Understanding Self Tanning - How it all works

With a lot of awareness about the UV radiation from the sun harming the skin, coupled with the fact that hardly anybody has time to lie around sunbathing, natural tans are on their way out. However the tanned look is very much in vogue.  The answer is a sunless tan.

Of course the best way to get a thorough sunless tan is to have it done at a suntan salon, but with time, patience and the right products it can be done at home too, especially if you want just your face tanned.

How does the self tanning lotion make me look tan?

Wondering how sunless tanners work? Well, they contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA) which gets absorbed into the top layer of the skin. It then reacts with the amino acids present in the top layer to form a brown color pigment that gives the brown hue to the skin.

DHA was accidentally discovered by scientists before World War II. It was only much later in the 1970s that DHA was given FDA approval. The eighties saw DHA getting refined in labs and better self tanners hit market shelves. This is why you see self tanning products of today greatly improved over what we all used to see even just a few years back. This is also why you really want to make sure you chose a quality product. Remember they aren't all the same!!!!

Easy Sunless Tanning Spray Application

Sunless tanning products are great for achieving and even, bronze tan all year long. The first products to hit the market were thick lotions, next mousses were introduced and today, sunless tanning sprays are one of the most popular sunless tanning products used. But, the sunless tanning sprays can be difficult to apply to a streak free finish. The spray hit the skin unevenly and runs quite easily, this leads to an uneven tan that looks far less normal than any other sunless tanning product. The key to using sunless tanning sprays is in the application. When applied correctly, the streaks will never return again.

The key to applying a sunless tanning spray is great quality paper towels. Choose a paper towel that is smooth to the touch. You want to stay away from any paper towels that may irritate the skin. Generic or lower priced paper towels may work, but the best choice is the higher end products.

With one paper towel in hand, spray the surface of the paper towel with the sunless tanning spray. Apply the spray all parts of the body, only applying a fresh amount of sunless tanning spray when the towel feels dry to the touch. Make sure to wash you hands at leasts every five minutes while applying the spray to keep the tanning solution from darkening nails and cuticles.

Once you have applied sunless tanning spray to all major parts of the body, spray the towel once more with sunless tanning spray. Allow to dry for a minute or two and then use the towel on feet and toes.

Paper towels are a great resources when applying sunless tanning sprays to the body. This method of application ensures no more streaks and an even final product.

Body Parts That Just Don't Tan with Sunless Tanning Products

Sunless tanning is a process that is far from perfect. While the sun will tan nearly every part of the body, sunless tanners rely on absorption to work effectively. There are certain areas of the body that simply will not tan when using sunless tanning products.

Scars on the body will not tan when you use a sunless tanning product. Scars are dense areas of skin that have little or no absorption properties. The older the scar, the more lax the skin will be, so with age, a scar may allow a bit of the product to absorb leaving a lightly tanned area. The term scars also includes stretch marks. If you tummy has a lot of stretch marks after birth, be prepared to see these scars become more and more pronounced the darker you tan with your sunless tanning product.

Certain private areas do not tan well with sunless tanning products either. The bikini line and nipples will have little or no color change no matter how many applications of sunless tanning product you apply to the area. The bikini line may actually begin to appear dirty or dingy over time, so avoid the bikini area whenever possible.

Lip are another concern of people using sunless tanning products. Lips do not absorb the lotion. Your lip color will have no visible change from the use of sunless tanning products on the face. When applying sunless tanning products to the face, do not avoid the lips. The product may build up around the mouth leaving an unwanted extra darkening in that area.

Sunless tanning products are easy to use and offer a great tan every day of the year. But, the products are not perfect. When applying sunless tanning products, scars, bikini areas, nipples and lips just will not tan.

Four Types of Sunless Tanning Products

Women want to be tan and they want to look younger that their years. Having the best of both worlds became a reality with the introduction of sunless tanning products. There are four major styles of sunless tanning products on the market today: sunless tanning lotions, sunless tanning mousses, sunless tanning sprays and sunless tanning facial lotions.

Sunless tanning lotions are the products that have been around the longest. These lotions react with the skin to create a natural looking tan that will last anywhere fro 5 to 7 days in most cases. Sunless tanning lotions are specialized by your natural skin color and the deepness of tan you are wishing to achieve.

Sunless tanning mousses are generally the same as sunless tanning lotions, but they are packaged in mousses form. These mousses are absorbed more quickly into the skin.

Sunless tanning sprays are the most difficult tanning products to use. The uneven spraying nozzles tend to leave the skin streaked and discolored. Applying these products correctly can lead to a tan that looks more natural than any other tanning product, but the application perfection take time and skill to master.

The final product, and the newest on the market, are sunless tanning lotions for the face. These lotions are very similar to all over body sunless tanning lotions, but tend to tan less deeply. Creating your own facial sunless tanning lotions is as simple as adding a little lotion to your sunless tanner in the palm of your hand before applying to the face.

The sunless tanning product market is a huge field. These products have rendered winter white skin nearly obsolete. With any of these four sunless tanning products, you can be sure to be the bronze goddess you want to be, 12 months out of the year.

Sunless Tanning Your Back

With a constant forage of warnings about UVA and UVB rays, the sunless tanning market is on the rise. Sunless tanners offer the same golden color as tanning beds and sun bathing, without the chance of skin cancers or premature aging. Sunless tanners can be tricky to apply to some areas of the body. The back, without a doubt, is the hardest area on which to apply sunless tanning products. Once you learn a few tricks of the trade, you will no longer have to run around with an off color or streaked back.

For perfect back tanning with sunless tanning products, purchase a back scrubber, a box of latex gloves and a box of rubber bands. Cover the scrubber end of the back scrubber with the latex glove and secure at the base of the handle of the back scrubber with a rubber band. Apply your sunless tanning product to the latex glove and gently apply to the back. This application works best with sunless tanning mousses and sunless tanning sprays.

Another great little invention is the sponge paint applicator. You can choose the roller type or the simple sponge on a stick style. Both of these work wonders on the back. The only negative to this application style for sunless tanning products, is the lack of a long extension to reach all corners of the back.

Never again walk around in your killer bathing suit with a stark white back. With a little creativity and imagination, you will be tanned and bronze, even on your back, within minutes.

Precautions with self tanners

Always remember that your face has sensitive skin and will absorb the self tanner readily. So apply it sparingly especially when compared to the amount you apply to the limbs.
Those with short hair should remember to apply tanner behind the ears too as that area is going to be visible.

Long exposure to water can dull or even remove your sunless tan. Similarly even continued exposure to the sun may also cause the color to alter and the skin to dry out. So if you have a sunless tan on your face, take care of it with a sunscreen and by keeping it dry.

People who suffer from rosacea- a skin condition- are often tempted to use face self tanners. However DHA can turn out to be a skin irritant, so it is best to consult a dermatologist before applying that face self tanner.