How to select the best self-tanning lotions
Having a clean, tanned body, is the craze these days, with so many celebrities promoting the sun-loved look. Tanning salons, and kits are rapidly, mushrooming in the market and many people are trying out, different ways to get that perfectly colored body.
In such a situation, it’s easy to be misled by adverts selling you all sorts of unsafe tanning lotions. The best tanning lotion (brun-utan-sol in Swedish) will protect you, from Ultra-violet ray damage and ensure that your skin is properly moisturized, since dry or flaky skin, does not tan easily.
Sunless tanning is the biggest trend these days, and is meant for people on the move, who can’t afford to go down to the beach every time, they need a tan. The best active ingredients in tanning lotions in the market, for sunless tanning contain DHA or Di-Hydroxy Acetone.
DHA is approved by the FDA, for everyday cosmetic use and is commonly found, in most self tanning lotions. DHA is simply, a sugar, and reacts with proteins present on your skin surface, to give a slight brown coloration, something commonly occurring during food production, from where the concept of using DHA as a tanning agent developed.
The best tanning lotions will have a DHA concentration, varying from 5%-15%. Higher concentration lotions, require less application, but can result in an, uneven skin tone or streaking, while lower concentrations, are more beginner friendly, but require more coats of the lotion.
In such cases, if you can’t wait for the perfect tan, the best tanning lotion for you, would be one containing small amounts of erythrulose along with DHA. Tanning lotions containing erythrulose alone are slower, at bringing a visible change, in your skin tone, but lotions with a little amount of both DHA and erythrulose, are perfect for achieving rapid results.
Self tanning lotions are the best tanning lotions, available in the self-care market. They are also available as wipes, swabs, sprays, mousses and gels with the same, active ingredient. However, these formulations miss out on, moisturizing benefits offered by the lotions.
Self tanning lotions protect your skin, from the damaging effect of UV radiation of the sun, which is also common in, tanning booths. Dangerous skin cancers and wrinkled, ageing skin can be avoided by simply, using a sunless tanning solution.
It’s best to apply these lotions at night, while you sleep, to allow them to permeate, your skin overnight. You also have the added advantage, of not spoiling your day-wear, if you sleep in your old clothes, at night. Heavy sweating and showering will gradually remove, the effects of the tan, as the top layer of the skin is continuously regenerated. The effects of the tan are temporary and the best tanning lotions, can offer a consistent 10 day tan, while others are good to last for, 3-5 days.
New age self-tanning lotions are much better, and have new formulations, which don’t leave you with splotchy orange-colored, discolorations on your palms and skin, unlike the disastrous lotions of the 60’s. These new age lotions also come, with attractive scents and are available in a huge variety, for the discerning user.