I had a lotion manufacturer give me an information piece with the following comments about Dihydroxyacetone…They have given my salon a lot of good advice and I sell their products and have done well with them so far. I tend to trust the information that they give me…
DIHYDROXYACETONE IS NOT A BRONZER…DHA IS A SUNLESS TANNER. Bronzers are temporary stains or paints that absorb only into the very outmost layer of the skin and wash off with water. Dihydroxyacetone is a sunless tanner that produces a browning effect (called “Maillard Reaction”) when DHA undergoes a biochemical reaction with proteins in the dead skin cells on the outermost layers of the skin.
THE AMOUNT OF TIME TO CREATE THE BROWNING EFFECT PRODUCED BY DHA IS ACCELERATED BY EXPOSURE TO BOTH HEAT. Many indoor tanning lotion manufacturers know this and have started to formulate their products with Dihydroxyacetone. In particular, DHA is often found in “Bronzer” products that are marketed towards customers that are seeking “immediate tanning results”. When DHA is exposed to heat in the tanning unit, it produces the appearance of a tan within several minutes and continues to develop over the course of the next 4 hours.
RETENTION OF A TAN PRODUCED BY DIHYDROXYACETONE IS SHORT IN DURATION. Because Dihydroxyacetone cannot absorb beyond the very outmost layers of the skin and combines with cells that have all ready died off, the tan color that is acquired by DHA in an indoor tanning lotion is entirely lost through the process of exfoliation after 24 to 48 hours. A DHA induced tan typically last only a fraction of the time of a tan produced through the process of Melanogenesis.
DIHYDROXYACETONE IS WHAT IS STAINING YOUR CUSTOMERS’ HANDS. Of all the parts of the body, the skin on the hands is normally the driest. This is the primary reason that the hands are very quick to absorb DHA. Many customers that use indoor tanning lotions that contain Dihydroxyacetone will complain of their hands becoming stained. Unfortunately, there is no way to remove the stained skin other than to wait for the cells to exfoliate off.
DIHYDROXYACETONE IS WHAT IS GIVING YOUR CUSTOMERS AN UNREALISTIC, ORANGE LOOKING TAN. DHA comes a variety of grade-levels ranging from low grade to premium grade. Customers that have tanning results that appear “orange” in nature often are using an indoor tanning lotion that has been formulated with a lower quality grade of Dihydroxyacetone.
DIHYDROXYACETONE IS WHAT IS GIVING YOUR CUSTOMERS AN UNEVEN TAN. If an indoor tanning lotion containing Dihydroxyacetone is not applied properly and evenly, it will often produce an unevenly distributed tan. Many customers that use indoor tanning lotions that contain DHA will complain of streaking or uneven tanning on different parts of their bodies.
DIHYDROXYACETONE IS WHAT IS CAUSING MUCH OF THE ODOR YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT AFTER TANNING. The biochemical reaction that results in the browning effect produced by DHA also results in a distinct odor. This odor typically increases over the first 2 to 4 hours. Many customers that use indoor tanning lotions that contain DHA will notice this unpleasant smell.
DIHYDROXYACETONE IS A HIGHLY UNSTABLE INGREDIENT THAT DEGRADES DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. As far as ingredients go, DHA is very temperamental and highly prone to degrading. Environmental factors such as warm temperature (above 86 degrees Fahrenheit), exposure to UV (if in a translucent package), humidity (if not in an airtight container) can all contribute to a chemical breakdown of a product that contains Dihydroxyacetone.
DIHYDROXYACETONE HAS A LIMITED SHELF LIFE. Ingredient suppliers to indoor tanning lotion manufacturers state that DHA, which is difficult to preserve, has an approximate shelf life of 280 days. In fact, National Tanning Training Institute (NTTI) recommends in its training manual for sunless tanning recommends “NOTE: DHA products can lose their effectiveness when exposed to heat. Unless otherwise stated by your
sunless solution manufacturer, you should only order 2-4 weeks worth of product at a time and store it in a cool, dark place. Avoid placing in direct sunlight.”
DIHYDROXYACETONE SEVERLY LIMITS THE TYPES OF OTHER PREMIUM INGREDIENTS THAT A LOTION CAN CONTAIN. Because it highly susceptible to degradation and requires a neutral acidity level (pH 4 to 5), DHA will not mix well with many other ingredients that require higher pH levels. Because Aloe Vera extracts require a pH 5+, indoor tanning lotions that contain DHA should not contain Aloe Vera as a base ingredient and instead most often use water. Other substances that are listed by ingredient manufacturers as non-compatible with Dihydroxyacetone include Vitamin E, Vitamin B5, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Ethanol, Glycolic Acid and other Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA’s). Combining DHA with any of these ingredients will compromise product performance and over a brief period of time may result in ingredient separation, crystallization, and change in fragrance.
DIHYDROXYACETONE IS BEING SUBSTITUTED FOR OTHER MORE EXPENSIVE INGREDIENTS THAT PROMOTE MELANOGENESIS AND A UV-INDUCED TAN. Many indoor tanning lotion manufacturers have started to decrease concentration levels of more expensive ingredients that promote a UV-induced tan…the real tan that your customers are seeking. Reading product labels reveals that DHA has climbed up to the top the ingredient list while Tyrosine, Arginine, Copper Ferment, Vanillan and other important ingredients have not only moved down, but are off the list all together. Lotion manufacturers believe they can fool tanning salons and their customers into believing that the immediate results of a sunless tanner are what they are really after. In reality, results delivered by DHA are typically only last a day or two and do not even offer any UV protection.
Also, we had an interesting thread of comments regarding the negative affects of the Maillard Reaction on the skin (yes there is a downside) and how the damage is compounded when you combine DHA and immediate exposure to ultraviolet. Check out http://www.tantalk.com/viewtopic.php?topic=2333326&forum=9 and let me know if anyone else has heard similar info.