Applying a special formula of chemicals to the skin to get the effect of a traditional suntan, without any exposure to sun or UV light, is known as sunless tanning. Self tanning and airbrush tanning is a rapidly expanding area in cosmetic sales.
Self tan can come in the form of gels, creams and sprays to name a few. It can be applied various ways too, but the process does not use any sun or UV light to give the tanned look, nor does it involve skin pigmentation. It is a reaction between amino acids on the skin surface and the ingredient Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) that colors the skin.
Most self tans are designed for home use, with the best results when used on clean, dry skin. If you have not used self tan products before than you should always carry out a skin test first to ensure you do not have an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients. Please allow 24 hours after testing a small patch of skin, before putting on the rest of the body and allow it to completely dry into the skin before getting the skin wet.
An airbrush tan is also a sunless tan product but is usually applied by professional technicians using specialized airbrushing equipment, made especially for applying fake tan formula.
Bronzed skin tends to be linked to health and physical attractiveness, but in previous centuries, most preferred fair skin. In the Elizabethan and Victorian eras, the upper classes would protect their skin from sun exposure. A tan was seen as something for the working classes, who spent a lot of time doing outside labor. The Greeks and Romans were also known make their faces whiter using chalk.
It was in the twenties that the tan started to become fashionable, after a well known designer returned with a tan after a holiday cruise. The tan began to reflect the laid back, luxurious life, not the sign of a life of labor that it once was. It was also at this time that women began to dress more freely, influenced by the Jazz Age. The fact that clothes no longer covered the whole body only gave the tan more appeal.
When self tan first became available in the fifties, it came in the form of a brown or creamy dye that was applied to skin to give the appearance of a tan. The first self tan products gave an orange and patchy result which did not look natural but now technologies have developed and new ingredient combinations have improved the finished effect.
Even after health officials in the sixties announced that thy had discovered a link between continuous sun or UV exposure and skin cancer, people still wanted to be tanned due to the positive connotations it implied. Therefore, sunless tanning methods were supported as a great alternative way to be tanned without risk.
Sunless methods are not known to cause any serious damage to the skin, which is why they are supported by health authorities and is also part of the reason the product has become so successful. One concern, however, is that most self tan products will contain very little UV protection, so users should always remember that when exposing their skin to harmful light.
Despite the popularity of the tan through the past decades, it may be finally starting to fade as recent fashion icons are once again gracing the catwalks and screens with paler skin on show.
Self tan can come in the form of gels, creams and sprays to name a few. It can be applied various ways too, but the process does not use any sun or UV light to give the tanned look, nor does it involve skin pigmentation. It is a reaction between amino acids on the skin surface and the ingredient Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) that colors the skin.
Most self tans are designed for home use, with the best results when used on clean, dry skin. If you have not used self tan products before than you should always carry out a skin test first to ensure you do not have an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients. Please allow 24 hours after testing a small patch of skin, before putting on the rest of the body and allow it to completely dry into the skin before getting the skin wet.
An airbrush tan is also a sunless tan product but is usually applied by professional technicians using specialized airbrushing equipment, made especially for applying fake tan formula.
Bronzed skin tends to be linked to health and physical attractiveness, but in previous centuries, most preferred fair skin. In the Elizabethan and Victorian eras, the upper classes would protect their skin from sun exposure. A tan was seen as something for the working classes, who spent a lot of time doing outside labor. The Greeks and Romans were also known make their faces whiter using chalk.
It was in the twenties that the tan started to become fashionable, after a well known designer returned with a tan after a holiday cruise. The tan began to reflect the laid back, luxurious life, not the sign of a life of labor that it once was. It was also at this time that women began to dress more freely, influenced by the Jazz Age. The fact that clothes no longer covered the whole body only gave the tan more appeal.
When self tan first became available in the fifties, it came in the form of a brown or creamy dye that was applied to skin to give the appearance of a tan. The first self tan products gave an orange and patchy result which did not look natural but now technologies have developed and new ingredient combinations have improved the finished effect.
Even after health officials in the sixties announced that thy had discovered a link between continuous sun or UV exposure and skin cancer, people still wanted to be tanned due to the positive connotations it implied. Therefore, sunless tanning methods were supported as a great alternative way to be tanned without risk.
Sunless methods are not known to cause any serious damage to the skin, which is why they are supported by health authorities and is also part of the reason the product has become so successful. One concern, however, is that most self tan products will contain very little UV protection, so users should always remember that when exposing their skin to harmful light.
Despite the popularity of the tan through the past decades, it may be finally starting to fade as recent fashion icons are once again gracing the catwalks and screens with paler skin on show.
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Get that summer glow all year round with self tanning and airbrush tanning! Get the low down now in our guide to all you need to know about Sun Laboratories Dark Sunsation .
