10 Interesting Thoughts About Self-Tanners

So we’ve established that the sun is not necessarily the safest option for getting a beautiful, bronzed look.

That brings on two options: Embrace the Pale or Fake It.

There’s not much to write if I go with the Pale Is The New Tan motto.

Let’s learn a bit about self-tanners shall we? (this is a combo of Wiki/school/experience learned things)

1. The ingredient that causes the color change is called Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) and  comes from sugar beets or sugar. Some people complain of a sticky feeling to the skin…the sugar-ness is why.
2. DHA only effects the top layer of the skin and reacts to the amino acids. It is not a stain or a dye, but a chemical reaction. When you get a for-realsies tan, the UV radiation produces melanin at the basal layer. The amino acid/DHA reaction  produces shades similar to melanin. This of course depends on the formulation you use. When combined with erythrulose you get a longer lasting tan.
3. Timeline! 20′s: use during non-explained x-ray experimentation raises curiosity, wars interrupt research. 50′s: While researching its usage as a possible drug to combat glycogen storage diseases, children spit and spill it all over themselves, creating inconsistent skin splotches. 60′s: Coppertone releases it’s first home self-tanner. Housewives everywhere are orange and streaky. 70′s: FDA adds DHA to the cosmetics  safe-list. Since then it has safely sat, lording over all those other ingredients that cause controversy. 80′s 90′s and 2000′s: Advanced technologies have all but eliminated the orange tone from the better formulas. You can now safely get a natural looking tan with a little application practice.
4. Drugstore formulas usually contain 3-5% DHA. More layers are needed to get a deeper color. Professional and Spa brands have between 5-15%.
5. The darkening begins between 2-4 hours of application and will continue for up to 72 hours later.
6. Since it only effects the upper, dead layer of skin, your new-found bronzed look will not wash or sweat off. Exfoliating, whether natural or in the shower will cause it to fade slightly. To maintain, you should re-apply every three days.
7. The smell! Some of you know what I’m talking about. The process of darkening the skin cells will release a rather strong odor on some people. Not everyone though, and not every formula. I am one of those people, and it is every formula for me. DHA+me=fragrant. It’s just body chemistry. Usually a shower 24 hours after application will get rid of it without affecting the look.
8. A 2007 study found that sun exposure immediately after self-tanner application increases the susceptibility of the skin to free-radical damage. So if you have an anti-oxidant cream to apply over top, that would be great. Remember that UV exposure will increase free-radical production as well. So apply sunscreen! *Update: This is the only study I can find so far. This does not imply that it increases cancer risk, just that it  may cause more rapid aging of the cells.  You can also see it if you view the Wikipedia page about Dihydroxyacetone. Yet another reason to take this with a grain of salt. I just thought it was interesting.
9. DHA causes severe contact dermatitis in Mexican Hairless Dogs but almost no sensitivities in humans (according to Wikipedia). This raises many weird questions. If you do have extremely sensitive skin, always patch test before applying to your whole body.
10. You can get pills that claim to tan you, but none of these have ever been approved by the FDA and there hasn’t really been any research done as to how safe they actually are. Tyrosine is an ingredient the tanning accelerators use to increase the color associated with UV tanning. At this time there is absolutely no evidence supporting this. They sometimes include DHA in those tan accelerators as well, but remember that that will increase free radical damage ALONG with the damage you inherently get from UV exposure. Tyrosine is naturally produced in our bodies before melanin. There’s no evidence that proves ingesting or applying it will increase color.

Here at Spa Boutique, we carry a few great self-tanners. Of particular note are the Phytomer, Guinot and GlowFusion products.  They give gorgeous, natural looking color. Stay tuned for another post on how to apply them properly!

I would love to hear some stories about your experiences self-tanning. Leave a comment below to be entered to win a prize.

Tags: DHA, Fake tan, GlowFusion, guinot, phytomer, self-tanners, summer skin, tanning safety, UV exposure

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