Spray Tanning

Tanning Solution Ingredients
 
While by far the most well-known “tanning” ingredient in spray-on solutions is DHA,
there are a number of other ingredients that are used to create the “perfect” solution. Let’s explore some various solution ingredients. Keep in mind not all solutions carry all of the ingredients listed below, and some will carry many other ingredients that are not listed here. 

 
• Butylene Glycol – Functions as a humectant (ingredient that helps bind water to
the skin) and sometimes to color a cosmetic tanning solution.
 
• DHA – The “Master Ingredient.” DHA is derived from raw sugar cane and
fermented glycerine. It is a colorless sugar that interacts with dead cells on the
skin’s surface to darken it over a period of several hours.

 DHA is a chemical with quite a history to it. It was in the 1920s that DHA
was first discovered to react with keratin, a skin protein, to produce a
browning effect. The original intended use was to treat patients with vitiligo.
Who would have thought that 80 years later it would still be used effectively
to make those white spots less pronounced?
 
 While tanning outdoors was just beginning to become more acceptable back
then, DHA never caught on to become part of the tanning craze.
 
 By the 1950s, DHA was found to have some medicinal benefit for children
with Glycogen Storage Disease. People with this enzyme deficiency can’t
break down Glycogen, an energy source stored primarily in the liver and
muscles. At the same time, tanning was going through another wave of
popularity, and a product with the brand name “Man-Tan” hit the market. It
was the first self-tanning product to contain DHA.
 
 As with many other self-tanning products that followed, Man-Tan had the
tendency to turn a person’s skin orange. The FDA finally approved DHA for
use as a cosmetic tanning agent in 1977. DHA today and its application
techniques have been refined to make it a better tanning agent than it ever was
in the past.

• DMDM Hydantoin – A preservative to increase stability and improve shelf life.
This is often used in tanning lotions as well.
 
• Erythrulose – like DHA, this is a sugar derivative, too, (from red raspberries!)
and is used for coloring the skin. This ingredient may or may not be added to a
cosmetic tanning solution, depending on what the manufacturer’s preference is. It
has been said that erythrulose may respond differently in darkening response
based on a person’s skin type. It does take a little longer to develop than DHA
(two to three days in this case), but can also extend a tan at least a day longer, and
is less drying than DHA.
 
• Ethoxy Diglycol – Helps to prevent separation of the other cosmetic tanning
solution ingredients and helps them absorb into skin’s outermost layer more
effectively.
 
• FD&C Coloring – A coloring agent that is certified as safe for use in food, drugs,
and cosmetics.
 
• Fragrances – Sometimes used to make the cosmetic tanning solution smell
pleasant, but these are often used just to minimize the scent of DHA.
 
• Glycerin – Also called glycerine and glycerol. This is used to maintain skin’s
natural moisture balance and to help oils in skin do their job better. It also helps
to thicken cosmetic tanning solutions.
 
• Immediate vs. Delayed – Most solutions contain both an immediate and a
delayed tanner. The prime ingredient for delayed tanning is of course, DHA. The
prime ingredient for immediate tanning varies but usually is called a cosmetic
bronzer.
 
• Polysorbates – These are fatty acids that are used to thicken up a solution and
serve as an emollient, which prevents water loss while lubricating, soothing and
softening skin.
 
• Propylene Glycol – This ingredient has more various uses than any other
ingredient in this list. It is used in household detergents, brake fluids, antifreeze,
paints, and most importantly to our industry, cosmetics. It helps to thicken
cosmetic tanning solutions and to moisturize skin.
 
• SPFs – It has been suggested that DHA can potentially offer some minimal
sunscreen protection against excessive exposure to UV, but clearly it is limited
both in strength and duration of time. Some solution manufacturers add in an
additional SPF to intensify the strength of the protection, but it should be noted
that the protection provided does not remain for the duration of the spray-on tan.
Protection time length varies by manufacturer. Ask, if you’re not sure. Make
sure to let your customers know that any SPF provided does not last for the length
of the cosmetic tan.