Instant Gratification
Self-Tanners And Bronzers Provide A Splash Of Color
by Judie Bizzozero
 In the last few years, many spas
have expanded into areas well beyond the basics of physical and mental
enhancements. The industry has seen an increase in the number of baby boomers
demanding more cosmetic-related treatments and anti-aging remedies. One of the
fastest-growing cosmetic treatments to hit the market in the last decade may
very well be sunless tanning.
Warmer temperatures and upcoming summer months translate to
less clothing and more skin. For day spas and businesses offering spa services,
this is the time to turn up the heat and provide customers with a host of
pampering services sure to get them in the summer spirit. In addition to a
pampering pedicure and a relaxing manicure, a girl’s best friend during the
summer is a stunning, golden tan.
The power of a tan to increase beauty is legendary, and the
drive to get and keep a tan makes most of us head to the outdoors or a local
tanning salon as soon as we feel too pale.
While days in the sun or minutes in a tanning bed provide a
nice base tan, using a sunless tanning lotion or a bronzer can help even out
skin tones or—for those who are sunsensitive —give a rich, golden color with
minimal effort.
Self-Tanners
One of the fastest-growing segments of the skincare market is
sunless products or self-tanners.
These specialized skincare products have gained monumental
popularity over the past few years for a number of reasons, including the
higher-quality products that produce beautiful, bronze results, ease of
application and a selection of delivery methods.
In the past, self-tanners were messy and difficult to apply.
Today, self-tanner application has been refined and products have gained a
respectable place in the spa and beauty industries. Thirty years ago, sunless
tanners didn’t live up to their promise of deep, golden tans. The formulas
were foulsmelling and left the skin streaked, splotched and colored with a
distinctive orange cast. Today’s sunless tanning products are far more
sophisticated and feature advanced technology that makes them easier to apply,
more pleasing to the nose and able to produce a beautiful bronze finish.
The key ingredient to the products’ evolution is
dihydroxyacetone, or DHA, which is an extract of sugar cane. DHA reacts with
proteins in the skin to produce a bronze coloration on the top layer of skin—in
essence, a cosmetic effect that does not saturate the skin. Formulation
technology has been greatly improved to provide better application and
coloration. Many of the earlier products were formulated using higher DHA
concentrations;
today, sunless tanners use lower concentrations because of the
improved technology.
Noticeable skin coloration takes anywhere from two to four
hours and lasts five to seven days— depending on skin type and the DHA
concentration in the lotion or spray solution. The entire exfoliation cycle—from
bottom of epidermis to the stratum corneum—takes roughly 28 days.
The exfoliation cycle of the stratum corneum— where the DHA
reacts with proteins—is about seven days, depending upon the individual.
To achieve optimal results, the skin should be properly
exfoliated prior to applying a sunless product. Research has shown that the
smoother the surface of the skin, the more evenly the tan will fade. About three
to four hours after the DHA-containing product is applied to skin, a tan color
begins to appear. The reaction is complete in approximately 24 hours. Areas of
thicker skin, such as elbows and knees, react more with DHA and produce a
stronger color. To achieve a more uniform tan, loose cells should be exfoliated
prior to tanning and consumers should use a professional salon-grade
moisturizer.
Bronzers
Bronzers are similar to self-tanners in that they provide a
quick, temporary tan, and many tanners use them for the same purpose—evening
out spots or supplementing a golden glow. Unlike self-tanners, which last three
to five days, however, bronzers wash off in soap and water.
Since bronzers are a quick fix for clients pressed for time,
they have increased in popularity over the past few years. Many lotion
manufacturers have incorporated a lotion with bronzer into their skincare lineup
to satisfy tanners’ cravings for instant color gratification coupled with
superior tanning and moisturizing quality.
Until a few years ago, bronzers were strictly cosmetic. The
lotion-based bronzer tints the skin a bronze color when it is applied. With the
improvement of DHA technology, manufacturers began including the self-tanning
ingredient in bronzers. DHA bronzers provide a mixture of tint and DHA skin
reaction. The amount of DHA included in bronzers varies by manufacturer.
While cosmetic bronzers still are widely used, now anyone can
get the long-lasting, desirable skin darkening in DHA bronzers that they used to
get only in self-tanners. Some companies do not carry DHA bronzers, while others
do. It all depends on the manufacturer’s philosophy. One company has what it
calls “cheaters”: bronzers with 1 percent to 2 percent DHA concentrations
compared to 4 percent to 5 percent in typical self-tanners.
Selling Sunless
Like any product, self-tanners and bronzers are best packaged
with other skincare products. One byproduct of self-tanners is skin dryness
because DHA is a skin-drying agent. In many cases, manufacturers of skincare
products include moisturizing ingredients in their lotions. Many lotion
manufacturers are incorporating small doses of DHA into their moisturizers to
allow a little “cheating” by providing an extra hint of color.
An after-tan product formulated with moisturizers and DHA
offers the best of both worlds, as it helps keep skin hydrated and smooth, plus
delivers continuous color to keep the tan from fading.
It also is important to recognize what a sunless tanner will
and will not do. Sunless tanners are not sunscreens. If clients are using
sunless products to augment their color, remind them to use sunscreen when going
outdoors. The sun is uncontrollable and unmeasurable—having a tan does not
make one immune to sunburn.
Final Thoughts
The benefits of a self-tanner or bronzer will shine when it is
used for what it is meant to be used for—namely quick color, the elimination
of tan lines and the hydration of skin.
Facilities that retail professional skincare products, would
be wise to add self-tanners and bronzers to their product inventories. Please
turn to page 30 to find out more about some of the
products available from professional suppliers.
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