You may feel summer-ready if you’re tinged to a nice bronzed colour, but just because you look darker this doesn’t mean that your skin is protected from the sun, whether you’re using a bottle, a mousse, or receiving a salon treatment.
Contents
- Fake Tan- What Does It Actually Do?
- Does a Fake Tan Provide SPF?
- What About a Spray Tan?
- How Do You Protect Your Tanned Skin?
- What Happens If Self-Tan Includes SPF?
- Can You Get Sunburn When you are Using Fake Tan?
- The Simple Rule to Remember
Fake tan alters the way your skin looks without subjecting it to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. But it won’t offer the same protection as sunscreen, so SPF is still a must when you’re outdoors.
Fake Tan- What Does It Actually Do?
The vast majority of self-tanning products on the market rely on an ingredient known as dihydroxyacetone, or DHA. It attaches itself to amino acids in the outer part of the skin, resulting in a temporary brown pigment.
Reply on the skin surface. It does not stimulate the production of melanin as happens when we are exposed to UV rays.
Hence the colour might look like a natural tan to human observes but it does not mean your skin has received any cosine protection from UV rays.
Does a Fake Tan Provide SPF?
Generally, no. A standard fake tan should not be used as a sunscreen unless it is clearly labelled and SPF testing has been carried out in compliance with the relevant skin protection regulations.
The SPF, however, only refers to the sunscreen ingredients in the formula − not to tanning colour itself.
Do not assume that a darker hue translates into protection, always read the product label.
What About a Spray Tan?
This is how a spray tan basically works. DHA is applied to the skin usually by means of a fine mist, and it takes several hours for DHA to develop a short-term pigmentation reaction.
That can give skin a bronze appearance − reminiscent of how skin looks when it has tanned from sun exposure, but the colour does not protect against ultraviolet (UV) rays.
Even when you get a spray tan before your holiday or an event, sunscreen is still required if you go outside.
How Do You Protect Your Tanned Skin?
Pick a suitable SPF for your outdoor activity using one which is broad-spectrum. Use it liberally to cover all areas of your body that remain exposed and use sparingly on faces, reapplying as indicated especially after swimming, sweating, or towel drying.
Other useful sun-protection measures include:
- Wearing protective clothing
- Using a broad-brimmed hat
- Avoid the sun especially during intense periods of UV activity
- Wearing sunglasses
- Checking the local UV Index
These measures are effective for naturally lighter skin types or one temporarily darker or tanned.
What Happens If Self-Tan Includes SPF?
There are products that blend together a self-tanning ingredient and sunscreen. That sounds pretty convenient but you should consider the SPF as a separate sun-protection feature.
Always look at the SPF of a product, how to apply it and how often to reapply it. It does not mean that the stronger protection is afforded because of the darker skin colour.
Can You Get Sunburn When you are Using Fake Tan?
Yes. Anyone can’t get sunburn in the study of tanning. It might be difficult to notice how much sun your skin has got while you wear the tint, but it does nothing to day UV harm.
Therefore, a spray tan should be seen as a cosmetic treatment rather than the replacement of sun protection.
The Simple Rule to Remember
A self-tan gives you colour. Sunscreen provides UV protection. They perform different jobs.
You need not forfeit a bronzed complexion in the name of practical sun defence. Instead, you can go with a look that fake tan or spray tan can give you while still using the right SPF and sun safe measures.
While a tan can alter your skin appearance, it should never change the importance of protecting yourself from sun exposure.
Key Points
- Fake tans do not provide any protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation, so sunscreen is necessary when outdoors.
- The main active ingredient in most self-tanning products is dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which creates a temporary brown pigment by reacting with amino acids in the skin’s outer layer.
- A standard fake tan should not be used as a sunscreen unless it is specifically labeled and tested for SPF protection.
- Even after applying a spray tan, sunscreen is still required to protect against UV rays when spending time outside.
- Some self-tanning products may contain SPF, but consumers should treat the SPF as a separate feature and check application instructions carefully.
- It is possible to get sunburned while using fake tan, as the cosmetic tint does not shield the skin from UV damage.
