The practice of sunless tanning does not involve sun or UV light to crate color of the skin. Instead, a special formula of chemicals is applied to the skin to achieve a tanned skin color. This has made self tanning and airbrush tanning, the most rapidly expanding area of cosmetics.
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.
They can be used at home and should be applied to clean, dry skin. It is recommended to avoid bathing or swimming until the product has had time to fully absorb into the skin, which can take anything between 1-6 hours. First time users should always do a skin test before use. This involves applying to a small patch of skin, then waiting 24 hours in case of any allergic reactions, before applying to the rest of the body.
Not all sunless forms can be done at home. An airbrush tan is usually performed by qualified professionals, using special designed equipment made for the application of self tan.
In history, paler skin was preferred by a lot of people, as it represented a higher social standing. People in the upper classes would not allow themselves to be exposed to sun, so a tan was something only seen on the lower classes who would spend a lot of time outdoors in the sun due to work. This was the case in Victorian and Elizabethans societies, as well as Rome and Greece where people were known to whiten their faces with chalk. However, in the past century, the tan began to be linked with attractiveness and well being.
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.
Recent self tan products give a much more natural finish compared to those that first become available. The cream or brown dyes used in the fifties often gave a patchy and orange look but new technologies and ingredients changed this.
Even after health officials in the sixties announced that thy had discovered a link between continuous sun or UV exposure and skin cancer, people still wanted to be tanned due to the positive connotations it implied. Therefore, sunless tanning methods were supported as a great alternative way to be tanned without risk.
Sunless methods are not known to cause any serious damage to the skin, which is why they are supported by health authorities and is also part of the reason the product has become so successful. One concern, however, is that most self tan products will contain very little UV protection, so users should always remember that when exposing their skin to harmful light.
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.
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 .
Health & Fitness, beauty, bronze, cosmetics, general health, health issues, natural, skin, skin care, sunless tanning, tanning
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