Crystal Lake business set to become McHenry County’s first 24-hour tanning salon

Tropic Tan Company owner Stephanie Szamlewski insists tanning beds aren’t a “dumb blonde thing,” but starting soon, they could be a 24-hour thing.

On Tuesday, Szamlewski is planning to expand the salon’s hours to allow customers to use the beds overnight. That would make it the only 24-hour tanning salon in the Chicago area and perhaps just the second ever in Illinois.

The first 24-hour tanning salon to operate in Illinois was 24 Hour Tan in Mokena, which opened in 2011 but has since closed. A handful of 24-hour gyms in the area also have stand-up tanning booths.

Szamlewski said she and her family bought the Crystal Lake location just before the pandemic. Szamlewski grew up in McHenry and said overall she’s spent 23 years in the tanning industry.

While she describes the previous two years as a “roller coaster,” she’s excited to be able to expand the salon’s operations.

“You got to think, we have so many different people living different types of lives,” Szamlewski said, describing a clientele who asking to use the salon at unusual times.

After some research, Szamlewski said she found out that 24-hour tanning salons were doing well in Florida and she thought Tropic Tan could take advantage of that opportunity here. With so many local salons and the ongoing financial difficulties small businesses face, Szamlewski thought the move could help make Tropic Tan stand out.

“Tanning is very popular in the Midwest,” Szamlewski said. “This salon has been thriving.”

The salon’s customers include health care workers who come to the salon early in the morning following an overnight shift or new moms who can’t come until the evening. Szamlewski said she works hard to build rapport with customers, many of whom are not necessarily the stereotypical tanner profile.

Men actually outnumber women among the salon’s customer base, many of whom are older than 50, Szamlewski said. For them, Szamlewski thinks keeping the salon open later could be a “game changer” as some of the older men are comfortable coming when it’s not as busy.

“People come here to escape the chaos of their lives,” Szamlewski said. “It’s not always about tans.”

The salon also offers infrared sauna services, spray tanning and red light therapy. Szamlewski said a lot of male customers use the latter to alleviate nerve pain or improve blood flow.

In addition to expanded hours, the salon has also had a cosmetic makeover, with new counters and furniture, and new designs on the tanning beds. The salon won’t be staffed at all times, but customers will be able to use a key fob to come in and access the tanning beds, or even buy a lotion or product from a drop-down menu inside.

“There’s passion here,” Szamlewski said. “I’m not a franchise. I’ve been in the tanning industry over 20 years, and I vowed I would do things differently.”

Tropic Tan Company is located in the Commons of Crystal Lake mall, off the Northwest Highway. More information about the salon’s services and products can be found at tropictanco.com.

Correction: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Stephanie Szamlewski’s name.