Self Tanning Lotion

Tanning the body to get that dark yet attractive and glazing skin tone, is not so new for all of us. Tanning was primarily done by sunbathing, which later got replaced by other methods of tanning like using the tanning beds and tanning lotions. Self tanning is one method, which is safer and easier than sunbathing and it also saves you from paying high prices for those costly tanning beds. Using a self tanning lotion is the best available option for you if you are not game for tanning beds or sunbathing.

Self tanning which is also called sunless tanning, is actually a safer way to get that desired bronze look, without getting sunburns or skin cancer, which are the major side effects of the suntan and the tanning beds! Self tanning is a way of tanning, which involves the application of certain chemicals on skin. These chemicals evoke skin cells, to get the effect which is similar to the sunbath. Self tanning involves positive effects of tanning with reduced risk of the side effects of the sunbathing and/or the tanning beds.

What is a Self Tanning Lotion?

A self tanning lotion is one of the ways to get sunless tanning. There are a lot of self tanning products available in various forms like tanning sprays, mousses, tanning gels and tanning pills. Amongst all these products, the lotion is present in the cream form. It imparts a dark and bronze tone to your skin. It primarily contains dihydroxyacetone (DHA) as its active ingredient. DHA is actually a sugar which is derived from plants (like sugar beet and sugar cane) and fermented using glycerin. DHA reacts with the amino acids which are present in the skin epidermis. This reaction doesn't require sunlight and has no ill effects on the skin as well.

Other than DHA, there are several ingredients which are present in the self tanning lotion. Amongst these ingredients, Tyrosine is an important ingredient, which is an amino acid. Tyrosine boosts the process of melanin formation in the skin and helps you to get a darker skin tone. Afamelanotide is another drug, which is advertised to be an effective way of sunless tanning. Afamelanotide is a synthetic form of the naturally occurring melanocyte stimulating hormones. The researches about its safety and effectiveness are still under progress and hence its usage is also a bit controversial.

Tips

Application requires a lot of practice as well as patience. One cannot get the perfect tan after a single application. You must also remember that using this lotion regularly can disastrously lead to an 'orange tan', rather than the bronze tan! Instead of getting dispirited, follow these simple tips that introduce you to the best ways of application. The most important thing to do before applying the lotion is to exfoliate the skin, properly. Skin exfoliation leads to removal of the dead skin layers from the skin surface. There are a few ways to exfoliate skin at home, which you can try, before you even think about the such a lotion.

It is also important to maintain the moisture levels of your skin. To do that, start using generous amounts of a good quality moisturizer, especially after you take bath. Be careful to apply proper amount of moisturizer on the skin areas like knees, elbows and ankles. If these parts of the body remain dry, then they might soak up the self tanning lotion and lead to patchy tanning. Applying the lotion in the bathroom, especially immediately after the bath, is certainly a bad idea. The moisture and heat which is present in the bathroom can make you sweat during the application, reducing the effect and causing drippy patches on the skin.

Always take your time to apply the lotion on the desired body part. Self tanning lotion takes time to get dry and hence, do not dress up immediately after its application. Self application of these lotions is always a tricky job. For better results, use the latex hand gloves. To get better results while applying the lotion on crucial areas like the back of the hands and top of the feet, always use a damp triangular makeup sponge. This sponge also works great as an applicator for the lotion for the face.

There are a lot of inquisitions amongst pregnant women about self tanning lotions. These lotions are safer than the other tanning methods, but they are not a recommended choice during pregnancy. As skin gets oversensitive during pregnancy, it is best to consult an obstetrician while pregnant.

Most of the self tanning lotions are FDA approved and they also consist several skin rejuvenating vitamins and minerals. These ingredients make them safe for the skin, but only when they are used in a limited quantity. As a last note of advice, I would suggest you to choose the lotion which consists SPF (Sun Protecting Factor)15 to SPF 30.