The public still views a tan as attractive and "healthy" appearing when in actual fact a tan is a sign of skin damage. Because tans are still in fashion, cosmetic companies have produced self-tanning lotions in a response to demand for a safe way to tan. Sunless or self-tanning lotions appear to be safe and effective for most individuals. These products are becoming more and more popular each day. The most important thing to remember is that the lotions do not protect the skin, so you can burn just as easily as if you had no tan. The tan is not real so the skin is left unprotected.

Tanning lotions are just one of several types of products which are available. One group of products is known as bronzers. These are usually available in gel formulations, and produce a darker color on the skin by the use of water soluble dyes. Bronzers color the skin immediately, but the color fades with the first wash. Tan accelerators are another group of products. They contain a natural enzyme that stimulates the production of melanin (the body's natural tan creating enzyme) with exposure to sunlight but have not proven to be effective.

The FDA is cracking down on these products because they do not work. Tanning promoters are a group of products containing 5-methoxypsoralen which are not available in the United States and have been reported to cause cancer in mice and severe sunburn reactions in humans. Tanning pills, which contain the drug canthaxanthrin, work by promoting the deposition of carotenoid in the skin. Carotenoid is a chemical similar to Vitamin A found in carrots. These pills have been banned in the United States. Recent studies show that these pills can have life threatening side effects and have been known to cause blindness.

The last group of products are the sunless or self-tanning lotions and these have been proven to be safe and quite effective. The active ingredient in these products is dihydroxyacetone (DHA) which has been shown to be safe by the Food and Drug Administration.

These products were first discovered by the Germans in the late 1920's when DHA was spilled on the skin and a brown color appeared. DHA gives color to the skin through a "browning reaction." When applied to the skin DHA changes into a sugar which combines with amino acids in the skin to form chemical compounds known as melaninoids which are brown in color. By using the self-tanning lotions and avoiding the sun as much as possible, you will decrease your risk of getting skin cancer.