Introduction
Starting as a fashion trend that was accidentally introduced by fashion icon Coco Chanel in the 1920s, tanning is a common pastime practiced in the United States and in many other parts of the world. As with any trend, corporations soon jumped on the bandwagon and started developing products to help tanners achieve a darker tan faster. This is the case with the introduction of tanning lotion.
Types
The two main types of tanning lotions are traditional lotions and sunless tanning lotions. Traditional lotions are designed to darken the skin faster while you are in the sun. Sunless tanning lotions use chemicals to darken the skin, without you ever having to step foot outside.
Melanin
Traditional tanning lotions rely on a substance called melanin to work. When you spend time out in the sun, your skin is introduced to radiation from the sun called ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV rays come in two types, UVB rays, which produce sunburns on the outer layer of the skin, and UVA rays, which produce the tan coloring on your skin. UVA rays work by penetrating deep into the layers of your skin and activating your melanocytes. Melanocytes produce melanin, which is responsible for providing color in your skin. The more melanocytes that are present, the darker your skin will appear.
Tyrosine
Most brands of sunless tanning lotions rely on two substances, tyrosine and dihydroxyacetone. Tyrosine is a type of amino acid. When introduced to the skin during application, it increases the body's ability to produce melanin. This can accelerate the tanning process, regardless of whether you spend time in the sun.
Dihydroxyacetone
Dihydroxyacetone, also known as DHA, is one of the most popular ingredients in sunless tanning products. Dihydroxyacetone is a natural colorless sugar that acts directly on dead skin cells. At any time during the day, your body is covered in dead skin cells. These skin cells typically remain on the skin for up to a week. Once the cells are exposed to DHA, a reaction takes place that tints the cells a darker color. As the dead skin cells fall off the skin, the skin color returns to normal.
Dangers
When you use traditional tanning lotion, it is important to understand that your risks of developing skin cancer do not change. Ultraviolet rays produce a tan, but they can also damage the epidermal cells of the skin. As the body tries to heal these cells, DNA mutations can occur, increasing your chances of developing deadly skin cancer, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Using sun block, instead of suntan lotion, is a better option when spending time outdoors. If you still want the look of a tan, consider one of the many sunless tanning products on the market.
