Maybe you’ve seen influencers on social media using self-tanning drops during their daily skincare routine. But what does your skin actually think of a tan from a bottle?
If your skin could choose, it would absolutely go for a self-tanner. It’s much healthier than baking in the sun without protection, which carries a high risk of skin cancer.
Most self-tanners contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA) as the active ingredient, explains cosmetic dermatology research physician Jetske Ultee. It’s a sugar that can react with the proteins in dead skin cells. During this chemical process, a tan develops, just like with toasted bread and baked meat. The color your skin ultimately gets depends on the concentration of DHA. The more DHA in the product, the darker the result.
DHA reacts immediately when it comes into contact with the outermost layer of your skin, where dead skin cells are located, and does not penetrate into the deeper layers. Dead skin cells are always on your skin, no matter how vigorously you scrub with salt or a glove, explains dermatologist Marjolein Leenarts.
According to Leenarts, the substance that gives the skin a brown color is safe. However, some people have an allergic reaction to one of the up to twenty ingredients in the product. If you have an allergic reaction, it is likely due to the fragrance added to mask the typical odor that occurs when applying DHA. Ultee: “Fragrances are known to trigger allergic reactions. Furthermore, DHA can irritate your skin with regular use. Therefore, do not apply a self-tanner every day, as it can cause severe irritation.”
Sometimes you Turn Orange
There are various self-tanning products on the market. With self-tan drops, you can dose yourself, see which color suits you and how strong you want the tan, says Leenarts. You mix the drops with your day cream.
“It is simply the case that we find a tan beautiful here and associate it with health. If you have very white legs and want to wear a skirt or shorts, then it is a handy product. Just apply it and your legs will be brown for a few days. Sun exposure can be moderate, but it is a fact that the sun causes damage and that very many people get skin cancer.”
Leenarts herself developed a self-tanning product and experimented with many types of self-tanning products in different compositions. “Some of them make you really brown and even orange. The best thing is when two ingredients are combined: erythrulose and DHA.”
The substance erythrulose occurs naturally in raspberries and works in essentially the same way as DHA. Ultee: “But it takes a little longer to get a color. Also, the color is different. DHA gives a brown color with a yellow-orange undertone, while erythrulose gives a more red undertone.”
No extra freckles, but a summery glow
DHA also works on darker skin, according to Ultee. You won’t see an orangey effect as quickly, but your complexion will be deeper and your skin will get a beautiful summery glow. You can also use it to even out your complexion. If you have light, freckled skin, self-tan drops won’t give you extra freckles, but they will make your freckles darker.
What’s the best way to proceed? Ultee: “Before you start applying DHA, it is important that you scrub your skin two to three days in advance, otherwise accumulated dead skin cells can cause streaks or spots. It is also wise to apply a greasy cream such as Vaseline to areas of your skin where you do not want color, such as under your feet or on your elbows, to prevent the color from accumulating there.”
“On the day you are going to apply it, make sure your skin is clean, so that there are no traces of oil or body lotion on your skin that could affect the effect. If you want the skin to lose color evenly, continue to hydrate the skin well.”
And, both skin experts say, don’t forget to also apply sunscreen. “The color does protect, but with an SPF of 2 or 3 and that is negligible.”