer any questions you may have as far as a background to my tanning/shower/moisture ritual.