Are Sunless Tanning Products Safe?
The least expensive method of getting a suntan is to spend a lot of time in the sun, and historically, that's the way it was done.
However, in recent decades, doctors and scientists have learned that too much exposure of the skin to the sun is dangerous.
Initially the sun can cause third degree burns and skin damage.
More importantly, most of the skin cancer that people experience is caused by the UV rays of the sun.
Therefore, people are choosing other options for getting a suntan, one of which is sunless tanning products that include gels, lotions, creams, and sprays.
Even though thousands of people are using these products, are they safe? Self-tanning products can make your skin look like it's tanned without you having to expose it to the harmful UV rays of the sun.
Most of these products contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA) which reacts with dead skin cells to darken the skin.
This is a good, safe method of tanning, but it is quite temporary.
In fact, it will fade within a few days of application as your dead skin cells are sloughed off.
Many of these sunless tanning products are quite expensive, and they need to be reapplied every few days, so this may not be a viable option for a lot of people.
In addition, they include no sunscreen, so you will still have to buy a separate product to protect you from the sun.
Suntanning pills are another option for sunless tanning, but you need to beware.
Although they are easy to use and do produce some results, they aren't safe.
They contain a color additive called canthaxanthin which, when ingested in large amounts, can have negative effects on your body.
For starters, these pills can turn your skin orange instead of a nice golden brown, and they could make you break out in hives.
Can't you just picture yourself in your new bikini struting down the beach with orange skin and a major outbreak of hives? People use these pills because they think they will improve their appearance, but they may be very wrong.
There are a couple of even more dangerous possibilities if you take too many sunless tanning pills.
You could end up with liver damage and a condition known as canthaxanthin retinopathy, which means that crystals form in the retinas of your eyes.
No suntan is worth taking risks such as these.
So if you're going to tan, stay out of the sun unless you use sunblock, and try topical tanning products instead of sunbathing.
Under no circumstances should you take tanning pills.
However, in recent decades, doctors and scientists have learned that too much exposure of the skin to the sun is dangerous.
Initially the sun can cause third degree burns and skin damage.
More importantly, most of the skin cancer that people experience is caused by the UV rays of the sun.
Therefore, people are choosing other options for getting a suntan, one of which is sunless tanning products that include gels, lotions, creams, and sprays.
Even though thousands of people are using these products, are they safe? Self-tanning products can make your skin look like it's tanned without you having to expose it to the harmful UV rays of the sun.
Most of these products contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA) which reacts with dead skin cells to darken the skin.
This is a good, safe method of tanning, but it is quite temporary.
In fact, it will fade within a few days of application as your dead skin cells are sloughed off.
Many of these sunless tanning products are quite expensive, and they need to be reapplied every few days, so this may not be a viable option for a lot of people.
In addition, they include no sunscreen, so you will still have to buy a separate product to protect you from the sun.
Suntanning pills are another option for sunless tanning, but you need to beware.
Although they are easy to use and do produce some results, they aren't safe.
They contain a color additive called canthaxanthin which, when ingested in large amounts, can have negative effects on your body.
For starters, these pills can turn your skin orange instead of a nice golden brown, and they could make you break out in hives.
Can't you just picture yourself in your new bikini struting down the beach with orange skin and a major outbreak of hives? People use these pills because they think they will improve their appearance, but they may be very wrong.
There are a couple of even more dangerous possibilities if you take too many sunless tanning pills.
You could end up with liver damage and a condition known as canthaxanthin retinopathy, which means that crystals form in the retinas of your eyes.
No suntan is worth taking risks such as these.
So if you're going to tan, stay out of the sun unless you use sunblock, and try topical tanning products instead of sunbathing.
Under no circumstances should you take tanning pills.
