Tanning is one of those things that you simply can’t go without nowadays if you want to look good. No matter how naturally handsome you are, or how hard you’ve been hitting the gym – darkening your skin by a few shades will always boost the effects of your appeal dramatically. A few decades ago however, scientists began to realize the dangers that the Sun’s UV rays hold for us.

You see, lying out on the beach under the bright Sun can do wonders for your looks, but it can also lead to many health complications in the long run – the most serious one being skin cancer. Also, everyone’s probably experienced the terrible effects of overestimating your tanning timing – being unable to fall asleep at night because you don’t know which side to turn to, the burning sensation even when putting on clothes – these can easily deter anyone from Sun tanning.

There’s a safer alternative to lying under the Sun – tanning booths – but those don’t really eliminate the health risks associated with UV rays. The benefits they provide are that they’re more convenient (you don’t have to rely on the weather to get tanned), and you can monitor your time more efficiently. But if you’re afraid of skin cancer, you should avoid those as well.

What does that leave us? Sunless tanning is the cosmetic industry’s answer to those problems. It involves various procedures which can alter your skin color without exposing you to harmful UV rays.

Sunless tanning products generally work by applying chemicals to the skin, which then cause reactions that lead to color changes. There are several kinds of sunless tanning products, all of them with their own advantages and disadvantages.

DHA-based products are currently considered to be the best, as they can be very efficient and completely harmless. DHA stands for dihydroxyacetone, a chemical which interacts with the amino acids in your skin’s uppermost layer – the “horny layer”. The reaction causes color changes in the skin, a process similar to one that is commonly used in the food industry. The tan fades quickly though, lasting about 3-7 days. This is because the skin’s dead cells are continuously shed off, and they’re the ones affected by DHA’s effects.

While DHA-based products are the most effective you can buy right now, there are others which can be used to further increase the effects and make them more prominent and/or quick-acting. There are various tanning accelerators, most often sold in the form of pills and lotions, which are normally based on the acid tyrosine. Tyrosine is known to stimulate your body’s natural melanin production, which in turn boosts the tanning process.

There are other methods available too – if you need a quick fix that only lasts one day or so, you may find the perfect solution in temporary bronzers. Those products work by actually staining your skin, and therefore they last until they’re washed off. Be careful though, bronzers can leave marks on your clothes, so avoid wearing light-colored clothes after bronzing yourself.