# Sunless Tanner **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 17, 2001, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunless-tanner/76810 "2001-08-17T21:28:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunless-tanner/76810/1 "2001-08-17T21:28:10Z")
I was at the drug store today, and was tempted to buy a bottle of sunless tanner. Like many people of Irish descent, I’m very very pale - I do not tan at all, only burn (I almost blinded some people at Demo and Psycat’s last weekend when I showed some leg). Besides, skin cancer runs in my family, and I don’t want to even try. Anyway, back to my Q: what the heck is in sunless tanner? How does it work? I looked at the ingredients, but the long chemical names meant nothing to me. But is it really safe to slather on stuff that _changes the color of your skin?_ It’s kind of a weird idea if you think about it. ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunless-tanner/76810/2 "2001-08-17T21:36:52Z")
It absolutely works. I experimented with some of my mother’s sunless tanner on the top of my right hand. It didn’t react instantly but I noticed the next day that it was totally browned and the tan lasted for about two weeks. I have no idea if it is toxic or not but the effects are absolutely undeniable. It makes you look tan, but whether the tan looks natural is another story. On some shades of skin it will blend with the original pigmentation whereas on others I suspect it may cause unnatural coloration(orange-colored skin), akin to tanning beds. I recommend a visit to the Clinique(or wherever) counter for a free sample. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunless-tanner/76810/3 "2001-08-17T21:38:57Z")
Yes, it’s safe (I think), except it might not be safe for the people who die laughing at you (fake tan tends to make you look orange, not tanned, in my experience). ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunless-tanner/76810/4 "2001-08-17T21:44:57Z")
If you use it, you still need to be careful in the sun. Sunless tanner just colors the outer (dead) layer of skin cells, and does _not_ increase the amount of melanin in your skin, so you can burn right through it. [http://www.sciam.com/2001/0701issue/0701working.html](http://www.sciam.com/2001/0701issue/0701working.html) ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2001, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunless-tanner/76810/5 "2001-08-18T02:24:57Z")
Here’s a bit more detail on how dihydroxyacetone cream works: > **[How do sunless-tanning products work?](https://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/sun-care/question639.htm)** > > How do sunless-tanning products work? Which is the most effective: self-tanning lotions or tanning pills? > **[North America | EMD Group](https://www.emdgroup.com/en/worldwide.html)** > > Around the world, EMD Group empWith around 56,000 employees in 66 countries we are working on breakthrough solutions and technologies. On this page you will find our locations placed in North America.loyees are active on all continents, bringing our... It’s probably not the best stuff you could ever put on your skin, but not as bad as those alpha hydroxy acids they seem to put in all the handcreams these days. ---
**Author:** ![Skwerl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Skwerl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skwerl)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2001, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunless-tanner/76810/6 "2001-08-18T03:07:10Z")
Not to mention it’s tough to apply evenly so that it’s one tone all over, and not a little tan there, orange here, white over there.