How do sunless tanning lotions actually work?  Are these things dyes that will eventually harm my skin?  Are these products approved by the FDA? How long should I expect my tan to last?   And most of all;  How do I apply them, and look normal?

      First you have to know where the whole idea of self tanning came from.  It came from the meat packing industry!

      Let me explain.  All self tanning lotions (STL) contain an ingredient called DHA, that’s short for Dihydroxyacetone.  DHA was a discovery made in the meat packing industry in the late sixties.

    Mainly used for pre-packaged meats, DHA works simply by reacting with protein in the meat to enhance the color.  Giving it a more desirable image on supermarket shelves. 

     These clever marketers found out by trial and error that there was one key factor in getting DHA to produce a natural look.

     DHA is a pH sensitive ingredient.  The pH scale runs from 1-14, and in order for DHA to produce an edible color in meat, the pH must fall no lower than 3 and no higher than 6.

    A pH over 6, resulted in meat that developed a high orange color.  Under 3, and DHA wouldn’t even work. 

     Meat treated with DHA, at a  pH level of 5 to 5.5, experienced record sales!  The perfect color for a piece of premium priced meat!

     But this meat couldn’t  have been the orange color I had turned, or no one would have wanted to eat it.   There had to be more!

    As it turned out, there wasn’t.   The pH level is the single factor that determines how brown or orange you will be, from the STL you use.  It’s that simple! 

     But how could I tell what the pH was, just by looking at the package?   Easy.  There are three ingredients that should never be present in any STL.      

     They are NOT compatible with DHA.    Yet almost every self  tanner on the market has one of these three ingredients in them.  They are Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, and Mineral Oil.  All of these ingredients have a naturally high pH.  Over 6.  And remember, a pH over 6 = orange!

      So check that label!  If you see one of these ingredients, don’t spend your money!  It’s a waste!

     With that settled, I had a few more concerns.  Was DHA approved by the FDA?  DHA is classified as a sugar, which are totally edible.  So yes, it is approved.

    What you may not know is that any non-drug product doesn’t require FDA approval!  Despite what huge cosmetic companies lead you to believe.  Only over the counter medications and prescription drugs require approval!

     OK.  But now I wanted to know if  DHA was a dye?  No, it’s technically a sugar.  Dyes are permanent.  DHA is temporary, and gradually fades away just like a real tan.  Never causing a threat to your health.