Elle asks…I love to exfoliate and use face masks (not at the same time of course) and was wondering if using masks and exfoliators will counteract using a gradual self tanner on my face. It seems like as soon as I exfoliate, even if a day or two later, it would remove some of the self tanner I had applied, especially if it is of the gradual variety? What’s your take, should I ditch the self-tanner?

The Right Brain comments:
Good catch, Elle. Exfoliating does indeed remove the surface layers of skin that are darkened by self tanners. In fact, one of the tests used in this industry to show how well an exfoliater works is to stain the skin with a self tanner and then use a color measuring instrument to show that skin color gets lighter as it’s exfoliated.

Now, depending on how much you’re scrubbing your skin and how much you’re self tanning, you may or may not notice a difference. But in theory, it is a problem.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Exfoliating does counteract self-tanning to some degree but you may be able to experiment and find the balance that’s right for you.

Sunless Tanning Will NOT Provide Protection from UV damage.

The authors of a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, are urging the FDA to require sunless tanning products to contain chemicals that effectively block UV. Currently, there is no such requirement and that may be causing some confusion with consumers.

In this survey based study authored by Katie Brooks et. al. of Boston University School of Medicine, it was found that one third of all people believed that a sunless tanner was protecting them from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Unfortunately, they don’t.

The ingredients in a sunless tanner (DHA) merely cause your skin to turn brown. They will not prevent you from getting a sun burn nor block the rays that can cause skin cancer. If you are using a sunless tanner, you still NEED a sun block containing some level of SPF.

Some other interesting facts from the study.

1. Sunless tanning users were more likely than non-users to have used a tanning booth in the previous year.

2. Sunless tanning users were more likely to experience a sunburn than non-users.

3. Sunless tanning users were also less aware of skin cancer risks.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

If you’re going to use a sunless tanner and then go out in the sun, make sure you use a sun block! Wrinkly, freckled, dried out skin caused by UV exposure is not something that any of our beauty brainiacs want to have.

Gee Cee asks…. What makes this Jergens Natural Glow stuff work so well? It’s the first product that doesn’t make me look tanorexic.

The Left Brain retorts:

The folks at Kao (the makers of Jergens) came up with a pretty clever idea when they put this product together. No doubt sprung from a marathon brainstorming session with a massive group of cross functional team members. You can imagine the scene…

Brainstorming

Moderator: “Anybody have any ideas about new skin lotions? Anybody?”
Marketing member: “We can make them more moisturizing”
Moderator: “What a great idea! Let’s write that down on our flipcharts. Anyone else?”
Marketing members: “How about vitamins?”
Marketing member: “Proteins. Aloe, everyone loves aloe.”
Moderator: “Those ideas are awesome.”
Scientist member: “Have you considered dihydroxyacetone?”
Moderator: “huh? Uh..thanks. Anyone else have any GOOD ideas?”
Marketing member: “We could use olive oil”
Moderator: “I love it!!”

Isn’t brainstorming great. Someday we’ll be shot for revealing the inner workings of this business. But that day is not today. Today, we answer a question about a sunless tanning lotion.

Jergens Natural Glow Ingredients

A quick look at the ingredient list of the Jergens Natural Glow lotion illuminates the secret of how it works. The very last ingredient is our old friend Dihydroxyacetone or DHA. This ingredient, discovered in the 1920s, is responsible for the fake bake. Our first treatment of the subject can be found here. So why is this one different? Well, the amount of color you get from DHA is directly dependant on how much you put on the skin. Put on a lot, and your skin will resemble the Great Pumpkin. But put on a little bit and you get a highly desired light brown glow.

In the Jegens product, they only put a little DHA in there so when you apply the moisturizing lotion, you only get a little more color. But if you put it on everyday you will get a steady increase in color. Traditional sunless tanners have lots of DHA in them so you get a really deep (and sometimes orange) color all at once. The other little trick that Jegens uses is a much higher quality DHA. The ingredient is obtained from either sugar beets or sugar cane and prior to the late 1980s, the quality was sketchy at best. But ingredient makers discovered ways to improve the refining process. This meant the DHA gave a less orange and more brown color.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

So that’s it. It works because it has low levels of high quality DHA that you use everyday. Now go out there and use your tan lotion to save face.

Do YOU have any fave fake bakes? Leave a comment for the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

Mid Brain reports:

We’ve blogged before about the safety of tanning and the controversy surged ahead this week with the announcement by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) that elevated the risk of sunbeds from “probably carcinogenic” to “carcinogenic to humans.” Speculation is running rampant: Will this spell the end of the tanning bed industry as we know it? Will cosmetic companies begin a mad rush for new higher SPF products to please fearful consumers? Or, will the news inspire a new generation of pale anti-tan beauties?

Damned if you tan, damned if you don’t

No one knows for sure, but it seems likely that being tan will remain a beauty goal for many consumers despite the risks.  Further complicating the matter is the consumer buzz regarding the role sun exposure plays in vitamin D production and how increased sunscreen use could lead to a vitamin D deficiency. The article cites a recent survey by Neutrogena that says a third of Americans are ‘somewhat concerned’ that sunblocks will lead to vitamin D deficiency.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

It will be interesting to see how scientific data will influence how this controversy plays out. We’ll keep you posted as events unfold. In the meantime, avoid excess sun exposure. Or not.

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