How Do Self-Tanners Work?
Don’t worry. Self-tanners have come a long way from the early days when it was obvious to others what you were doing. Today’s tanners are designed to work with your skin to turn it a lovely golden shade, which mimics the effects of the sun without the dangers.
Where Tanning Happens
To help you feel more confident about trying one of the new self-tanning products available, you should understand how they work. Once you learn about what makes them change your skin tone, you’ll feel better about choosing a product and applying it.Tanning takes place with the outside layer of your skin or the epidermis. This layer is also made up of multiple layers within it. This fact is what makes the difference in tanning in the sun or using self-tanning products.
The deepest part of the epidermis is the basal layer, which is where the results of laying out in the sun or in a tanning bed can be seen. The top layer, which is the stratum corneum, is what takes the sunless tanning products. This difference shows in how long the tan lasts before you have to add to it either by another session in the bed or by applying more product.
How Self-Tanners Work
Self-tanning products have been around for decades, but they weren’t popular because of the strange orange hue you ended up with. Today’s products create a more natural look people love. They come in gels, lotions, sprays and even mousse. The products provide everything from a light glow to a deep tan everyone will notice.Some of the products begin working right away while others may take up to several hours for a noticeable difference. In fact, some of the products continue to darken over a period of days as you add new applications.
The self-tanners use different formulas and are designed to work on a variety of skin types. The ones found to be most effective contain the ingredient dihydroxyacetone, which is a simple carbohydrate. It works by interacting with dead cells on the outer layer of the epidermis. DHA is basically a sugar which causes the skin cells to change color. The results last about a week unless the product is continually applied.
Tans from these products only last a short time because the dead skin cells are continually being removed and new skin takes its place. This causes the tan to fade, which is why most products require you to reapply about two or three times per week.
What Self-Tanners Don’t Do
While these products give you a glow similar to a tan from the sun or a tanning bed, there are some major differences. First, they don’t last as long because of the way they work. Second, they don’t act as a sunscreen unless one is added. They won’t protect you from harmful UV rays, so you’ll need to add sunscreen anytime you’re outside in the sun.Another difference is they don’t increase your risk for skin cancer like sunbathing or using a tanning bed does. Self-tanners are the safer alternative because they don’t cause any long-term changes in your skin. Because of this fact, you won’t have to worry about wrinkles or dry, leathery skin, which can occur with long-term tanning.
Sunless tanners are unique from other methods because they provide temporary results which vary by person. The final color can be lighter than what you would get with a tanning bed. This is preferred to the old orange color, which came from too much DHA in the product. You should practice with the color when you have time for it to fade before a big event in case you don’t like the results. You can switch tanners and experiment until you find one to give you results you like.
You can enjoy a bronzed look without spending hours in the sun or in dangerous tanning beds. Sunless tanners give you the option to have that golden glow in a bottle. Choose the right product and no one will be able to tell the difference.
