Sunless tanning refers to the use of chemicals on the skin to create a result similar in appearance to a conventional suntan, but without any sunlight. It is a completely cosmetic practice, with self tanning and airbrush tanning becoming the fastest growing sector in the cosmetics market.
Self tan can come in the form of gels, creams and sprays to name a few. It can be applied various ways too, but the process does not use any sun or UV light to give the tanned look, nor does it involve skin pigmentation. It is a reaction between amino acids on the skin surface and the ingredient Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) that colors the skin.
It is made for home use, although anyone that has not used self tan previously is advised to do a skin test before use. This can be done by applying a small amount to a little area of skin, then wait a day to make sure you are not allergic to the ingredients, before applying to the rest of the body. For the best result, apply to clean, dry skin and allow to fully absorb into the skin before bathing or getting wet.
Another sunless form is an airbrush tan, which is applied using special equipment operated by trained specialists.
Bronzed skin tends to be linked to health and physical attractiveness, but in previous centuries, most preferred fair skin. In the Elizabethan and Victorian eras, the upper classes would protect their skin from sun exposure. A tan was seen as something for the working classes, who spent a lot of time doing outside labor. The Greeks and Romans were also known make their faces whiter using chalk.
In was not until the twenties, when a famous designer returned from a cruise vacation with a tan that it became fashionable. The tan no longer represented a life of outside labor, but a life of leisure and luxury. Also at this time, the looser fashions inspired by the Jazz age meant that women were no longer wearing clothes that completely covered their bodies, which gave even more reason to tan.
When self tan first became available in the fifties, it came in the form of a brown or creamy dye that was applied to skin to give the appearance of a tan. The first self tan products gave an orange and patchy result which did not look natural but now technologies have developed and new ingredient combinations have improved the finished effect.
A lot of people believe that beauty, health and wellness are associated with tanned skin, so therefore feel better with a tan themselves. Health authorities then found a link between sun or UV exposure and skin cancer, which did not completely deter people from wanting a tan, but did support the idea of sunless ways.
Although sunless tanning does not damage skin, most self tans have very low protection from UV. Therefore, the health associations have warned users that they should always keep this in mind when leaving the skin exposed.
More recently, we are once again starting to see paler faces in our fashion and screen icons, so after decades of popularity, the tan may finally be starting to fade.
Self tan can come in the form of gels, creams and sprays to name a few. It can be applied various ways too, but the process does not use any sun or UV light to give the tanned look, nor does it involve skin pigmentation. It is a reaction between amino acids on the skin surface and the ingredient Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) that colors the skin.
It is made for home use, although anyone that has not used self tan previously is advised to do a skin test before use. This can be done by applying a small amount to a little area of skin, then wait a day to make sure you are not allergic to the ingredients, before applying to the rest of the body. For the best result, apply to clean, dry skin and allow to fully absorb into the skin before bathing or getting wet.
Another sunless form is an airbrush tan, which is applied using special equipment operated by trained specialists.
Bronzed skin tends to be linked to health and physical attractiveness, but in previous centuries, most preferred fair skin. In the Elizabethan and Victorian eras, the upper classes would protect their skin from sun exposure. A tan was seen as something for the working classes, who spent a lot of time doing outside labor. The Greeks and Romans were also known make their faces whiter using chalk.
In was not until the twenties, when a famous designer returned from a cruise vacation with a tan that it became fashionable. The tan no longer represented a life of outside labor, but a life of leisure and luxury. Also at this time, the looser fashions inspired by the Jazz age meant that women were no longer wearing clothes that completely covered their bodies, which gave even more reason to tan.
When self tan first became available in the fifties, it came in the form of a brown or creamy dye that was applied to skin to give the appearance of a tan. The first self tan products gave an orange and patchy result which did not look natural but now technologies have developed and new ingredient combinations have improved the finished effect.
A lot of people believe that beauty, health and wellness are associated with tanned skin, so therefore feel better with a tan themselves. Health authorities then found a link between sun or UV exposure and skin cancer, which did not completely deter people from wanting a tan, but did support the idea of sunless ways.
Although sunless tanning does not damage skin, most self tans have very low protection from UV. Therefore, the health associations have warned users that they should always keep this in mind when leaving the skin exposed.
More recently, we are once again starting to see paler faces in our fashion and screen icons, so after decades of popularity, the tan may finally be starting to fade.
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Get that summer glow all year round with self tanning and airbrush tanning! Get the low down now in our guide to all you need to know about Sun Laboratories Dark Sunsation .
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