I hate to break it to those with golden tans colored by man-made potions and methods, but the final verdict is still out on some tanning practices and one sunless tanner has been labeled flat out “unsafe.”
Tanning pills, which usually contain an item called canthaxaxthin, have been called unsafe by the esteemed Mayo Clinic. Taken in large amounts, these pills can turn your skin orange and bring on hives. Even more worrisome, they can also cause crystals to form in the retina of the eye and lead to liver damage.
Tanning beds also come with negatives. According to a study by the American Association for Cancer Research, the frequent use of indoor tanning beds increases the risk of Melanoma up to four times, regardless of people’s ages when they first started using tanning beds. On a global note, The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified these devices as “carcinogenic.” The FDA has chimed in by recommending that kids under 18 be barred from tanning beds unless they have a consent form signed by a parent. Interviewing tanning salon staffs in 2005, Consumer Reports found that 30% of those questioned denied that tanning beds could prematurely age skin or cause skin cancer. Which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in their knowledge or credibility.
On to Salon Spray tans. The problems with these personalized airbrushed tans seem to center on the spray application itself rather than the spray ingredients, the main one being dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a colorless sugar derived carbohydrate that interacts with dead skin cells to darken them. Though DHA is approved by the FDA, the risks of inhaling or ingesting the stuff are still unknown. I myself have always wondered how people keep from breathing in that chemical mist while someone is spraying it over every inch of your body. The Mayo Clinic’s suggested solution is to close your eyes and hold your breath during the spraying which sounds like a heck of a feat for an operation that surely takes more than a minute. They further suggest that customers might want to utilize nose plugs or goggles while being spritzed. Frankly, just the mention of these protective items would be enough for me to give the process a pass.
Automated spray tanning booths bring on further complications. If customers don’t pivot fast enough in the correct position, they can end up with partially bronzed, striped bodies. Definitely not the golden effect they were aiming for.
Sunless tanning lotions and creams contain the same FDA approved DHA as tanning sprays, but don’t come with unresolved questions or after effects if correctly applied. The skin should always be first exfoliated with a wash cloth or sponge to remove excess dead cells. Used sparingly on dry or thickened skin around ankles, knees, elbows and toe joints to prevent dark patches, sunless tanning products should be lightly and evenly applied. It usually takes about an hour to start seeing results. Most of these sunless tanning products don’t contain protection against UV rays, so be sure to use sunscreen if you’ll be spending time outdoors.
When I stopped frying myself in the sun years ago, I started using these tanning lotions to avoid waltzing around in bare summer clothes showing skin that resembled raw chicken. But this summer’s sizzling heat inspired me to simplify my life and stick with my natural skin color (raw chicken be damned) and see what it was like going without a tan. The results so far: a terrific saving of time, effort and some greenbacks. Looks like I may have reached the age where looking cool has taken a back seat to keeping cool.
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- Thanks Mom and Dad for Not Making Me Fat
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