About Tanning

Overexposure to sunlight damages skin. There are three types of solar radiation, which include the visible spectrum (produces the brightness of the sun), the infrared spectrum (produces the warmth of the sun) and the UV spectrum, which is responsible for the sunburn and suntan.

Natural UV light is further subdivided into 3 bands:

1. The UVA: can cause the skin to tan and tends to be weak in causing skin to redden; it is 1000 times less potent than a comparable dose of UVB in causing skin cancer.
    
2. The UVB: cause the usual sunburn reaction. It has been associated with the sunlight skin damage, including the various skin cancers.
    
3. The UVC: does not reach the earth's surface because most of it is absorbed by the ozone layer.

The ozone layer is not providing the required protection against the UV rays, exposing people seeking a suntan to the dangerous effects of UVB rays.

Tanning equipment has been created to replace the effects of the sun. They provide a controlled percentage ratio of UV rays.

Moderate indoor tanning can provide the users with the desired suntan at a lower risk of skin damage.

UV free tanning (Mystic tan) is a new method designed to deliver a customized sunless tanning in less than 60 seconds.

The tan is caused by "Dihydroxy acetone" (DHA), the only active ingredient that is approved by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for sunless tanning.

When applied to the skin, DHA reach with proteins in the surface cells of the skin producing a darkening effect. It does not damage the skin since it only affects the outermost cells of the epidermis (stratum corneum), which minimizes its systemic absorption.