Self Tanning Dangers You Need to Know

Although self tanning is promoted to be safe and effective, some self tanning products available out there can actually be extremely dangerous to your health and well being.

Avoid the following dangerous self tanners.

Tan accelerators promise to promote the production of melanin in your body, giving you a natural tan. Unfortunately, these products simply don't work. Don't waste your time or your money.

Tanning pills are supposed to stimulate carotenoid production in the skin, which is believed to make your skin darker. These can cause blindness and even kill you.

Tan promoters are a different kind of self tanner that contain 5-methoxypsorale, an element that has been proven to cause cancer in mice and can give you a very bad sunburn.

Luckily, these highly dangerous self tanners have been banned in the United States. Fortunately for tan enthusiasts, the products that are available in the US have been proven to be quite safe. They use an FDA approved colorant known as dihydroxyacetone, or DHA, which is activated and turns brown when it comes in contact with skin. The dangers associated with self tanning lotions come from the fact that people mistake their new, tan coloring, with an actual tan and forget to wear sunscreen. Remember that although these products make your skin LOOK tanned, they do not actually increase the melanin in your skin. This means that your skin is virtually unprotected from the sun's rays. Protect yourself from the damages of the sun and keep your skin looking great for years by always wearing sunscreen, even on cloudy days.

Other, more permanent, forms of self tanning available in the states are also safe if used correctly. Tanning beds work by soaking your skin in UVA light and increasing the production of melanin in your body. This is not a cosmetic process, and actually alters your skin. Although you can sometimes get burned using these beds, a proper understanding of how to use them will help protect you from any adverse side effects. When used correctly, sun beds give you a more permanent tan that you can enjoy for weeks.