So, you reckon it’s easier and healthier to get your spray-on tan rather than the sun? Ladies you’d better think twice, because experts warn that spray-on tan might not be just as safe as the ad reads.
The warning is to always put sunscreen on whenever you’re about to step into the burning summer sun. The worry is that ultraviolet radiation from the sun will put your skin cells at risk of cancer. So with that in mind many women and men today are left with the option of artificial tanning, not knowing that these solutions might be just as harmful as spending hours at a time in the sun.
A study conducted by researchers with the University of Pennsylvania reached a conclusion that might make many of you think twice before going in for a spray-on tan session. The problem isn’t necessarily with the chemicals that land on your skins, but with those synthetic components that you breath in.
Dr. Rey Pannetieri is a lung specialist with the University of Pennsylvania. He explained his main concern is that “the deposition of the tanning agents into the lungs could really facilitate or aid systemic absorption – that is, getting into the bloodstream”. Once these compounds hit certain cells there’s a high risk of cancers of malignancies.
So, how did this happen when the FDA approved decades ago the DHA, the chemical that gives your skin that dark color you crave so much? Well, the FDA only approved the use of DHA in tanning creams. And yes, this means that your favorite spray-on tanning salon is not approved by the FDA.
In fact, this is what the authority’s website reads: “The use of DHA in tanning booths as an all-over spray has not been approved by the FDA since safety data to support this use has not been submitted to the agency for review and evaluation”.
Moreover, the FDA informs that you are “not protected from the unapproved use of this color additive” when you inhale the mist or allow it to enter your system any other way. “Consumers should request measures to protect their eyes and mucous membranes and prevent inhalation” reads FDA’s advice on spray-on tanning.
