Sunless tanning lotions are on the rise now more than ever as more of us realize that sun bathing is dangerous for our skin and subsequently, dangerous to our health. Many believe that because of global warming, the sun has become a real danger for our skin; causing premature aging and serious skin problems such as skin cancer. In recent years, we've seen increased concerns when it comes exposuing our skin directly to the sun.
So how can we maintain a healthy glow year round without subjecting our skin to the harmful rays of the sun? That's right! Sunless tanning lotions!
Have you ever wondered how sunless tanning lotions work?
Our skin naturally protects us from the UV damage by producing something called melanin. This is a substance that absorbs the harmful rays of the sun to protect our DNA. When our body produces melanin it darkens the skin thus, creating what we know as a tan.
Sunless tanning lotions replicate this process by using a chemical called Dihydroxyacetone - DHA. DHA colors our skin by interacting with the amino acids in dead skin cells; when the dead skin cells shed so does the color.
You'll get the best results with sunless tanning lotion if you have a fair complexion. This is because fair skinned individuals tend to burn, rather than tan, when exposed to the sun. But if you do have fair skin, you do need to be careful when applying sunless tanners, not all of them are created equal. If you don't know what you're doing, your tan can end up looking orange or blotchy.
The following products have been picked as the best value on the market in regard to the quality they offer.
- Banana Boat Sunless Tanning Creme
- Coppertone Oil Free Effortless Sunless Tanning Lotion
- Neutrogena instant bronzing foam
- Neutrogena Sunless Tanning foam
- LOreal self tanning lotion with SPF 15
There are many more sunless tanning lotions to pick from and experiment with as you like. Some top house lotions like Lancome, Clarins, Estee Lauder and YSL to name a few have excellent products as well but can be a bit more on the expensive side.
To get the best results from your sunless tanning lotion, try doing the following:
- Exfoliate the areas that you wish to apply the lotion before application. This will eliminated the dead skin cells and prolong your tanned look.
- Do not take a shower, take a bath or use water just after you applied the sunless tanning lotion. This will prevent irregular streaking.
- Don't forget to use gloves when applying the lotion, unless you want to have orange hands for the next week or so.
Sunless tanning lotion is a great product and a fantastic alternative to the sun's harmful rays. Not only can you mimic a natural tan more effectively than ever, but you can ensure that your skin will look healthy, young and refreshed as you mature over time. |
