Tanning lotion accelerator is a product meant to boost the tanning process for those interested in spending less time in the sun or tanning booth but speeding up and enhancing the darkening process. These products typically come in the form of a lotion, spray or pill that is applied or administered before tanning. It’s important to choose a product that correlates with either sun tanning or the tanning booth. Most accelerator tanning lotions maximize tanning results through the addition of one or two special ingredients.
Psoralen & Tyrosine
These ingredients are either (or in some cases both) Psoralen and Tyrosine. Both are amino acids which stimulate your skin to produce more melanin. Melanin is a protein found in the pigment of your skin that darkens as a result of UV exposure through the sun or a tanning booth. It’s actually one of your skin’s defense mechanisms against UV rays so the more you tan, increasing amounts of melanin are produced in order to protect your skin from damage, thus the deepening in skin color. Psoralen and Tyrosine basically offer a boost to the melanin through stimulation of the pigment cells.
One of the chemicals used to facilitate tanning acceleration is Psoralen also called psoralene, an extract from the common fig (ficus carica) and also found in celery, west India satin wood and parsley; which absorbs ultra violet light extremely well. One way of thinking of this chemical’s effect on skin is the equivalent using a magnifying glass. It is no longer legal to produce tan acceleration products with Psoralen (as of 1996) due to its photocaricinogenic effects, but it is still in use to treat certain skin diseases like psoriasis, eczema and vitiligo. People with sensitive skin who have used psoralen in a tanning accelerator lotion (without proper sun block application) have burned four times faster—even having skin loss from sun bathing.
Although the concept of tanning accelerator lotion sounds great to those interested in bronzing their skin a little faster, the potential consumer may be curious about the safety of the product. This is especially true in dealing with indoor tanning lotion accelerator. Despite the fact that the accelerators decrease your amount of time in the sun, the ones that contain Psoralen can make your skin especially sensitive to UV light, leading toward moderate to severe burns. Sunburns are a nuisance, yes, but they can also be dangerous and increase your risk of skin cancer, not to mention accelerate the aging process.
Fair Skin Tanning
If you have very light skin naturally or are just beginning to tan, you may want to consider accelerator tanning lotions that contain only Tyrosine and no Psoralen and have an SPF (sun protection factor). One of the key factors in getting and keeping a tan is skin moisture and health. If you have dry skin that stays dry then you will not only burn easier but peel and shed much quicker than those that don’t. The trick is to keep your skin moisturized (apply twice daily) and drink lots of water. The one thing tanning accelerators can do is keep the skin moisturized and help keep it from drying out or burning.
Tip: Be careful and always limit your tanning sessions in the beginning and work your way up to longer periods so your skin’s Melanin levels can have a chance to recuperate.
The Sunscreen Factor
Another potential concern is that the accelerators do not work well in conjunction with sunscreen. The fact of the matter is Sunscreen is important in at least small doses to protect your skin from full exposure to the sun’s rays or those emitted by tanning beds. Fortunately, a handful of the best tanning accelerator lotion also contain sunscreen in their ingredients so this won’t be a problem to the discerning user. If you have very light skin that burns easily it is a must that you use some sort of broad spectrum SPF. The myth that you will not get a tan while wearing Sunscreen is just that….A myth! Now it will take longer but wouldn’t you rather keep your skin free of damage and free radicals that can be potentially life threatening?
In conclusion, accelerators can be very effective and keep your length of exposure to UV rays to a minimum while giving your skin a gorgeous, bronzed glow. However, it’s important to avoid careless mistakes in choosing the right product in order to protect the skin from damage and disease.
The Science of Accelerator
Tan accelerator lotion or tanning activators are commercial products that facilitate the tanning process induced by the reaction of ultraviolet radiation with skin cells in the epidermis. The reaction yields either the burning of the top layer of skin or a tan. The problem with people who tan poorly is that melanin in its dormant state stays in deeper layers of the epidermis, and when stimulated with ultraviolet radiation the melanin moves to the surface and in a sense fuels the tanning process. For people with fairer complexions this becomes a problem if they are not usually exposed to the sun, their skin usually burns before it can tan correctly. In response the skin care market produced products which incorporated sun tan lotion with SPF and chemical additives that also help to develop a tan at a faster rate while protecting from burning.
Another chemical used to facilitate tan acceleration is Coumarin, and can be found in tonka bean (Dipteryx odorata), Cassia cinnamon (” Cinnamomum aromaticum”) vanilla grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum), sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum), sweet grass (Hierochloe odorata), mullein (Verbascum spp.), and sweet clover. At the chemical level it is very similar to Psoralen and has the same effect however is not listed as having photocarcinogenic effects. It is also used in food products such as artificial vanilla cinnamon, chamomile tea, and also in tobacco products. Although there are some concerns that Coumarin is moderately toxic to the liver and kidneys as shown in animal trials. It is suggested to refrain from using more than 6.1 mg of pure Coumarin on a daily basis.
tan accelerator lotions
There are several products on the market advertised as like Zhuzh tan accelerator! and Decleor Self-Tanning Milk Glow. These products do not list the previous two chemicals and claim that the contents are 100% natural. These products claim to stimulate melanin in the lower layers of the epidermis which is similar to the effects of the previously stated chemicals. These products are readily sourced on the internet in the European market and are legitimate in their effects from user feedback. They aid people from spending too much time under the sun and tanning beds, to a certain extent it lowers their exposure to ultraviolet radiation to achieve the same effect.
