Secrets of the Sunless Tanner Revealed
Bronzers
Bronzers are basically a cosmetic product that temporarily lends color to the skin. Available in a variety of forms, including lotions, creams, and powders, bronzers offer quick tinting results that are easily removed with soap and water.Tanning Pills
The tan-in-a-pill approach to bronzing is not without its risks. Tanning pills contain a coloring agent (canthaxanthin) that has been approved by the FDA as a food additive, but not as an aid in tanning. This is because relatively large amounts of the pigment need to be ingested for it to have a color-changing effect on the skin. Some studies have even linked canthaxanthin-based tanning pills with such side effects as hepatitis and retinopathy.Tanning Accelerators
The effect of tanning accelerators is based on a reaction between their active ingredient, tyrosine, and the melanin in your skin, which is the same pigment that causes you to get darker when you’re exposed to sunlight. Available in a lotion or a pill, the amino acid tyrosine is thought to increase melanin’s production, but at this point in time, tyrosine hasn’t been proven to work and it doesn’t have FDA approval as a tanning agent.Tanning Beds and Sunlamps
Tanning beds and sunlamps mostly use UVA radiation to tan your skin in exactly the same way that sunlight does, which is why the potential for skin damage and skin cancer is no less when using these tanning tools. The Skin Cancer Foundation clearly states that there is no such thing as a safe or healthy tan when it’s the result of exposure to UV rays. Both sun tans and sunburns are signs that the skin’s DNA has been damaged, and that the risk of skin cancer has increased.Sunless Tanning Lotions and Sprays
Tanning lotions and sprays probably offer the best option for tanning without the sun. They usually contain a sugar known as DHA (dihydroxyacetone) that effectively interacts with skin cells to cause a color change. DHA is approved by the FDA for use as an external tanning agent when it’s used as directed and followed up with regular sun protection.If you like the idea of a product that safely tints your skin, but would prefer something a little longer-lasting than a bronzer, you’ll probably want to know more about just how a sunless tanning lotion can give you the golden glow of your dreams, without the risks.
Interestingly enough, the discovery of DHA as a skin-darkener was completely accidental. When scientists were studying the compound’s effects on glycogen defects in the early part of the 20th century, they noticed that occasional spills led to colored skin. By the 1960’s, DHA was being used in the first tanning lotions, and with much trial and error it’s finally evolved into today’s answer to the realistic tan. Modern sunless tanners contain much lower quantities of DHA than their earlier counterparts did, which has led to much more natural looking results.
The Secret Ingredient Unveiled
So what exactly is the magic behind DHA? Simply put, this colorless sugar interacts with the protein in the lifeless skin cells on the topmost layer of your skin to create color. The color change that results is not unlike the one that happens when you caramelize sugar during the cooking process. Together, DHA and the protein in your skin create chemicals called melanoidins that give the skin its new and highly appealing browned appearance.One of the great things about sunless tanning lotions is that they only interact with the top layer of your skin, so they don’t pose a threat from being absorbed into your body. Unlike a tan from the sun that affects the deepest layer of your epidermis, self-tanners simply color a lifeless layer of cells that are eventually going to wear off anyway. In the meantime, however, you get to show off a rich and vibrant looking tan that can last as long as a week.
Display it, Don’t Spray it
Although they work on the same premise, sunless tanning lotions may offer a better tanning method than sprays, simply because they offer more control of the product’s application. Because the FDA has not approved the use of DHA for use near the eyes, nose, mouth, or other mucous membranes, it’s much easier to avoid these areas when you apply it in the form of a lotion.Tanning sprays that are typically applied to the whole body at once for even coverage can make it challenging to avoid areas that are off-limits. Not only that, the chances of accidentally inhaling, or even ingesting DHA are much greater when it’s applied in the form of a spray. Because of this, the FDA does not approve misting or tanning booths.
Using Your Knowledge Wisely
There is one important consideration when choosing to develop a tan the healthy way. You shouldn’t make the mistake of confusing the melanoidins produced by a DHA reaction, with the melanin in your skin. Sunless tanning lotions don’t react with skin cells in the same way that the sun does and as a result, don’t stimulate the production of melanin that a natural sun tan does. Even as it is, the slim protection that melanin gives us in terms of reducing further skin damage after sun exposure has been shown to be a double-edged sword, since it’s also been linked to a greater risk for skin cancer as soon as the melanin’s been activated. Hence, the “no safe tan” proclamation.Sunless tanning lotions that contain a sunscreen are a great option, but they still only offer effective protection from UV rays for a couple of hours after application. It’s important to remember that sunless tanners provide the radiant look of a tan only, and should always be used in conjunction with proper sun protection.
