Dark secrets: Tanning lotions have bronze worshippers glowing

Kimberley McGee

Wednesday, June 20, 2001 | 8:25 a.m.

Remember the model from the Bain de Soleil tanning-lotion ads in the '80s?

The lithe woman wore a sleek, black bathing suit and was baked to a healthy golden-brown as she lounged under the sun.

That natural bronze shell was glamorous, sexy.

That was then; this is now.

Once considered a cheap replacement for a true tan, self-tanning lotions are a popular alternative as consumers become aware of the damaging effects of the sun's rays and accompanying skin cancer risks. Even the Bain de Soleil model fakes her bake these days and has touted the company's self-tanning lotion in recent ads.

The industry has improved its ability to capture the glow of a healthy tan in a bottle, said Annette Hanson, president of Atelier Esthetique Institute in New York City. The skin-care institute trains aestheticians how to professionally apply self-tanner to a growing consumer base for high-end salons such as the Hilton New York and Towers Spa.

"A lot more people are getting a tan from self-tanners at the salon," Hanson said. "(Self-tanning) is much more popular."

Hanson, founder of the institute, has worked with international skin-care companies such as Sothys and Clarins since 1976 as an educator and distributor. That same year she was diagnosed with melanoma, a form of skin cancer.

She tried the first skin-tanners on the market in the mid-'80s, but found the coverage and color to be lacking.

"They were orangey and smelled bad and streaked," Hanson said. "Now they are much, much better. But it matters which one you use."

Lancome, Clarins and other top-of-the-line tanning products tend to have a better odor and less streaking, she said, although the industry itself has improved significantly across the board. A good tanner will cost from around $30 for an 8-ounce bottle.

"They've gotten better and they are worth trying," Hanson said. "You get the glow without the dangers."

How it's done

What makes the skin's color bloom from winter gray to summer blush?

The active ingredient in self-tanners is dihydroxyacetone (DHA). It is a simple sugar-type molecule that reacts with proteins and amino acids in the outer layer of the skin. The chemical soaks into the keratin of the skin and binds with it to produce a brownish color. It fades as the skin cells naturally die and are sloughed off, which is approximately a week to 10 days.

In the mid-1950s DHA's browning effects were a serendipitous find for Eva Wittgenstein, a researcher at the Children's Hospital at the University of Cincinnati. She was studying the effect of oral doses of DHA in children. The children would spit up the sweet concoction, and the droplets that would splash on their skin turned it dark.

The DHA doesn't penetrate any further than the first two layers of skin and is nontoxic. Yet some still wonder if the self-tanner itself won't cause skin cancer.

"They are all very safe," said Dr. Lucius Blanchard, a dermatologist at the Las Vegas Skin and Cancer Clinic on South Rancho Drive.

Blanchard has been cleaning and clearing up skin blemishes in Las Vegas for 22 years and witnessed the effects of sun damage and skin cancer.

His patients have turned to self-tanners more as they age and the damage from the sun becomes visible in tiny lines on their faces or cancerous moles appear.

"Nowadays there are so many people using the tanners that I have to ask if (the tan is) real," Blanchard said.

Patients have grudgingly listened to the doctor's anti-sun requests in the past. He continues to allay their fears of self-tanners and explains the benefits to his most stubborn clients.

Within the past few years he has noticed that clients are beginning to see the light and are taking steps to protect themselves from the sun's rays.

"The days of the old, orangey, streaky self-tanners are gone," he said. "My wife goes to the salon to have hers done and they stain her up. It looks great."

Tanning tips

The secret to an even glow from a bottle?

Exfoliation, exfoliation, exfoliation, Hanson said.

She recommends that tanners take their time when applying self-tanning lotion. Pay careful attention to smooth the skin around the heels and knees where it tends to be rougher or scarred.

Use a light amount of the lotion to get a good base tan, but don't get upset if the tan seems too light at first. Most lotions take three hours or more to completely soak into the skin and finish the coloring process.

"Try to apply it like a body lotion, very evenly," Hanson said. "Watch places where it can pool" such as the back of the knee or around the wrists.

Once the self-tanner has been applied, don't scrub the skin in the shower, shave or do any other activity that will remove the dead layer of skin.

"You're just sloughing off the cells that the tanner has adhered to," Hanson said. "You've just wasted the hard work."

Hanson recommends Sothys, which was used by the cast of "Baywatch" in the mid-'90s.

It contains botanicals, antioxidants and has a sun protection factor of 4, unlike most self-tanners which offer no protection from the sun.

Although there is a bit of sunblock in the Sothys' self-tanner, Hanson recommends that sunbathers wear a sunblock with a minimum of SPF 15 on top of the tanner.

"The key to anti-aging is sunblock," Hanson said. "The sun is ultimately what causes the breakdown of collagen and elastin in the skin. That's why self-tanners are such a good replacement."

Do it yourself, or not

Only a few high-end Las Vegas spas offer to apply a self-tanner for about $100. But that is changing as more customers ask for the treatment and self-tanner sales increase.

The Canyon Ranch SpaClub at the Venetian offered the treatment as recently as last year, said Jacquelyn Helser, skin-care manager for the SpaClub.

"People would get back to their rooms and complain," she said. "They had streaks or it wasn't dark enough."

The SpaClub is shopping for a better product to offer clients to have applied at the salon or take home to use.

Many clients are unsure of their own capability to apply the tanner and turn to the salons for professional tips, techniques and a solid, all-over tan, Helser said. About 25 percent of her customers ask for the self-tanning treatment.

Helser has been in the skin-care industry for more than 10 years. She uses a self-tanner regularly, as well as sunblock.

"I've tried 'em all -- Christian Dior, Lancome," Helser said. "Now you can find a good product out there that won't streak. You have to experiment."

The application is key, Helser said. The SpaClub plans to use a new product, Flawless, which is applied under an ultraviolet light. This allows the aesthetician to see exactly where the tanner has been applied, making it easier to see possible streaks.

"The technology now in self-tanners is motivated by the public's education of the damage of the sun," Helser said. "It is a popular treatment when it is done right."

The SpaClub intends to offer the 50-minute treatment, which includes a body scrub, in the next month for $120.

"There are great products out there," Helser said. "It's not the tanner anymore that's the problem."

It's the impatience of the customers.

"It's a lot of work to apply it right and maintain it every few days," Helser said.

That's why more spas are offering the treatment, Helser said.

The Spa at Bellagio is one of the few Strip salons that offer the self-tanning treatment. The Spa has used Pevonia since 1998 and has been satisfied with the results, Michelle Moses, spa director, said.

The product was chosen for its evenness when applied, the healthy glow of the skin that the DHA mix provides, as well as the fragrance.

The treatment is popular among women in their 20s and 30s who want a professional tan without the risks, Moses said.

After the treatment the client is wrapped in a loose bathrobe and asked to let the lotion dry for a few hours before wearing tight-fitting clothes or shoes.

"We get about 10 people a month on average who want the treatment," Moses said. "(Demand is) heavier here in the winter months."

The 50-minute treatment is $125 and lasts about two weeks if it's taken care of, Moses said.

Mark Chernesky, spa director at Aquae Sulis at the Regent Las Vegas, said consumer demand is high for self-tanners.

"It's a healthy alternative and people are starting to understand that," Chernesky said. "They are asking for it more and more."

He has been in the business for nearly a decade and seen the changes in the self-tanners, as well as customers' attitude toward the staining lotions.

The spa is training its staff so that the aestheticians may offer professional tanning treatments sometime this summer in response to customer demand.

"People prefer to have it applied, it looks better," Chernesky said. "People aren't afraid of it anymore."

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