Tanning products: which are dangerous and which are safe


Tanning products: Some tanning agents are probably safe and some are known to be dangerous. In summary:

DHA-based topicals. This is the only sunless tanning product approved by the FDA and is for external use only. The active ingredient, dihydroxyacetone, causes the outermost cells of the skin to turn brown the same way that certain sugar-containing foods turn brown in storage. This is the ingredient found in salon or home spray-on tanning products. DHA is not a sunscreen and should not be used as such.

Bronzing gels. These are the dyes found in many cosmetic products that coat the skin with color.

Tan accelerators and tan promoters. Some of these products contain tyrosine and theoretically can increase melanin (natural skin pigment) production, although this has not been proven. Others are based on bergapten (5-methoxypsoralen, 5-MOP), which is found in bergamot oil. Bergapten increases the skin’s sensitivity to ultraviolet light, intensifies skin redness, and stimulates skin cells to produce melanin. It is also phototoxic and photocarcinogenic. The FDA considers all of these products to be unapproved drugs and has issued warning letters to manufacturers.

Tanning pills. Most of these contain the color additives betacarotene and canthaxanthin. After ingestion these substances enter the blood stream and are partially deposited in skin tissue, giving the skin an orange-brown color. Neither color additive is approved by the FDA for this partic ular purpose, and products containing them are considered adulterated. Adverse reactions reported with tanning pills include stomach cramps, hepatitis, nausea, diarrhea, hives, aplastic anemia, and deposition of color in the retina of the eye.

Antiwrinkle creams. These products come in many formulations, but the two active ingredients with which there is the most experience are the retinols and the AHAs (glycolic acids, lactic acid, and so on). The concentration of these ingredients is far less than that available in the corresponding prescriptiononly retinoids (Retin-A and Renova) and AHA peel solutions. These products will act like exfoliants and may make wrinkles appear less prominent, but there is little evidence that they have a significant long- term effect on skin. Formulations containing copper peptides may have a similar effect.

Lip “plumpers”: Topical lip plumpers contain either an irritant that causes swelling or absorptive microspheres that fill in grooves. Both types of products temporarily (for hours or days) may make lips appear marginally fuller. Individuals prone to Herpes simplex outbreaks might do well to avoid substances that irritate the lips.

Numerous other ingredients, such as growth factors, vitamin E, vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids, other antioxidants like idebenone, and collagen, are hyped during product promotion. Some, such as argerilene and acetyl hexapeptide-3, are supposed to act like Botox without the need for injection. In their present formulations there is no evidence that these ingredients can penetrate the skin for beneficial effects.

When evaluating any skin product, keep in mind that intact skin is supposed to act as a protective barrier, and effective transdermal (through the skin) delivery of a product or medication requires it to be in a highly concentrated form. Sometimes no tests at all have been performed on human skin using the final product, that is, after the hyped “active ingredient” has been added. Whether or not a chemical is a potent antioxidant, for example, is irrelevant if the chemical is deactivated the minute it sees light or air or if it cannot penetrate the skin’s surface.

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This article was sent to us by: Alvin C. Romer at 09112010

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