Dermatologists discuss beauty trend of using self-tanner or tanning oil

Publish date: 2024-07-24

As temperatures warm up and people start to spend more time outdoors, some may be looking for get-tan-quick options that give them that summer glow. Tanning oils and self-tanning products, which have multiplied online and in stores, may seem like the quickest way to achieve a sun-kissed look that has long been a beauty ideal. Their usage has exploded in recent years, fueled, in part, by social media pressures. But the products, and tanning in general, carry some risk.

“The sun as a means of getting a tan is carcinogenic. And it is dangerous,” said David Fisher, chairman of the dermatology department at Massachusetts General Hospital. “It is one of the worst public health behaviors from the perspective of skin cancer risk that occurs in human beings.”

Here’s what you need to know about sunless tanners, also known as self-tanners, and tanning oils to better protect yourself from potential sun-related skin damage.

What are tanning oils and how do they work?

Tanning oil massaged into your skin attracts the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays and increases your ability to absorb them. As the UV rays focus on you, your skin releases more melanin, which can result in a deeper tan. Tanning oils accelerate that process.

Tanning oils “essentially concentrate the sun’s rays to enhance the penetration and the amount of sun that you’re getting to get a bigger tan,” said Jordan Parker, a board-certified dermatologist and an assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Missouri.

“You’re basically cooking yourself because it’s increasing the amount of sunlight that you’re getting,” she added. “It’s kind of just increasing the strength of the sun as it hits you.”

Are tanning oils safe?

When you tan, it’s a sign your skin cells have sustained DNA damage. Tanning oils are meant to help you get a better tan, but that also means more skin damage, said Robyn Gmyrek, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Columbia University.

Many tanning oils have a sun protection factor of 15 or less. “While a sunscreen with SPF 15 will provide the same protection against UVB rays as a tanning oil with SPF 15, the sunscreen is not amplifying the rays the way the tanning oil does,” Gmyrek said.

There are many sun-related skin risks associated with tanning, Gmyrek said, including hyperpigmentation, sun hives, wrinkles and a weakening of the skin’s immune system that could make it susceptible to infections.

Shanthi Sivendran, a clinical associate professor at Penn Medicine who specializes in melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers, said that tanning oils could heighten the risk of skin cancer and aging.

“Going out into the sun and tanning increases your risk of skin cancer, especially without some sort of sunscreen,” Sivendran said. She generally recommends using SPF 30 and reapplying every two hours.

What are self-tanners and how do they work?

Over-the-counter self-tanners are a cosmetic product that gives that glowing look without exposure to the sun’s UV rays.

Dihydroxyacetone, or DHA, is the primary ingredient in sunless tanning products responsible for the bronze color. The sugarlike ingredient reacts with the dead amino acids on the top layer of the skin, creating an artificial tan on top of the skin, Parker said.

The appearance of the artificial glow lasts for a few days and fades as the dead skin cells shed.

Are self-tanners safe?

Many dermatologists prefer self-tanner products over tanning oils because they encourage less direct interaction with the sun.

Parker recommends self-tanner over lying in sunlight, but she cautions that you are still at risk of a sunburn with self-tanners. Many self-tanners only provide an SPF of 3 or 4, she said.

Parker suggests pairing your sunless tanner with a mineral-based sunscreen for extra protection when you go outside.

If you’re worried that sunscreen may mess up the appearance of your tan or cause streaks, sun-protective clothing — ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) clothing — like shirts and hats are an option.

While self-tanners allow for tans without the sun, some research has found people who use sunless tanning products are less likely to use sun-protection methods and are associated with risky skin cancer-related behaviors.

“If you’re using those self-tanners, that doesn’t protect you from the sun. You still have to do all those sun safety behaviors,” said Sivendran, who’s also the senior vice president of cancer-care support at the American Cancer Society.

What is driving the craze over these products?

The desire for a tanned complexion — a beauty ideal often pushed by celebrities and, in recent years, on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok — can send customers flocking to stores to find products to help them achieve that look quickly.

Mona Sadeghpour, a board-certified dermatologist, said social media can create dangerous obsessions with how you look and what you post, which can drive people toward riskier behaviors. She pointed in particular to younger generations that are often online.

“What we know is that the Gen Z generation is beauty- and image-obsessed, and there are few things that can look and feel as good as tanning,” Sadeghpour said. “This is a group that has grown up with and has been consumed by social media and its projections of perfectionism and beauty.”