Sunless Tanning

After concern with UVA and UVB rays, it is no wonder that people are looking for other ways to achieve a golden glow without having to sit under the sun or use sun beds. These days, you can find many products out on the market such as tanning pills, self tanners and bronzers. It is universally acknowledged that having a tan applied professionally takes a lot of strain and panic out of the situation as opposed to doing it yourself at home!!Skin is made up of two main layers: The epidermis on the outside and the dermis on the inside. The epidermis is where the tanning effect takes place.The most effective products available are self tanning lotions that contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA) as the active ingredient.DHA works with the bacteria and amino acids on the surface of the skin (skin chemistry is unique and therefore different results occur from person to person and even area to area.)DHA is a colourless sugar that interacts with the dead cells located in the epidermis. As the sugar interacts with the dead skin cells, a colour changes and this colour change usually lasts about five to seven days from the initial application. This is why it is crucial to exfoliate your entire body before applying any type of self tan (even when you are having it applied professionally). Tan cannot last or be applied as effectively if there is dead skin still present on the surface. Applying body lotion all over your body prior to a tan actually creates a barrier and therefore leads to perhaps an uneven application as well as possibly making it look ‘streaky’. Body moisturizer should only be applied to real dry areas such as elbows, knees and feet, in between the toes and fingers. If you need to wax or shave your legs, it should be done before the application of the tan as doing any type of hair removal after applying a tan will actually strip it off. Waxing and shaving are forms of exfoliation and thus removes the tan. Having deodorant on could result in green armpits!! As deodorants actually stop the product going through and penetrating. DHA has been listed with the food and drug administration (FDA) since 1973 and has been used in cosmetic preparations for almost 30 years.If you want to maintain your tan then repeat sessions are required as DHA works best when it is ‘layered’ i.e. applied a few times after your first treatment as it continues to work.REMEMBER: Sunless tans offer no protection whatsoever against the sun and the damage it may cause your skin so ensure that if you are out and about you still apply SPF, which you should be doing anyway!YOUR SKIN TONE DETERMINES THE DEPTH OF YOUR COLOUR!!

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