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.
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.
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.
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.
Despite the popularity of the tan through the past decades, it may be finally starting to fade as recent fashion icons are once again gracing the catwalks and screens with paler skin on show.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Despite the popularity of the tan through the past decades, it may be finally starting to fade as recent fashion icons are once again gracing the catwalks and screens with paler skin on show.
About the Author:
Get that summer glow all year round with self tanning and airbrush tanning! Get the exclusive low down now in our guide to all you need to know about Sun Laboratories Dark Sunsation .