Alexandra asks: I am just dying to find a good self tanner!! I don’t want to go tanning indoors, and I’ve used the Jergens stuff for about a month and I’m not getting the results I want. Are there any good products out there that won’t turn me into an orange?

The Right Brain understands tans:
It’s not surprising that the Jergens product isn’t giving you a great new tan. It has very low levels of DHA (the active ingredient that stains your skin) so you really won’t get a dark change in color. Neutrogena’s Micro Mist spray product contains more DHA so you might try that. (Read our previous posts to learn more about sunless tanning.)

Sunless-tan vs Indoor tan

While self tanning technology isn’t perfect, it is a good alternative to indoor tanning which exposes you to ultraviolet radiation that has been identified as a known carcinogen by the Department of Health and Human Services. To ensure that everyone understands the risks associated with tanning the US has passed a new law to explain the dangers.

The TAN Act

The new law is officially called the Tanning Accountability and Notification Act, or TAN Act for short. It directs the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make sure that the language and positioning of the warning labels used on tanning devices clearly communicate the risk of irreversible damage to the eyes and skin, including skin cancer.

Why you should care

According to Diane R. Baker, MD, FAAD, president of the American Academy of Dermatology, “The current labeling on tanning equipment inadequately explains the serious risks associated with indoor tanning.” This lack of information increases the risk for the estimated 30 million people (including 2.3 million teens) who tan indoors. While they are not all linked to tanning, over 1 million new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States every year. The TAN Act should lead to measures that will dramatically reduce the risks associated with indoor tanning.

Considering the known dangers, some people wonder if indoor tanning should be illegal. In that sense, this issue is a bit like the anti-smoking campaign. Should the government protect us from things that are known to be dangerous even though they give us pleasure? Leave a comment and tell us what you think: Should tanning beds be illegal?

Source: Global Cosmetic Industry Magazine

Victorio asks…are spray tanning booths safe? Also while you’re being sprayed there is a lot of residual mist that is being inadvertently inhaled is this dangerous to your lungs?

Left Beauty Brain replies.

Spray tanning booths use the same chemicals found in the sunless tanning sprays and creams that you can buy from your local grocery store (or chemist for our UK Beauty Brains). We’ve discussed how sunless tanning works in the past for those who are curious. But we didn’t say whether spray tanning booths were safe or not. That’s an interesting question.

Sunless Tanning and DHA

Sunless tanners take advantage of a browning chemical reaction between your skin proteins and a compound called DHA (Dihydroxyacetone). It’s actually pretty neat now that they’ve figured out how to make it look brown instead of orange. Sunless tanning is much safer than the real thing.

Safety of mist tanning

Unfortunately, the safety of DHA has only been verified for external use. That means it’s perfectly safe for putting on your skin but it hasn’t been proven safe inside your body (e.g. in your lungs).

According to the FDA,

DHA is listed in the regulations as a color additive for use in imparting color to the human body. However, its use in cosmetics–including sunless “tanning” products–is restricted to external application (21 CFR 73.2150). According to the CFR, “externally applied” cosmetics are those “applied only to external parts of the body and not to the lips or any body surface covered by mucous membrane” (21 CFR 70.3v). The industry has not provided safety data to FDA in order for the agency to consider approving it for use on these exposure routes, including “misting” from tanning booths.

So, as far as the FDA is concerned spray tanning booths probably fall outside the realm of what’s considered safe if any of the DHA gets inside your body.

Still mist tanning may be ok

While the FDA is weary of spray tanning booths they are also quick to point out that they have no jurisdiction to regulate them. It’s up to the operator of the spray tanning booth to ensure that they are safe. A bit like the fox watching the hen house eh?
How can you tell whether the spray tanning booth that you go to is safe? According to the FDA, you should ask the following three questions.

1. Are your eyes protected from exposure?
2. Are your lips and mouth protected from exposure?
3. Are you protected from internal exposure caused by inhaling or ingesting the product?

If the answer to any of these in “no” then the booth you are in wouldn’t be considered safe by the FDA.

Beauty Brains bottom line

Sunless tanning is great and we recommend using any of these fine sunless tanning to get your tan on.   Until more testing is done, you should avoid spray tanning booths because unless your eyes and mouth are completely covered and you can hold your breath for the few minutes it takes to spray, you’ll get DHA inside your body. It could be perfectly fine but without safety data, you just don’t know.

Judy’s chaste question:
I understand from your previous article that DHA sunless tanners are dangerous because they don’t protect skin from UV. Are there any better sunless tanning ingredients?

The Right Brain’s celibate response:
DHA (short for Dihydroxyacetone) is still the safest, most widely used ingredient. But there is an herbal extract called chasteberry that, believe it or not, may actually help your skin tan.

What is a chasteberry?

Chasteberry is an herbal extract made from the fruit of the chaste tree. Originally from western Asia and southwestern Europe, the chaste tree can now be found throughout much of the southeastern United States.

