Most people will tan within 1 to 2 hours in the sun. It's important to remember that both burns and tans may take a while to set in, so if you don't see color immediately, it doesn't mean you're not getting any color or should use lower SPF.

Is 30 minutes in the sun enough to tan?

Too much longer will cause erythema—aka the start of a sunburn. For the fall, about 30 minutes is sufficient. In the winter months, however, when you're most likely to be hibernating under your covers for hours on end, you need to be in the sun for 150 minutes.

How do you get tan fast?