spray tans

The two main type of spray tans: Airbrush spray tan & Automated booth spray tan

What is a spray tan (or spray on tan)?

A spray tan or spray on tan is basically a cosmetic fake tan or “sunless tan” which is obtained via a sprayed on tanning mist containing the active ingredient DHA. There are two main categories of spray tans:

1. Airbrush Spray Tan - the tanning mist is sprayed on via a hand-held sprayer
2. Automated Spray Tanning Booth – the tanning mist is sprayed on automatically inside a private booth

Popularity of spray tanning

Spray tans are becoming increasingly popular due to the following factors:

1. When applied professionally, they look very similar to a real tan. The colouring is golden brown as opposed to the typical orange colouring associated with earlier sunless tanning methods
2. Regarded as safer than outdoor natural sun UV tanning and indoor tanning bed or solarium tanning
3. Relatively inexpensive

How long does a spray tan last?

As mentioned before the tan effect is caused by the DHA’s reaction with your dead skin cells. Doe to the fact that these dead skin cells are being continually shed, the color change caused by DHA typically will last for from between five to seven days.

Photo showing before and after a spray tan

How does spray tanning work?

In a nutshell:

The active ingredient DHA reacts with your skin to produce the tanned look.

More detailed and scientific:

The top layer of your skin is constantly shedding off dead skin cells as newer skin cells emerge from the layer beneath. It is the amino acid proteins within your dead skin cells that react with the DHA (dihydroxyacetone). Effectively, the DHA reacts with the proteins in the dead skin cells and causes the cosmetic tan effect – a kind of organic chemical reaction which results in a change in the skin’s colouring – the skin takes on a light brown to golden brown colouring which looks very similar to a natural tan.

How safe is spray tanning?

The active ingredient in spray tan formulations, DHA, is considered natural and non-toxic as well as non-carcinogenic (non cancer forming). DHA-based sunless tanning products are recommended by professionals such as dermatologists, skin cancer awareness organisations and medical associations.

Additionally, it is important to note that it is only the dead skin cells of one’s body which is  affected by the DHA to produce the tanned look, it is believed that DHA-based spray tanning mists are a safe method of obtaining a “tan”. DHA only works at the surface and then leaves your body as the tan wears off. It is not absorbed into the body and is not toxic.

More about DHA

First discovered for its skin colouring properties in Germany in the 1920′s, DHA is also used in food preparation and wine making.

Scientifically, DHA is regarded as a “ketose sugar” – interesting it is usually made from plant sources such as sugar cane or sugar beetroot – and ketose sugars have a unique chemical property which enables them to perform the “maillard reaction” – basically a scientific term for the “browning effect”.

DHA is approved for cosmetic use by the Australian TGA, American FDA and EU equivalents and has been used in cosmetic preparations for more than 30 years.

Click the below links for information about the two main types of spray tanning:

1. Airbrush Spray Tan
2. Automated Spray Tanning Booth

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