Improve Your Knowledge of Spray Tanning in Your Business
It’s essential to understand how fake tan functions alongside skin. A spray tan lotion is made-up of a number of components such as the important key component DHA - dihydroxyacetone. DHA or Dihydroxyacetone is a colourless sugar that interacts with the dead cells located in the stratum corneum of the skin area. As a result the sugar interacts alongside the dead skin skin cells, and a colour adaptation occurs. This change generally can last about five to seven days on from the initial application.
Every single day, a large number of dead skin cells are sloughed off or worn away from the surface of your skin. In reality, just about every 35 to 45 days, you have an entirely new epidermis. This is the reason tans from sunless or self-tanning lotions will gradually over time fade - as the dead cells are worn away, the same as your tan.
Almost all fake tanning creams or lotions take advantage of Dihydroxyacetone (DHA), virtually the only active tanning ingredient. DHA is also known as a skin safe sugar derivative, that has been utilized in the cosmetic industry for over 3 decades. DHA interacts alongside the outermost, surface skin layer, creating a golden brown colour that has a resemblance to the coloration of a UV based tan. DHA reacts alongside naturally occurring aminos and keratin proteins, contained in the skin cells sitting on the skin layer. This process is known as the "Maillard Reaction". It is very identical to the kind of reaction that you see whenever you cut a potato or an apple slice, and leave it exposed to the air. Skin colouration usually takes anytime from 2 to 6 hours and could last anywhere from 4 to 7 days according to the skins' condition, DHA concentration in the solution, alongside the degree of aftercare done by the client.
It was first discovered by German scientists accidentally, around the 1920’s but it was not until the 1950’s that further research was completed into this unique trait for those affected by Vitiligo and they found out that DHA didn't go through the stratum corneum and was completely safe to be used.
DHA is obviously drying on the skin, so if the cream or lotion you use does not have much in the way of moisturisation then it's likely it wont last as long as one which does. As well as bare this in mind when you are air brush tanning your friends or customers with a greater % DHA solution. Higher degree of DHA the more drying, and because of this even more important to make sure the client moisturises.
Here is more information on DHA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydroxyacetone
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