Sunless Tanning Systems and Products

Today, everyone seems to be searching for that deep summer tan. However, people are looking for safer alternatives that can be used year round. In the past, sunless tanning products would leave people with an orange glow. Now, there are a variety of products on the markets that can be used to achieve that warm summer glow, without the orange streaks.

Using a self tanner is definitely a time commitment. For the most part, all self tanners take approximately 45 minutes to an hour to begin working. If you include drying time, you could actually spend nearly 3 hours trying to achieve that summer glow. You will also need to factor in the once a week maintenance time as well.

Whether you are lying out in the sun, trying to get a tan or are using sunless tanners, the epidermis layer of your skin is where the tanning takes places. The epidermis is made up of several different layers. The top layer, the stratum corneum, is the layer of the epidermis that is affected when you use a sunless tanning product.

On the market today, there are sunless tanners, bronzers and even tanning pills. The tanners come in a variety of different forms such as, gels, creams, foams, lotions and misting sprays. The most effective of these products are ones that contain dihydroxyacetone or DHA. Dihydroxyacetone is a colorless sugar that works with the dead cells of the epidermis, causing the skin to change colors. Generally speaking, the color will last approximately five to seven days from the original application.

Self tanners that contain amino acid tyrosine are said to both stimulate and increase the amount of melanin formation. Therefore, they will accelerate the tanning process. However, there is currently no data that supports this claim.