Information on Tanning Products

With the many tanning products available today, it may get confusing when deciding which product is right for you. Some products require exposure to ultraviolet radiation to get a tan, while others provide an instant tan right out of a bottle. You also want to protect your skin from premature aging and cancer. Knowing how the different tanning products work may help you decide which one is right for you. Does this Spark an idea?

Sunless Tanning Sprays and Lotions

Sunless tanning products allow you to get a sun kissed appearance without having to bask in the sun or visit the tanning salon. The sprays, lotions and creams are available over-the-counter. They work by coating your skin with dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a chemical that darkens your skin color by attaching to the amino acids in the epidermis. Use a sunless tanning product on exfoliated and clean skin to get the best results. Apply sunscreen before going outdoors because most sunless tanning sprays don't contain sun protection factor (SPF).

Sunscreen and Sunblock

When tanning, protect your skin by wearing a sunscreen or sunblock. Sunscreen filters UV light and keeps the harmful rays away from your skin. Sunblock acts as a wall between your skin and the sun. It scatters and reflects UV light. Both products still allow you to get a minimal tan while protecting you from sunburn. The SPF in sunscreen and sunblock tells you how long you are protected against sunburn. The higher the SPF, the better the sun protection. Apply sunblock or sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before sun exposure. Reapply the lotion every two hours.

Tanning Pills

Getting a tan by swallowing a tanning pill is not considered safe, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Tanning pills may contain canthaxanthin, a color additive that causes the skin to turn anywhere from orange to brown when ingested in larger quantities. Tanning pills with canthaxanthin have been associated with hives, liver damage and eye disorders.

Tanning Accelerator

Use tan accelerators, also known as tan promoters, to speed up your tanning process. Tan accelerators contain psoralen or tyrosine, which both stimulate the body to produce more melanin when exposed to the sun. You can spend less time basking in the sun or on the sun tanning bed. If you use a tan accelerator that also contains sunscreen, you may have to tan for a longer period because the sunscreen slows down the tanning process. Tan accelerators will also moisturize your skin.