Tanning Facts – Bottle, Bed or Sun (Part 1)
It’s hard not to associate summer with sunshine and tanning. We all covet that “healthy glow”, but what measures are we willing to take to get it? To make things easier for the tan-lovers out there, your Knoxville Dermatology team put together the facts about bottle, bed and sun tanning. In this entry, we’ll talk about a tan in a bottle or sunless tanning.
Bottle:
Coppertone® started the wave of sunless tanning options in 1960 with their QT® or Quick Tanning lotion. We’ve seen several versions of the pour-on tan ranging in colors as unnatural as orange to a subtle golden honey color. Now the sunless tanning options extend into tanning accelerators and pills.
The most effect alternative to sunbathing is self-tanning lotions that contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA) as the active ingredient. This colorless sugar interacts with your dead skin cells to change their color. This color change lasts about five to seven days.
While the topical sunless tanning lotions are considered safe alternatives to sunbathing, the FDA hasn’t approved the use of DHA for application to areas near your eyes, mouth or nose so be sure to avoid these areas. Bronzers, whether in powder or moisturizer-form, allow you to add color to those areas while still being safe for your skin. Spray tans are harder to monitor but protect your eyes with tanning goggles and hold your breath while the spray is being applied.
Tanning accelerators and tanning pills have yet to receive scientific data to support the claim of aiding melanin formation so it’s best to play it safe with these sunless tanning options.
Regardless of what sunless product you use, it is important to apply sunscreen daily. Even if the product contains a sunscreen, it won’t be of much help since they lose their efficacy within hours of application.
For more information on sunless tanners, call us at 865-690-9467. If you want help with your self-tanning lotions, click here for tips on application and maintenance.
