Many people love that bronze tanned look, however they also worry about the harmful UV rays that they subject their bodies to while tanning. There is another way that is a safe alternative to sunbathing. It is with a sunless skin tanning product.

A sunless skin tanning product can also be found under the names of self-tanners and tanning extenders. These products will give you a wonderful looking tan without the harmful ultraviolet rays that you receive from direct sun and even tanning beds or booths. However, there are risks with sunless skin tanning products as well, according to how you use them and how they are applied.

The most popular active ingredient used in sunless tanning products is dihydroxyacetone or DHA. The Food and Drug Administration has approved this color additive for use with sunless tanning items.

They way in which a sunless skin tanning product works is that once you apply it to your skin the dihydroxyacetone reacts with dead cells in the outer layer of your skin to darken the appearance of your skin for a temporary amount of time usually around five to seven days.

Most of the time, you can find sunless skin tanning products for use at home in the form of sprays, gels, creams, and lotions. They usually go on clear and in most cases, you will see a noticeable change in one hour, however, full color will appear within 8 to 24 hours after applying.

Some salons and spas offer spray on tanning products. These professional products help to provide a full even body tan.

Any sunless skin tanning product is safe as long as you read the precautions and instructions on the packaging and adhere to them. When using a spray on tanning product or mist on tanning product you should be very careful around your eyes, nostrils and lips. This type of product was created for your entire body so you can receive an even tan, but it can be harmful around your eyes, etc… There is no evidence if there are any risks from ingesting or inhaling dihydroxyacetone, so it would be best if you shut your eyes and hold your breathe while you are having the spray on or mist on tanning product applied to your face.

Sunless skin tanning products such as tanning pills have not been approved by the FDA and are considered unsafe. These pills have large amounts of a color additive by the name of canthaxanthin. When this color additive is taken in large doses, it settles in parts of your body especially your skin. It can turn your skin an orange to brown and may cause canthaxanthin retinopathy, which is the forming of crystals in the retina of the eye. Tanning pills have also been known to cause cramps, diarrhea, and nausea.