Beauty

[ChynnaBlue]

On 4/14/2014 codywhitney said:

I am REALLY trying to stay away from all the parabens and when I checked the ingredients on Tan Towels they had a least 2 kinds...

Tarte makes a self-tanner without parabens.

[myshell624]

On 4/14/2014 suzyQ3 said:

On 4/14/2014 Favorite Son said:

If Paula B. is all about dissing harmful ingredients why would she even make a self-tanner? I haven't looked at the ingredients, but most of these products have as their main active, <em>acetone</em>. That is the same active ingredient in traditional nail polish remover. It is highly reactive, and has to be that way, in order to reduce your skin and turn it brown. (Or is it oxidize? My organic chemistry class was too long ago).

I'm not saying that there aren't plenty of other self-tanners out there with the same harmful ingredient. It just seems a little hypocritical to market a self-tanner when you make a living constantly criticizing products with ingredients that are far less harmful than acetone.

Maybe this is something radically different. Does anyone know?

Apparently, she is not being hypocritical and this ingredient is not related or similar to acetone. From her Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary:

dihydroxyacetone

Rating:

Good

Categories:

Miscellaneous

Ingredient present in all self-tanners that affects the color of skin. Derived from sugar, it reacts with amino acids found in the top layers of skin to create a shade of brown; the effect takes place within two to six hours and it can build color depth with every reapplication. It has a long history of safe use.

And from MedicineNet.com:

What is DHA?

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the most effective sunless tanning products contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA) as the active ingredient. DHA is a colorless chemical (it is derived from glycerin) that interacts with the amino acids in dead skin cells to produce a brown color change. Since these dead skin cells are constantly being shed, the color change produced by DHA usually lasts about five to seven days.

DHA is not absorbed through the skin into the body and it has no known toxicity. DHA was first discovered by the Germans in the late 1920's when DHA spilled on the skin produced a brown color. DHA has been listed with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 1973, and has been used in cosmetic preparations for almost 30 years.

From the Free Dictionary:

dihydroxyacetone /di·hy·droxy·ac·e·tone/ (di?hi-drok?se-as´e-ton) the simplest ketose, a triose; it is an isomer of glyceraldehyde. D. phosphate is an intermediate in glycolysis, the glycerol phosphate shuttle, and the biosynthesis of carbohydrates and lipids.

Good information suzyQ3. I remember reading years ago where someone asked her why she didn't have a self tanner in her line. In her reply, she said that their were a lot of good self tanners on the market at affordable prices and unless she felt like she could improve upon them, she would not have such a product in her line. I am really curious about this one. I look forward to reviews from those that try it

[Favorite Son]

So I guess if you are going to use a self-tanner, the ones containing dihydroxyacetone are the safest and the reviews on this product are favorable. I'll still pass, though. There is some evidence that a self tanner increases free radicals in skin, and that's not a good thing. (No point torturing myself with the Tria only to increase free radicals that damage collagen through other pathways.)

[ronni01]

I just ordered this over the weekend - very curious to try. (I am a tan towel user - they work well for me - but want to try something new) I will post a review later. Thank you.

[suzyQ3]

On 4/14/2014 Favorite Son said:

So I guess if you are going to use a self-tanner, the ones containing dihydroxyacetone are the safest and the reviews on this product are favorable. I'll still pass, though. There is some evidence that a self tanner increases free radicals in skin, and that's not a good thing. (No point torturing myself with the Tria only to increase free radicals that damage collagen through other pathways.)

Favorite Son, I'm embracing my skin as it is. I have no interest in self-tanners, but that's just me.

[GraceCO]

What self-tanners are safe to use then? I've been using the BE tanner.

[maestra]

I prefer Clarins self tanners and I'm not a big self tanner all spring and summer. I like just enough not to scare children and animals away w/my neon paleness on legs and arms.

[lovemygigi]

I received mine yesterday. If anyone is familiar with St Tropez's self tanning mousse/foam, PC's has the same delivery system. I found it to be on the watery side when compared to the St Tropez. It 'ran' when applied so you need to work fast but seemed to spread fairly evenly. The color is decent and not overly yellow or orange. Make sure you use some lotion before you apply paying attention to dry areas like your ankle bones and knees. I went ahead and used my hands as opposed to a mitt as the directions didn't state otherwise and then scrubbed the heck out of them when I was done. No noticeable staining on my palms or nail beds today. The scent is very faint and I didn't notice it when I went to the gym later plus it was very warm here yesterday (increased body heat/outdoors temp always seem to bring out the smell of most self tanners I have used). One issue I had is that even though I applied it 4 hrs prior to putting on shoes and socks I have a line of demarcation from the ankle down.

I have yet to shower and shave today so I am not sure how much of the color will fade when I do. I also noticed that the freckles I have on my legs really, really grabbed the color and are standing out more so than with other self tanners. I'm assuming some of that will fade after I bathe/shave. If I notice the color washes off dramatically or unevenly I will let you know.

[NicoleCL]

I got a bottle of this to try just because I was curious.

My skin is light - about a MAC NW 25. The color is very brown and believable. The texture is light, watery fluid. Directions state to apply the foam working in small areas after applying a moisturizer. I rarely bother with a self tanner, but I was curious about the fast drying promise on this one. It does dry quickly - within 3 to 5 minutes. There is a self tanner smell, but it's much lighter and quicker to dissipate than any other self-tanner I've ever tried.

Nicole in Portland