Sunless Tanning
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In recent years sunless tanning has become increasingly
popular as people become wary of both
indoor tanning
and
outdoor tanning.
The fear of skin cancer and other harmful effects
resulting from UV exposure have people seeking tanning
alternatives. Self tanning products are UV-free and do
not damage the skin in order to achieve the color
change. These products have been around since the
early 60’s, but only just recently have the quality
of these self tan products really improved.
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Today there are several
sunless tanning
products
available for those interested in UV-free tanning.
Manufacturers offer a wide range of self tanning
products, including
sunless tanning lotion and
self tanning lotion,
self tanning towelettes,
tanning pills,
airbrush tanning, and
spray-on tan
solutions. Many such products are even formulated
for various skin types, such as dry skin or oily
skin. The lotions can also be purchased in various
shades such as light, medium, or dark.
With the exception of
tanning pills,
all self tanning products share the same active
ingredient –
dihydroxyacetone
(DHA). DHA is a non-toxic sugar which gives
us the tanned color.
With
sunless tanning
products it's easy to control
the shade and color of your fake tan by varying the
amount of product used. Alternatively, you can purchase
self tanning products with higher concentrations of
DHA. Depending on the strength of the self tanning
product, the concentration of DHA generally ranges
from 2 to 8%. This way you control your color, whether
you’re seeking a subtle bronze glow or a rich-looking
perfect tan.
It's important to keep in mind that very few sunless
tanning products protect the skin from UV rays. Even
those products that do contain sunscreen contain very
little, so always use a quality
sunscreen or
sunblock
when venturing outdoors. The only way to build-up a
natural SPF protection to UV is through the formation
of melanin, which is naturally produced when exposed
to UV rays. Sunless tanning products only color the
skin and do not aid in the formation of melanin.
