Bronze in a Bottle

Self-tanners for a Safe Tan

By Carma Haley Shoemaker

Before tanning was popularized in the '20s by Coco Channel, women avoided the sun. Remember bonnets and wide-brimmed hats? They didn't want their skin to become freckled or browned in appearance, as tanned skin was associated with poor, outdoor workers.

"All that changed with Coco," says Peter Lamas, founder and chairman of Lamas Beauty International in Los Angeles, Calif. "Having a bronze glow meant that you had enough leisure time to lay around on the beach, basking in the sun. Tans were 'healthy' and desirable. The connection between tanning and skin cancer was then unknown, however, and the 'healthy tan' was anything but that. Although we're now aware of the premature aging that's the side effect of tanning, tans are still in vogue and sought after. So for those who enjoy that sun-kissed look, but also want to avoid sun-damaged skin, sunless tanning products are an obvious solution."

While basking in the sun is free, you can – and many do – pay a much higher price for it later in life. So despite the cost of buying a sunless tanning product, there are many advantages to their use. "The biggest advantage of using sunless tanners is that you can achieve a tanned look quickly, without risking the health of your skin," says Lamas. "Additionally, there are those people whose skin only burns and never tans, so they can also realize that tanned look without pain."

"I'm very pale," says Eliza Ferree of Yuma, Ariz. "Anytime I am in the sun I burn and peel. It's painful, and it's frustrating. So I tried a self-tanner. It was a much better way to get a tan and be able to enjoy it."

Want to see more?

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• Sun Smarts: A Crash Course in Sun Safety From Texas Children's Hospital Specialists
• Bikini Babies: Preteens and Summer Body Image
• Teens and Tanning: An Unhealthy Practice
• Creating Beauty From the Outside In: The Secret to Healthy, Radiant Skin
• Talk about it!