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 be applied in a number of ways, and can come in the form of sprays and lotions, amongst others. The change in skin color is not a result of sun or UV exposure, but rather a result of a reaction between amino acids on the surface of the skin, and Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) which is the active ingredient in the formula.
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.
An airbrush tan is also a sunless tan product but is usually applied by professional technicians using specialized airbrushing equipment, made especially for applying fake tan formula.
Most people tend to associate a tan with beauty and a health, but throughout history, many favored white skin. The Romans and Greeks were both known to use white chalk to lighten their skin and Elizabethans even painted faint blue lines on their faces to appear paler. In Victorian society, tanned people were mainly seen in the lower classes and were people who were regularly exposed to sun whilst working outdoors. In comparison, the upper classes would not allow themselves to be exposed to the sun, with many women seen carrying parasols to shade them.
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.
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.
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.
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 be applied in a number of ways, and can come in the form of sprays and lotions, amongst others. The change in skin color is not a result of sun or UV exposure, but rather a result of a reaction between amino acids on the surface of the skin, and Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) which is the active ingredient in the formula.
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.
An airbrush tan is also a sunless tan product but is usually applied by professional technicians using specialized airbrushing equipment, made especially for applying fake tan formula.
Most people tend to associate a tan with beauty and a health, but throughout history, many favored white skin. The Romans and Greeks were both known to use white chalk to lighten their skin and Elizabethans even painted faint blue lines on their faces to appear paler. In Victorian society, tanned people were mainly seen in the lower classes and were people who were regularly exposed to sun whilst working outdoors. In comparison, the upper classes would not allow themselves to be exposed to the sun, with many women seen carrying parasols to shade them.
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.
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.
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.
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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