Do You Really Want That Fake Tan?

The scary reasons you should love your natural complexion

July 24, 2012

Forget natural sunlight and indoor tanning beds—sprays and lotions are the new tan of choice. But while you're busy avoiding damaging UV rays, the sprays and lotions you're inhaling or slathering on your skin could be just as damaging. "If we had to have one way to summarize our thoughts on tanning, it would be to accept and love your skin tone as it naturally is," says Leeann Brown of the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit that studies the safety of personal-care products.

Why are fake tans so iffy? We've got three reasons for you:


1. Your fake tan could be illegal. The most popular alternative to tanning beds has become the spray tan, a salon service that essentially sprays a tanning cream over your entire body to give you an even bronze glow. A closer look at the FDA's guidelines, however, shows that their legality is questionable.

[sidebar]The agency originally approved the primary ingredient in these products, dihydroxyacetone, or DHA, when over-the-counter lotions and gels were the only self-tanning options. However, the FDA guidelines only apply to "external" exposure, which does not include the lips or areas that surround the eyes and eyebrows—or your lungs. Once you step inside those cave-like spraying booths and envelope your entire body in the chemical, your tan is technically not FDA approved because you will have inhaled DHA.

If you have your spray tan applied by a professional, you should be able to avoid those no-tan areas and instruct them not to spray your face. However, most people, including tanning-salon employees, are unaware of the risks associated with DHA (more on that in a bit).  

2. Your fake tan is damaging your DNA. DHA is a sugar that reacts with your dead skin cells and turns them brown. Sounds harmless enough, right? It might not be. In an investigation by ABC News, a group of scientists reviewed the existing science on DHA and found that it has the potential to produce genetic alterations that could potentially lead to cancer or tumors. (Check out Is Your Self Tanner Truly Safe? for more on that.) And it poses a particular risk when used in spray-tan products that could be inhaled.

"The reason I'm concerned is the deposition of the tanning agents into the lungs could really facilitate or aid in systemic absorption—that is, getting into the bloodstream," Rey Panettieri, MD, toxicologist and lung specialist at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine said in an interview with ABC News.

Keep in mind that spray tans last approximately a week, 10 days at the most. Is painting yourself a few shades darker really worth messing with your DNA?

3. You can fake it by eating veggies! Why risk DNA damage or other toxins from a spray tan or a cream when you could get the same healthy glow at your farmer's market? In a study published in the journal Evolution and Human Behaviour, researchers found that a diet rich in carrots and tomatoes could produce a brighter skin glow than repeated UV exposure. Both get their color from carotenoids, which are the antioxidants that soak up compounds produced by stress, and they pass that color along to you when you eat them. So if you're looking for a healthy, natural skin tone, ditch the tanning beds, sprays, and stifling heat, and head to the fridge—your skin (and pocketbook) will thank you. 

Tags: Newsbeauty