Fake tan, or self-tanning, became big in about the nineties. Once people started to realise that lying in the sun for hours was not quite as healthy as they thought, spray tans and lotions started to hit the market.
For many of that era, having brown, glowing skin was seen as a sign of healthiness. Pale skin equated to being pallid and unhealthy, while bronze was desirable. Little did those sun worshippers know, was the damage that was being done to their skin’s cells.
However, there are some concerns with fake tan also. Not everyone is inclined to use fake tan, and to be fair, the results in the past often left something to be desired. Self-tans have been in the news again recently too regarding their ingredients, so you may be interested to read on, and there may be some things here that you didn’t already know.
Here are some facts, and questions along with answers about fake and self-tans.
How big is the fake tan industry today?
The market is expected to continue to grow at an impressive rate as more people turn away from sunbeds and prolonged sun tanning outdoors.
Fake tans can be purchased online, and in major retailers such as Boots, so it is perhaps no wonder that the market is growing rapidly.
Are fake tans dangerous?
Here is a question that arises often. This is possibly due to the belief that if you are spraying your skin with something that is changing its colour, then it can’t be exactly good for you.
The best way to answer this question is to point you to people such as the FDA in the states, the World Health Organization, and MoleMap. The latter of which spend their time treating patients with melanoma, or skin cancer, caused by UV rays.
The general consensus is that topically applied fake tans are perfectly safe, and contain absolutely nowhere the risk of cancer that sunbathing does.
Can fake tans cover blemishes and scars?
One of the big reasons for getting a spray tan before a holiday is to look good. Indeed, the point of any fake tan is to improve one’s appearance, so it would be nice to know that they can cover blemishes.
Knowing how fake tan covers stretch marks is a bonus to many people who wish to use this bronzing method. However, some words of warning should be mentioned.
Fake tans can cover blemishes and other areas such as stretch marks, but they aren’t guaranteed to make them all invisible. What a fake tan can do is to help make the skin blend more naturally, thus removing obvious marks and lines.
This can be a pleasing side effect of having a spray tan for many. A spray tan will minimise certain blemishes and stretch marks, but of course, this is only a temporary solution.
Do you need to exfoliate before a spray tan?
Some people end up unhappy with the results of their spray tans or self-tanning lotions. The reason why is often poor preparation.
A little knowledge of beauty products can go a long way. For instance, you can choose vegan-friendly beauty products for your skin, and use products that don’t create pH problems before a spray tan.
You should definitely exfoliate before having a spray tan, and this should be done at least 24 hours before your session. Even better, go for a consultation with your technician and ask them how to prepare properly for your tan.
Can you do a fake tan at home?
You surely already know that you can apply self-tanning products at home. However, and there is a big, however, it might not always be the best idea.
There are plenty of treatments to try for glowing holiday skin, and fake tans are one of them. But many self-applied ones go horribly wrong.
There is a right way to apply self-tan at home, and there are very wrong ways too. If you are planning on applying your own self-tan, then it is recommended you seek out several guides online and watch the best techniques. And just as you would for a professional session, you will need to prepare yourself beforehand.
Are fake tans illegal in some countries?
Right now, according to Global News, many countries are cracking down on tanning beds. Because of this, there is a tendency to include other self-tanning products with the beds and group them together.
Nevertheless, there has been some fuss recently about fake tans in the EU. This is due to the ingredient called DHA that is in fake tans. The FDA in America only allows a certain percentage of DHA to be included in self-tans, while in Europe the level had been higher.
DHA is the element that helps to turn skin into a glowing colour that resembles a genuine tan. Now new regulations have required manufacturers to lower their DHA levels to make sure that the products are safer than they already were.
So, the answer is no, self-tans are not illegal, but they are regulated. The same might not be said for sunbeds in the future though, as health officials warn of the dangers of UV radiation from these.
Summary
One other thing that you may not have known, is that fake tan was invented by accident. As many things are incidentally.
Back in the 1950s, a scientist noticed how the solution she was working on stained people’s skin, but not their clothes. It took a long time for that accidental invention to hit the shop shelves and to become popular.
Nevertheless, fake tan is a huge market and is continuing to grow. When compared to the risks of natural sunbathing, or sunbeds, it is obvious why anyone would choose spray tans over the dangers of UV. Rest assured, you can continue to use fake tan problems with no concerns unless you do them yourself and end up with streaks.
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