Business of the Week: Salon Bronze

Even though the summer sun is blazing in the sky,  is still seeing plenty of patrons looking to darken their hue. Employee Jess Sweigert hustles to sanitize tanning beds for the next customer, while doling out knowledgeable advice on exfoliation and procedure.

While you may think that summer might not be as popular a time to use an indoor tanning salon, the revolving door of customers proves otherwise.

“In the cooler months, it’s all teens for prom season. In summer it’s mostly adults that don’t want to burn at the beach,” said Sweigert. “Everyone likes to have that base tan.”

And she would know -- she’s been a Salon Bronze customer herself for six years, and has been using indoor tanning for more than 15 years.

As far as tanning myths are concerned, Sweigert puts them to rest. “They won’t tell you, but dermatologists tan, too,” she joked. “It’s just a matter of taking care of your body.”

In between sanitizing UV beds and helping guests, she tells the story of a regular customer who uses indoor tanning to alleviate the symptoms of psoriasis. Another customer tans to balance a Vitamin D deficiency.

“People come in for a lot of different reasons,” she said.  

Salon Bronze, in the 25^th Street Shopping Plaza, is one of four locations; two are in New Jersey and another is in Bethlehem. The Palmer spot has 13 rooms for tanning. Most are ProSun beds (considered the “regular” bed at the salon), but a few others are specialties.

• The Max Bed is easily the most popular, according to Sweigert. It’s a jumbo-sized tanning bed that gives guests room to move their arms and legs, allowing even color for underarms and other harder-to-reach areas.
• The Sun Board is an open tanning bed that resembles a high-tech dentist’s chair, designed for claustrophobic patrons.
• The stand-up tanning machine allows the same kind of mobility as the Max Bed without having to lie down, and higher-wattage bulbs make it much faster--only seven-minute sessions.
• Salon Bronze’s spray-tan machine is a new feature, just installed in December. According to Sweigert, it’s been very popular with customers.

“The spray-tan sprays on color and lasts about a week,” she explained. “With certain lotions and bronzers, it can last up to two weeks.”

To accompany the different machines, the salon sells a variety of lotions and bronzers, most of which are specifically used for indoor tanning because they don’t contain an SPF. It also sells beach-oriented accessories like sunglasses and nail polish. 

Salon Bronze, in the 25^th Street Shopping Plaza next to Sherwin Williams, is open Monday through Friday, 9am to 9pm; Saturday, 9am to 6pm, and Sunday, 9am to 3pm.