A tan-from-a-can is no better than one from a tanning bed.<\/p>\n
Summer is in full swing, and the battle to be bronze is going full force\u2014except it\u2019s not enough to have a back-from-the-beach glow that fades after a few weeks anymore. Women\u2014and men\u2014want to retain that golden hue long after their last beach visit, and they\u2019re going to great, and sometimes dangerous, lengths to get it.<\/p>\n
Nowadays, it\u2019s well known that\u00a0indoor tanning\u00a0beds increase the risk of melanoma, the most dangerous and deadly form of skin cancer, just as much as too much time spent baking in actual sunlight. The use of tanning beds before the age of 35 increases the risk for melanoma by 75 percent, according to the National Cancer Institute. Public education campaigns, along with local age-related bans on indoor tanning, have helped deter their use to some extent.<\/p>\n
The problem is, the other\u00a0sunless-tan alternatives\u00a0aren\u2019t much better. The \u201call-natural\u201d creams and spray tans many people are turning to contain iffy chemicals and put your body at risk for other health issues. \u201cIf we had to have one way to summarize our thoughts on tanning, it would be to accept and love your skin tone as it naturally is,\u201d Environmental Working Group spokesperson Leeann Brown said. \u201cAny process that modifies the skin\u2019s color, whether to darken or lighten, has the possibility of side effects.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still not ready to give up that sunless tan? Read these secrets, and maybe you\u2019ll be more inclined to go\u00a0really<\/em>\u00a0all-natural.<\/p>\n 1. Your fake tan could be illegal.<\/strong><\/p>\n The most popular alternative to\u00a0tanning beds\u00a0has become the spray tan, a salon service that essentially sprays a tanning cream over your entire body to give you an even bronze glow. A closer look at the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s (FDA\u2019s) guidelines, however, shows that their legality is questionable. The agency originally approved the primary ingredient in these products, dihydroxyacetone, or DHA, when over-the-counter lotions and gels were the only self-tanning options, and the FDA guidelines only apply to \u201cexternal\u201d exposure, which does not include the lips or areas that surround the eyes and eyebrows\u2014or your lungs. Once you step inside those cavelike mystic-tan booths and envelope your entire body in the chemical, your tan is technically not FDA approved because you will have inhaled DHA.<\/p>\n If you have your spray tan applied by a professional, you should be able to avoid those no-tan areas and instruct them not to spray your face. However, most people, including tanning-salon employees, are unaware of the risks associated with DHA (more on that in a bit). \u201cWe would like to see more publicly available safety data on DHA and many other chemicals which are commonly used in personal care products,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n 2. Your fake tan is damaging your DNA<\/strong>.<\/p>\n DHA is a sugar that reacts with your dead skin cells and turns them brown. Sounds harmless enough, right? It might not be. In an investigation by ABC News, a group of scientists reviewed the existing science on DHA and found it has the potential to produce genetic alterations that could potentially lead to cancer or tumors. And it poses a particular risk when used in spray-tan products that could be inhaled.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reason I\u2019m concerned is the deposition of the tanning agents into the lungs could really facilitate or aid in systemic absorption\u2014that is, getting into the bloodstream,\u201d Rey Panettieri, MD, toxicologist and lung specialist at the University of Pennsylvania\u2019s Perelman School of Medicine said in an interview with ABC News.<\/p>\n Keep in mind that spray tans last approximately a week, 10 days at the most. Is painting yourself a few shades darker really worth messing with your DNA?<\/p>\n 3. You could be getting a safer tan from eating vegetables.<\/strong><\/p>\n Why risk DNA damage or other inhalable toxins from a spray tan or a cream when you could get the same healthy glow at your farmer\u2019s market? In a study published in the\u00a0journal Evolution and Human Behaviour<\/em>, researchers found that a diet rich in carrots and tomatoes could produce a brighter skin glow than repeated UV exposure. Both get their color from carotenoids, which are the antioxidants that soak up compounds produced by stress, and they pass that color along to you when you eat them. So if you\u2019re looking for a healthy, natural skin tone, ditch the tanning beds, sprays, and stifling heat, and head to the fridge.\u00a0 \u201cSunless tanners are unnecessary like most cosmetics and appearance-changing products,\u201d Brown says. Up your veggie intake\u2014your skin (and pocketbook) will likely thank you.<\/p>\n |\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014-|<\/span><\/p>\n