In recent years, there has been an increasing number ofself-tanning products appearing on the cosmetic care market. Mousse, cream, gel, serum... these products offer several benefits, including the ability to achieve a beautiful sun-kissed complexion without having to expose oneself to the dangers of UV rays.
Most self-tanning products contain a plant-derived molecule, known as dihydroxyacetone (DHA). Once applied to the skin, this compound induces a brownish hue within 4 to 6 hours, by reacting with the amino acids in the stratum corneum layer of the epidermis through a Maillard reaction to form pigments, the melanoidins, which are responsible for skin colouration.
We also frequently encountererythrulose in self-tanning products, a sugar found in red fruits. This compound acts similarly to DHA but more slowly. TheDHA-erythrulose combination allows for a more natural and uniform tan. Moreover, erythrulose has moisturising properties that counterbalance the drying power of DHA.
At Typology, we have developed two self-tanning formulations, providing a natural bronzed complexion. For a natural and gradual tan, you can try our self-tanning serum. It is concentrated at 10% in DHA and also contains carob pulp (INCI: Ceratonia Siliqua Seed Extract), a compound rich in inositol, a molecule that acts on melanogenesis. We also recommend our self-tanning gel for the body, enriched with 6% DHA. This care product also includes aloe vera, which is highly moisturising.
Note : there are also self-tanning showers, which are booths where fine droplets of a self-tanning lotion are sprayed onto the body and/or face. This is a fairly convenient and quick technique (less than ten minutes if a machine is used) offering a uniform result. However, one might question the risk of inhaling DHA. Indeed, the ingestion or inhalation of this molecule could potentially lead to asthma, lung diseases or cancer. To date, no health authority has established that self-tanning showers pose a health risk, due to the short exposure time to the product.