Tanning is one of the most prominent cosmetic procedures of the current generation. Tanning salons have existed for a long time, but only recently people have started using them so widely. It’s no wonder either – as tanning’s popularity arose, so did the public’s attention for it, and soon people were made aware that UV rays are, in fact, very harmful if one’s exposed to them for prolonged periods.
This knowledge undermines the popularity of places which use tanning beds as well – even though they’re a good alternative to tanning in the Sun, they still bring the same harms. So what does that leave us? Don’t worry, scientists have been working hard for a few decades now to provide the public with safe and cheap methods for sunless tanning. Many of them can be done at home, while for others you’ll need to go to a professional – whatever you choose though, know that you’ve already made the most important step by resorting to sunless tanning.
If you decide to perform the procedure at home, be aware that you should probably ask a friend for help on your first time. Sure, you can probably do it yourself and succeed, but if you know someone who’s done this sort of thing before, by all means ask them to show you how to do it – and you can do it yourself afterwards.
Lotions and sprays are your best bet to get yourself tanned at home – especially DHA-based ones. Both kinds of products provide adequate results and can be bought for reasonable prices, and are pretty straightforward to use. It really isn’t rocket science to spray yourself – the trick is in getting the amount right. This is why you should get someone to help you, as amateurs very often overestimate the amount of product they need to apply, and end up looking more orange than brown, completely nullifying any positive effects the tanning may have had.
Some sunless tanning products are also available for oral consumption. Tanning pills are a great example of this – most of them are based on the chemical canthaxanthin, a popular coloring ingredient used in foods. You should be aware that while canthaxanthin has been FDA-approved for cooking purposes, they do not endorse its use for tanning. This is due to the fact that, when used in food, the substance requires very little amounts to achieve its effects – on the other hand, getting a tan through it requires you to consume much larger quantities.
Canthaxanthin is also linked to various side effects, such as hepatitis and canthaxanthin retinopathy – a very serious condition which affects your eyes’ color, because the chemical starts depositing in your retinas. Overall, tanning pills aren’t really the best alternative to other sunless tanning solutions – they can get you the desired effect, but the toll on your health can be too great to be worth it – so, try to avoid them if you’ve got access to other alternatives.
