--- title: Self Tanner and Tanning Lotion: Are Tanning Lotion and Spray Safe? description: With melanoma and skin cancer on the rise, It's easier and safer to fake a tan with lotion and sprays than to bake. But are they safe? canonical: https://time.com/3896827/self-tanner-tanning-lotion/ author: Markham Heid article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-27T12:00:03.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:49:37.372Z article:section: Health og:title: You Asked: Are Self-Tanners Safe? og:description: It's easier to fake a tan than to bake in the sun. But are self tanners safe? og:url: https://time.com/3896827/self-tanner-tanning-lotion/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac81bfbd30a206ad/698851b406f2c1432b33a58b/you-asked-should-use-spray-tanner.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: You Asked: Should I Use Spray Tanner? og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: You Asked: Are Self-Tanners Safe? twitter:description: It's easier to fake a tan than to bake in the sun. But are self tanners safe? twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac81bfbd30a206ad/698851b406f2c1432b33a58b/you-asked-should-use-spray-tanner.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # You Asked: Are Self-Tanners Safe? > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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May 27, 2015 12:00 PM UTC To bake, or to fake? It’s a classic tanning conundrum. Sitting under the sun causes skin damage and cellular changes that raise your risk for skin cancer, and even among adults under 40, melanoma rates [are on the rise](http://healthland.time.com/2012/04/02/study-finds-dramatic-rise-in-skin-cancer-among-young-adults/). “In order to get a natural tan from ultraviolet light, your skin has to be injured,” says Dr. Darrell Rigel, a clinical professor of dermatology at New York University. You know this, and you worry about it. But unlike ultraviolet rays, sunless self-tanners don’t mean you have to damage your skin. “These products contain an ingredient that stains the outermost layer or your skin,” Rigel says. In most cases, that ingredient is dihydroxyacetone (DHA). When it combines with amino acids in your skin, DHA causes a browning reaction—the same type of reaction that occurs when you make toast or grill meat, explains Dr. Adam Friedman, director of dermatologic research at Montefiore-Albert Einstein College of Medicine. That may sound scary. But the browning only takes place in your skin’s “stratum corneum”—the topmost layer composed of dead cells, Friedman says. “Our bodies make a form of this stuff,” he adds, referring to DHA. “So I’m not concerned about it from as safety standpoint. When used topically, I think it’s the only safe way to have a tan appearance.” For anyone who’s read up on self-tanners, Friedman’s statements may raise eyebrows. A few years ago, a much-cited [report from ABC News](http://abcnews.go.com/Health/safety-popular-spray-tans-question-protected/story?id=16542918&singlePage=true) raised concerns about spray-tanning salons and the risks of inhaling DHA and other self-tanning ingredients. [Subsequent research](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4345932/) supported the idea that inhaling spray-on tanning chemicals could potentially raise your risk for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or cancer. “Stretched flat, your lungs are the size of a tennis court,” says Dr. Reynold Panettieri, a professor of pulmonary medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. “So inhaling these self-tanning agents could have all sorts of potential health consequences.” ### You Asked: Your Top 10 Health Questions Answered  You Asked: Are Cleanses Healthy? Potions that claim to clear your body of toxins might sound alluring, but do they deliver? Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Eating Dessert Really That Bad For Me? Bad news for sweet-eaters—except if you end your meals with this kind of treat. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth? Yes, teeth whitening actually works—but here's why you have to dish out major bucks to see results. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Meditation Really Worth It? From easing stress to lowering heart disease risk, focusing your mind can do some amazing things for your body. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Healthiest Sweetener? Take a taste of the unsettled science of sweeteners. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Should I Go Paleo? The pros and cons of eating like a caveman. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Cracking Your Knuckles Bad? Here's what really happens to your joints when you snap, crackle and pop. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Running on a Treadmill as Good as Running Outside? You'll fool your body into thinking it's outside with this one small treadmill tweak. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Does Laughing Have Real Health Benefits? Here's proof that everybody could use a belly laugh. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What Is My Poo Telling Me? If you listen hard enough, you'll hear all kinds of health stories from #2. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME But what about self-tanners you spread on your skin? The ABC News report cited Food & Drug Administration data suggesting that small amounts of DHA might seep through your skin and into your bloodstream. If true, that could also raise health concerns. But since that FDA data came to light, follow-up studies have failed to find evidence that DHA penetrates your skin’s protective barriers. Dr. Rigel was one of several experts who voiced concern to ABC News following their DHA investigation. But when it comes to DHA in lotions, Rigel says his concerns have since been assuaged. “There’s no data to show that DHA is harmful when applied topically,” he says. “Pregnant women and children may want to avoid it just as a precaution, but this is benign stuff.” Panettieri agrees. “Based on what we know today, DHA is really pretty safe when applied to the skin correctly,” he says. Correct application means avoiding the sensitive skin around your eyes and on your lips, as well as cuts or abrasions—more reasons to be wary of spray-on options. Panettieri says rubbing DHA into very thin or broken skin could let it enter your system. “Even if DHA got beyond the skin, any risk is hypothetical,” he’s quick to add. Both he and Rigel say that compared to the well-established risks of sun exposure, topical self-tanning lotions are a safer option. Friedman agrees, and says his only concern is that some people might have an allergic reaction to DHA or other ingredients in self-tanners—a risk that comes with almost any cosmetic. But Friedman adds one big warning: Self-tanners do not offer your skin any protection from sun damage. “Some people think these self-tanners act like sunscreen,” he says. “They don’t.” In fact, [some research suggests](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4345932/) DHA may actually increase the amount of damage your skin sustains from sun exposure. Of course, new research could always surface new risks. And not as much is known about less-common tanning chemicals. But for now, if you’re craving a little color, self-tanning lotions with DHA seem to be your safest option. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3896827/self-tanner-tanning-lotion/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3896827/self-tanner-tanning-lotion/"},"headline":"You Asked: Are Self-Tanners Safe?","datePublished":"2015-05-27T12:00:03.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:49:37.372Z","description":"These products are safer than sun exposure—but only if you avoid the sprays.","url":"https://time.com/3896827/self-tanner-tanning-lotion/","keywords":["Research","skin cancer","Tanning","sunscreen","melanoma"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac81bfbd30a206ad/698851b406f2c1432b33a58b/you-asked-should-use-spray-tanner.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Markham Heid","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/markham-heid/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltac81bfbd30a206ad/698851b406f2c1432b33a58b/you-asked-should-use-spray-tanner.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"You Asked: Should I Use Spray Tanner?","caption":"You Asked: Should I Use Spray Tanner?","creditText":"Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/research/","name":"Research"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3896827/self-tanner-tanning-lotion/","name":"You Asked: Are Self-Tanners Safe?"}}]}] ```