It's important to use high quality lotions for your skin care or tanning needs and choosing the right products for you is the first step. Also important is picking the right retailers to purchase from. You can save a lot of money off of retail prices by purchasing lotions online but here are a few tips to keep in mind.
1.) Choose a site that specializes in top lotion brands that have been around for awhile and who have long been known for quality products. Do a search for "Best Tanning Lotions" or "Best Moisturizers" to find some top 10 lists and other reviews.
2.) When purchasing from a lotion retailer, check delivery times. You should be able to receive your order from 3 to 7 days. You can also find a few that offer 2 to 3 day shipping via priority mail at no extra charge. Communication is the key. A high quality retailer will tell you up front how long it will take and then send you regular updates of your shipping progress so you know when it will arrive.
3.) Compare shipping rates, if possible find one that offers free shipping over a certain amount. Sites that are 100% free shipping often have higher product prices, however, a site that offers free shipping over a certain amount (typically $50 - $75) tend to offer you competitive prices as well as free shipping. It's better to spend a few extra dollars on products and avoid the shipping.
4.) Online review sites are unreliable at best because you don't know the ratios. A company that has 5 or 6 complaints but ships 200 orders per day has very few complaints compared to a site that has the same amount but only ships a handful of orders a month. Check the lotion retailer's comments section to see how many positive comments they have from satisfied customers. If you have a good transaction with the lotion retailer, post a comment for your fellow consumers.
5.) If they have a top sellers list, pay close attention to the lotions at the top of the list as they are typically most popular for a reason. Most retailer's lists are based on sales, some are based on reviews. Either way you get a good idea of what fellow customers have decided are the best products. If a particular product has made it's way to the top of the list, chances are that many customers have agreed that it is a very good product.
Once you find a good retailer with good prices and fast delivery, give them a try. If they deliver as promised, you have probably found a great place to shop from now on. Be sure to interact with them as online retailers should be very open to customer input.
