24 Hours

24 Hours, Elena Krasnov
Published June 24, 2007

Q My skin is pasty white and there is nothing more that I want in the summer than having healthy looking tan. I recently purchased a self-tanner cream, but I am concerned that I am going to breakout because I have really sensitive skin. Is self-tanner better for you than getting sunrays? Signed, Sunsational A While dermatologists continue to remind us that long-term sun exposure can harm our skin, causing wrinkles, burns, age spots, actinic keratoses (layers of skin overgrowth resulting in red, scaly spots) and more seriously, malignant melanoma, many people still yearn for that sun-worshipper look. If you want colour, I feel creams are the safer choice, however some are safer than others. The two varieties of tanning cream work either by staining the skin a darker colour, which easily washes away, or by stimulating the skin's melanin production, creating a more "natural" and longer-lasting effect. There are a lot of hidden ingredients that can cause symptoms in sensitive individuals like yourself. Symptoms of itching and developing rashes are frequent. The rash and itch represent an allergy -- they are more likely to come from another ingredient in the self-tanner (such as a preservative or fragrance) rather than the tanning ingredient dihydroxyacetone (DHA). If, however, an itchy rash happens with all self-tanning products, then you could be one of the rare individuals allergic to DHA and cannot use it. There may be more serious long-term effects from ingredients in self-tanning creams when they are used over a long period of time (several years for instance). Skin Deep is a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products by researchers at the Environmental Working Group. On this website you can find information about different brands of self-tanning products and their potential hazards. If you do the research, you can easily see that some products are much more toxic than others. Read the label and check the website for least toxic products.