Welcome to 2023, where you can spot a bad self tanner from a mile away. There is no more fake it until you make it with self tanners. They have come a long way from where they were when we were all in high school. Remember when everyone looked orange? There weren’t any bronzed babes that weren’t just asking for skin cancer then. Today, we have ways to safely bronze our skin but some people still make some mistakes. Let’s look at the three most common reasons why a self tanner makes your skin look orange instead of beautifully bronzed.
Very High pH Levels
There is a science to creating a self tanning product. Just like any other commodity on the market, ingredients are put together to create a concoction that hopefully works as the creator wishes. Every sunless tanning product on the market contains pH adjusters to get their concoction to be the right balance for its customers.
The main active ingredient and darkening agent in self tanners is called dihydroxyacetone (DHA). You can learn more about it in this blog. The DHA is what can become skewed if the pH balance is incorrect. There is a small range that must be maintained to comply with human skin when it comes to pH balance. If the range is off, then it can cause irritation to the skin, dryness and issues with absorption of product which can then lead to the orange color of tan.
Over processing
The noticeable orange color tone of a sunless tanning product can happen when someone overuses a product. Layer after layer of sunless tanning product will result in an excess of build up of DHA. This can then result in too high of a concentration of product on your skin, which can then turn your color to orange.
Over processing usually happens when someone does not see results right away. We have an instant sunless tanning product and a gradual tanning product. It is important to know which product is preferred.
Wrong Color
When researching which sunless tanner to use, you may see there are different shades of tanner that are available. From a light bronze, to a dark tan, sunless tanners can promote a color change because of, yes, you guessed it, the amount of DHA that is in the product.
For example, our tanning mousse contains 10% DHA which means it is a medium buildable color. It is not a light tan, but instead a nice, medium bronze. If it is too light for your liking, you can build upon it with another layer after 6-8 hours of application.
Our gradual tanning lotion has 6% DHA. So not as dark of a color which is perfect for those with very fair skin!
Never Turn Orange Again
Now that you know what causes an orange color when using sunless tanning, you can certainly avoid that color. Obtain a beautiful, natural looking bronzed tan with our wide array of sunless tanning products. Be sure to prep your skin to allow for ample absorption of products and moisturize to have your tan last longer! And as always, if you ever have any questions, feel free to message us on our Facebook or Instagram pages.