Sunless Tanning

If you can’t take some time off your hectic schedule to go sunbathing and embrace the sun to get a beautiful tan, and you are afraid to try lying in a ultraviolet tanning bed for 20 minutes, then sunless tanning is the one for you. Sunless tanning is also called self-tanning or UV-free tanning. It gives your skin a tanned look similar in appearance to what sunbathing provides but without the exposure to damaging UV rays. The advent of sunless tanning is the alternative provided by science after discovering that skin cancer is directly related to sun exposure.

Although sunless tanning products are generally regarded as safe, there still some risks and dangers depending on the type of product and method of application.

• DHA-based products. The only food additive approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is dihydroxyacetone (DHA). Because of that, it is the most popular of all the sunless tanning products. The tan produced by these products is not paint or dye. It is a chemical reaction between DHA and the amino acids in the dead cells in the outermost skin layer. However, this tan does not last long. When the dead cells are discarded by the body, the tan fades. Usually, it is completely gone after seven days.

• Tyrosine-based products. Tyrosine is an amino acid that enhances the production of melanin in the skin. Although there is still no scientific basis for the manufacturer’s claims that products containing tyrosine can really accelerate melanin formation, they are already available in the market in the form of pills or lotions.

• Melanotan. Still unapproved in the United States, melanotan is seen as another alternative. It is a melanocyte-stimulating hormone which stimulates tanning and skin pigment increase. It has been extensively tested in Australia.

If you’re really itching to get a tan, there is no excuse. You can face the sun and get a tan naturally. You can try indoor tanning devices. You can also avail any of the sunless tanning products available in the market. Just remember that each method carries its own risks and benefits.