How do self-tanners work?

Posted by beautifulwithbrains | October 20, 2009 .

self-tanners

I’m perfectly happy being pale. It’s healthy. It’s natural. And it looks better anyway. But we live in a society that is obsessed with tanning and so many people eagerly await for summer so that they can spend any free time they have lying under the sun for hours to achieve that bronzed look. And if the sun doesn’t shine, they use tanning beds in a bid to keep their tan for as long as possible.

We all know by now that the sun rays are very dangerous and can cause cancer and premature aging. And the same can be said for tanning beds as they, like the sun, produce UV rays. My advice to you is to embrace whatever your natural skin color is, but if you really want to get a tan, then do it the safe way: use a self-tanner.

Brief history of self-tanners

The first self-tanner product was called Quick Tanning Lotion and was introduced on the market by Coppertone in 1960. Unfortunately, it gave skin a very unattractive orange shade but since then things have changed. Now there are lots of self-tanner products on the market available in lotion, gel or spray forms and they give skin a more natural, tanned look.

How do self-tanners work?

It doesn’t matter what brand, whether it is drugstore or high-end, a self-tanner is. Almost every product on the market uses Dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a colorless sugar derived from sugar cane, simply because it is the most effective. When DHA is applied, it reacts with the amino acids present in the stratum corneum (the outermost layer of the epidermis), imparting a brownish shade to the skin.

How tanned your skin will look depends on the amount of DHA used in the product. If the concentration is low, you’ll build up your tan gradually, while if it is high, you’ll get a darker color after the first application.

The color lasts for about 3 to 5 days before fading. That happens because the skin naturally exfoliates itself, shedding millions of dead skin cells every day. And because, DHA only affects the outermost layer of the skin, when the dead cells are removed, so is the tan. And if you use a scrub, that will accelerate the process. That’s why, in order to keep your tan, manufactures suggest reapplying the self-tanner every 2 or 3 days.

Side effects of self-tanners

Most self-tanners don’t contain sunscreen, and although DHA offers some sun protection, it won’t block the entire UV range. So, it’s very important that you always wear a broad spectrum sunscreen in conjunction with self tanner products and reapply regularly throughout the day, especially if you’re spending time outdoors.

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Posted under skincare | 4 Comments

4 Comments so far

Dao October 20, 2009 9:21 pm

I used self tanner once and while it was fun, I did not enjoy it. Having to apply the creme over and over again is quite a nuisance to me.
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Anastacia October 21, 2009 1:03 am

I really want to buy that Natural Glow stuffffff…
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PD October 21, 2009 3:23 pm

Out of all the self tanners you have tried, what one do you find the most effective? I’ve had mostly poor experiences with the stuff, but maybe its because i’m using the wrong brands!
beautifulwithbrains October 21, 2009 5:49 pm

Dao: I’m with you on that one. Having to reapply so often is a pain. I’d rather stay pale instead.

Anastacia: it looks nice

PD: to be honest, I very rarely use self-tanners as I love my pale skin and don’t like the tanned look so much. But my sister and friends use them and they like Hawaiian Tropic’s Island Glow Daily Moisturizer and Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer. They look quite natural. I heard L’oreal Sublime Bronze ProPerfect Airbrush Self-Tanning Mist is quite good too.
But I don’t think it’s the brand that’s wrong but the formula. They all use DHA but maybe products that have the ingredient in low concentrations will work best for you. They tend to build-up a tan gradually instead than just giving your skin a brown/orange color straight away.