What is DHA?

Sunless tanning products like New Gorgeous help people get a bronzed look thanks to one key ingredient: DHA (dihydroxyacetone). DHA is a colorless derivative from glycerin. When it comes into contact with the amino acids on the skin surface, the reaction produces the brown color that’s the basis for sunless tans.

Dihydroxyacetone is non-toxic and the skin does not absorb it into the body. In fact, it and the surface cells get shed on a regular basis. This is why the color change produced by DHA is temporary and usually lasts up to around 10 days.

DHA was first discovered in the late 1920s by German scientists. It started appearing in sunless tanning lotions–most notably, Coppertone’s QT (quick tan) formulas–in the late 1960s. But because QT tended to turn skin orange, the product quickly fell out of favor with consumers.

In 1973, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added DHA to their list of approved cosmetic ingredients and it is still the only active ingredient approved for sunless tanning. By the 1980s, advancements in the DHA manufacturing process produced more natural-looking color and better fading. As a result, new sunless tanning formulations flooded the market.

Most of the sunless products you’ll find now contain 1 to 15% dihydroxyacetone, with professional products like New Gorgeous falling in the 5 to 15% range. These percentages typically correspond to the product color intensity levels. So the darker the product, the greater the amount of DHA present in the formula.

Professional sunless tanning lotions are typically applied through airbrush methods. Once clients have been sprayed, they can expect to maintain their bronzed look for up to 10 days or more. An airbrush tan won’t sweat off or wash away with soap or water. However, deliberate exfoliation and prolonged water submersion or heavy sweating can lighten the tan more quickly.

With incidences of skin cancer from exposure to UV radiation on the rise, DHA-based products are the clinically proven safe alternative for natural-looking tans. At New Gorgeous, we carry a wide variety of professional sunless tanning lotions and skincare products that are among the finest on the market. Whether you’re a salon owner who wants to get away from using tanning beds or who just wants to try a product popular with celebrities and models, New Gorgeous is for you. Contact us today and see for yourself!

Call New Gorgeous at 888-536-8267 for free information about how to use sunless tanning products for your success!