The berry has been used for thousands of years for gynecologic conditions such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS), cyclical breast discomfort, and menstrual cycle irregularities. In medieval Europe, chasteberry was even taken by celibate monks who wanted to reduce their unwanted sexual libido. While modern medicine hasn’t proven it really does make you less horny, we’re still planning on sending a case of this stuff to our fellow Beauty Brain, Sarah Bellum, just in case.

Does it really provide a safer tan?

While the medical benefits of chasteberry can be debated, there is at least one study that indicates it may help you tan. (Cosmetics and Toiletries Magazine - July 2007, Vo 122, No. 7). Researchers have found that the extract can help induce melanin synthesis due to its beta-endorphin like properties. In other words, the extract stimulates your skin’s natural tanning mechanism without UV exposure. Unfortunately, the effect is so slight that you can barely see it with the naked eye. So it doesn’t look like this extract makes a very good sunless tanner. But they also found that when skin is treated with chasteberry extract and then exposed to sun, it tans better than with sun exposure alone.

We’re not aware of any chasteberry tanning creams on the market yet, but hopefully more research in this area will lead to new tanning accelerator products. In the meantime, stick to DHA and use a good ultra-sweat proof SPF 50 sunscreen.

Britt asks…I love your website but am not going to rave about it here (I`d rather save the positive comments for my friends so that I can get them hooked too!) My question is about these gradual tanning lotions (e.g. Jergen`s Natural Glow). I have been using this product on and off all Winter (with mediocre results) and plan to keep using it so as to get my money`s worth. Since it is now Summer, however, I am a bit nervous about using the lotion and then going out into the sun. I am not a sun-worshipper but do ride my bike to and from work. Should I be worried about exposing my freshly fake-tanned skin to the Summer sun? Thanks!!

The Left Brain enlightens…

We’ve previously written about how sunless tanners work but we didn’t answer this question. For the most part, skin that has been treated with a sunless tanner is no more protected or vulnerable than untreated skin. In both cases you should be wearing sunscreen when you go outside (preferably SPF 30). The only safety issue with sunless tanners is that you THINK you might not need to use sunscreen since you’re already tan. In other words, sunless tanners can lull you into a false sense of security so you forget to protect you skin. And that’s dangerous!

Difference between sunless and real tans

The color on skin from a sunless tanner is chemically different than a real tan. Real tans are the result of melanin in skin. Fake tans are the result of chemical reaction between skin protein and DHA.

Can sunless tanners protect skin?

Recently, there was a study which showed that a new type of sunless tanner could actually be beneficial. Consider this self-tanner story recently reported by netdoctor. It turns out that this kind of fake tanner may actually have the potential to protect from skin cancer. In a study done on mice, scientists were able to show that extra skin pigmentation from their plant-derived fake tanner was able to help protect DNA from UV damage. Less damage = less skin cancer.

This technology is different than the standard DHA containing self tanners you can buy now. Unfortunately, it also isn’t ready for prime time as it hasn’t been proven in humans plus it’s not clear how nice a tan you might get. But it would be nice to do something good for your skin while you protect it.

Incidentally, for the entire month of May, The Beauty Addict is reviewing the ins and outs of self tanners. She kicks off the month with self tanner basics. It’s definitely worth a read.

Valerie wonders: Has anyone heard of a hair product, possibly a gel or a product for ethnic hair, that works really good as a tanning lotion? The Left Brain says:

Sorry, Valerie, I`ve never heard of such a product. But I can think of a couple of theoretical instances where a hair product could make a good tanning lotion. For example, if a hair gel had a high concentration of sunscreen it could be used for tanning. Or if it contained DHA, which is the active ingredient in sunless tanning lotions, it could be used as a self tanner. But even if this were the case, the product would be designed to be used on hair and wouldn`t be optimized for use on skin so I doubt it would work very well. You`d be better off just buying a tanning lotion made for skin.

If anyone in the Beauty Brains community has seen such a product, please let us know.

Are you curious how your skin would look after using a sunless tanner like GlowFusion or Bobbi Brown but you’re afraid to try them? Well, this new invention might be right up your alley. According to this patent filed by an inventor working for Proctor & Gamble, they have designed a mirror that actually shows you what your face would look like if you used a self-tanner. The mirror is specially tinted so when you look into it, your face has a colored hue.

Wouldn’t it be great if the mirror could actually change your skin color too? Maybe that will be available in the second generation. I’m imagining a mirror with a Mystic Tan spray built right in. Geez I hope P&G isn’t reading this.

Since the patent is so new, the product is probably not out on the market just yet. But look for it soon in a salon or drug store near you.

And if you’re really in a hurry for a tan you could always try the Verseo home face tanner (pictured above.) It tans the old school way - with UV radiation. So it’s great if you don’t mind a little skin cancer.