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.
Most self tans are designed for home use, with the best results when used on clean, dry skin. If you have not used self tan products before than you should always carry out a skin test first to ensure you do not have an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients. Please allow 24 hours after testing a small patch of skin, before putting on the rest of the body and allow it to completely dry into the skin before getting the skin wet.
Another sunless form is an airbrush tan, which is applied using special equipment operated by trained specialists.
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.
It was in the twenties that the tan started to become fashionable, after a well known designer returned with a tan after a holiday cruise. The tan began to reflect the laid back, luxurious life, not the sign of a life of labor that it once was. It was also at this time that women began to dress more freely, influenced by the Jazz Age. The fact that clothes no longer covered the whole body only gave the tan more appeal.
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.
Health experts do recommend the use of self tan as an alternative to a regular tan as there are not any known risks to the skin form using sunless tanning methods. Users should always consider that most self tans provide very low protection against UV, and remember this if leaving skin exposed.
It appears that the tan may soon begin to fade, as once again, pale skinned bodies are starting to emerge across catwalks and on screen.
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.
Most self tans are designed for home use, with the best results when used on clean, dry skin. If you have not used self tan products before than you should always carry out a skin test first to ensure you do not have an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients. Please allow 24 hours after testing a small patch of skin, before putting on the rest of the body and allow it to completely dry into the skin before getting the skin wet.
Another sunless form is an airbrush tan, which is applied using special equipment operated by trained specialists.
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.
It was in the twenties that the tan started to become fashionable, after a well known designer returned with a tan after a holiday cruise. The tan began to reflect the laid back, luxurious life, not the sign of a life of labor that it once was. It was also at this time that women began to dress more freely, influenced by the Jazz Age. The fact that clothes no longer covered the whole body only gave the tan more appeal.
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.
Health experts do recommend the use of self tan as an alternative to a regular tan as there are not any known risks to the skin form using sunless tanning methods. Users should always consider that most self tans provide very low protection against UV, and remember this if leaving skin exposed.
It appears that the tan may soon begin to fade, as once again, pale skinned bodies are starting to emerge across catwalks and on screen.
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Get that summer glow everything year round with self tanning and airbrush tanning! Get the low down now in our review of everything you need to know about Sun Laboratories Dark Sunsation .
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