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Is Airbrush Tanning Safe the airbrush specialist view?

Sunless tanning sprays are a much safer way of getting a bronzed tan all year-round. However, the DHA in airbrush tanning products do have unknown risks, so it is better to take the necessary precautions.

Most of us are aware that both getting a tan under the sun and getting a tan from a tanning bed pose dangers to the skin. The reason for this is that both of them expose the person being tanned to ultraviolet rays. Ultraviolet rays can cause various skin diseases, including skin cancer. These methods of tanning are quickly being replaced by airbrush tanning, but are the so-called sunless tanning sprays safe?

How Airbrush Tanning Works

Sunless tanning sprays come in a wide range of forms, from aerosol cans to tanning spray booths. However, regardless of what form they come in, they all make use of a chemical called dihydroxyacetone or DHA.

DHA is a kind of sugar. It is colourless and odourless. DHA tans the skin by creating a reaction with the proteins and the amino acids found in the outer layers of the skin. Because it cannot be absorbed through the skin, DHA never goes beyond these outer layers.

This is the complete opposite of how UV exposure works. In UV exposure, the UV rays go deep into the dermis. It causes the melanin in the deeper layers of the skin to collect together and create the bronzed brown colouration.

Airbrush tanning is popular because it does not require the sun to achieve a sun-kissed look on the skin. Most of all, it can be done regardless of the season, so anyone can have a tan even during the winter.

In addition, the US Food and Drug Authority has approved the use of DHA on the skin 20 years ago. Many manufacturers of sunless tanning sprays have mixed their products with additives and chemical extracts that are known to nourish the skin, such as Vitamin E, aloe vera, cantaloupe and coconut oil.

Some Precautions

Whilst the FDA has approved the use of DHA on the skin, there are a couple of areas of the body that should not be exposed to this chemical compound. One is the eyes and the skin immediately surrounding it, including the eyebrow and eyelids. The other is any area of the skin that contains a mucus membrane, such as the inside of the nose, the mouth and the throat.

The FDA has deemed that these areas should be protected from the application of DHA because the risks of DHA to the body are as yet unknown. Thus, it is always advised for people who are going to use sunless tanning sprays to put balm on their lips, wear goggles, a nose plug as well as an ear plug. The same applies to the person who will be spraying the product.

Since the risks of DHA are not yet known, it is also advised for people who have skin allergies to avoid putting DHA on their skin without a patch test. A patch test will determine if the product is safe for people with specific skin allergies. Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers are also often asked to stay away from DHA whilst they are gestating or nursing their child.

Sunless tanning sprays are a much safer way of getting a bronzed tan all year-round. However, the DHA in airbrush tanning products do have unknown risks, so it is better to take the necessary precautions.