How Sunless Tanning Works


Sunless Tanning Overview

Your skin is comprised of three major layers: 1) epidermis; 2) dermis; and 3) hypodermis. Since all sunless tanning occurs in the epidermins layer, let's look deeper into this layer.


Your epidermis is comprised of 4 to 5 sub–layers, depending upon your skin location (your eyelids have 4 sub–layers; your feet and hands have 5 sub–layers). The outermost sub–layer is called your "Cornified Layer." Directly beneath this sub–layer is another called your "Clear/Translucent Layer."


These are the only two sub–layers which contain your dead skin cells, and the only two sub–layers that are involved in sunless tanning. Remember this important fact:

sun–tanning tans only your live skin cells
sunless–tanning tans only your dead skin cells


Within your dead skin cells are keratin (the same structural compound as your hair and fingernails). When the sunless tanning agent combines with your keratin, your keratin makes a compound called "melaninoid."


When a self tanning lotion is applied to your skin, the tanning agent migrates into your skin's top two sub–layers and reaches your melaninoids. Your melaninoids turn either orange or brown in color, depending upon the ingredients used to carry the tanning agents into your skin, and the time required to tan. The reasons for this difference are discussed below.



Different Sunless Tanners Work Differently

1.  Some self tanners will give you an "instant" tan.

2.  Some self tanners will give you a "gradual" tan.

3.  Some self tanners will give you an "orange" tan.

4.  Some self tanners will give you a "dark bronze" tan.

1.  Some self tanners will give you an "instant" tan. Instant tanning occurs when the sunless tanner uses higher concentrations of tanning agents. This type of sunless tanning will always give you a more orange tan than a dark bronze tan. There is no such thing as a fast, natural looking sunless tan (IF its fast, its orange). In fact, there is no such thing as a fast, natural looking tan with the sun or tanning beds either. The "tan time" in a sunless tanner is crucial. In order to obtain a more natural looking tan, you must allow the tanning agents time to work correctly; always use a "gradual" sunless tanner.


2.  Some self tanners will give you a "gradual" tan. Gradual tanning occurs when the sunless tanner uses lower concentrations of tanning agents. This type of sunless tanning will always give you a more natural looking tan. Again, the "tan time" in sunless tanner is crucial, and you must use a "gradual" sunless tanner.


3.  Some self tanners will give you an "orange" tan. The orange tan can come about for two reasons: 1) you used an instant tanner; and/or 2) you used a sunless tanner with a carrier base that does not transport the tanning agents deep within your skin (to the dead/live cell interface).


4.  Some self tanners will give you a "dark bronze" tan. Gradual tanning agents within an all-natural moisturizing lotion will give you a natural looking tan. Again, the best tan is when the tanning agents are within a moisturizing lotion which uses all natural ingredients (TanSome Premium Sunless Tanning Lotion is the ONLY sunless tanning lotion with an all natural base). Natural ingredients in TanSome self tanning are biocompatible with your body, and allow the tanning agents to diffuse through your skin cells. TanSome Sunless Tanning Lotion uses natural antioxidants, tropical oils and butters, and vitamins to carry the tanning agents deep within your skin to reach the dead cell / live cell interface. The more gradual the tanning, and the more natural the carrier base of the tanning agents, the more natural looking the tan.



Only Sunless Tanning is Safe

Sun tanning alters your live skin cells, and will, over time and with certainty, result in skin cell mutations. These mutations will result in one or more of the following: age spots, first–degree and second–degree skin burns, thinner skin, easier bruising, fine and coarse wrinkles, skin tearing, telangiectasia (varicose veins), skin lesions, and skin cancer (squamous cell carcinoma and/or basal cell carcinoma).


Sunless tanning alters only your dead skin cells, and therefore, cannot harm you! To be technically correct, a very small portion of the population (about 2%) are allergic to the tanning agent, but the worst result is an allergy that brings about itching, which is quickly remedied by taking an antihistamine. Obviously, if you itch once, you'll itch twice, so do not use a sunless tanner again. This is true for all self tanners.


TanSome Sunless Tanning Lotion uses only the best of natural ingredients to make it truly a premium body lotion. Compare TanSome Ingredients to the ingredients in your current body lotion. You will quickly realize that your lotion is probably not truly nourishing and rehydrating your skin; and that it contains either mineral oil, petroleums, parabens, or other industrial chemicals. To nurture your skin, you must provide it with an array of natural antioxidants, tropical oils and butters, and vitamins for a healthy and supple skin.


We were the first!! TanSome Premium Sunless Tanning Lotion was the first gradual sunless tanning lotion on the market; it was introduced January 2, 2003. (Jergens offered their Natural Glow in Summer 2006, and all other gradual tanning lotions have been offered since then).


We were the first again!! TanSome Premium Sunless Tanning Lotion was the first gradual tanning lotion to place the tanning agents into a premium moisturizing base; it was introduced on January 2, 2003. Other competitors began placing their tanning agents with a moisturizing body lotion in 2008, but no other company to date offers the tanning agents within an all natural, premium body lotion like TanSome Sunless Tanning Lotion.


After an application of TanSome Sunless Tanning Lotion, there is no need for additional premium body lotion –– you are covered with TanSome!