Dihydroxyacetone - what is it, & how does it work?
Dihydroxyacetone is the main active ingredient in all sunless tanning preparations. It may be used alone or combined with other tanning components such as erythrulose. DHA is considered the most effective sun-free tanning additive.

DHA is refined from plant sources such as sugar beets and sugar cane, by the fermentation of glycerine & can therefore be considered as a completely ecologically sustainable material. To date, DHA is the only active ingredient approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for sunless tanning.

DHA reacts chemically with the amino acid groups, which are part of the protein containing keratin layer on the skin surface. The resultant skin browning effect is non-toxic & does not penetrate beyond the stratum corneum, or dead skin surface layer. It is very similar in coloration to melanin, the natural substance in the deeper skin layers which brown or "tan", from exposure to UV rays, but without the harmful effect of the sun's radiation.

Sunless tanning products can be applied by the user at home or professionally in a spa, gym or salon, where you will be treated by a trained professional technician or in a specially designed spray booth. Whichever application venue you choose, be careful to cover eyes, lips and mucous membranes to prevent swallowing or inhaling the DHA-containing mist.

A colour change i.e. tan development is usually apparent within an hour of application. Maximal darkening may take 8-24 hours to develop & once the darkening effect has occurred, the tan will not sweat off or wash away with soap or water. It will fade gradually over 3 to 10 days, in conjunction with the skin's normal exfoliation process. Exfoliation, prolonged water submersion, or heavy sweating can lighten the tan, as these all contribute to rapid dead skin cell exfoliation. (The dead skin cells are the tinted portion of the sunless tan).

For a light & medium tan use the professional sprays with 8% DHA. For darker tan use the 10 or 12% DHA solutions, & your salon technician will give you professional advice on these. Darker tan shades can also be maintained by more frequent application. For domestic tanning sprays for light & medium tan we would recommend repeat applications every 5 to 7 days. For darker tan shades we recommend repeat application every 3 to 5 days. Trial of various repeat application frequencies will enable you to choose the right one for your skin tone.

Finally the skin tan resulting from application of DHA products will not provide any protection against the harmful effects of the sun's rays. Please apply sun screens when exposed to direct sunlight.