Before I started my makeup line I sold commercial spray tan machines to tanning salons and spas. It was a fun little career as being tan was an important part of it. Unfortunately I started to react to the spray tan solution which ended that career real quick. Looking back, I am thankful my body started giving me clear signals that it did not approve of the ingredients. With spray tans, the ingredients are not only absorbed into the bloodstream, they are inhaled into the lungs. I had already started making my own sunless tanning cream. Removing the DHA was such a relief as I could finally achieve a sunless tan without scratching it and the top layer of my skin off due to extreme itchiness. I actually feel itchy just thinking about how just itchy I used to feel. I thought I was going to lose my mind. I am surprised at how many people can use DHA-based sunless tanning formulas without reacting. I think some are fine with it for a certain amount of time like I was and then they start to experience some type of allergic reaction.
After a few years I considered making a DHA-based formula again for anyone who needed that intense rust-orange tone for fitness stage competitions. Up to that point I had read so much conflicting information about whether DHA (dihydroxyacetone) is safe or not. So I thought I would share my experience working with this ingredient as a formulator. I know I am extra-sensitive compared to most, but when I come across an ingredient that has been processed with harsh chemicals, even though the origin is natural, my body shows me the red flags, and the smell of the undiluted ingredient and the finished product is also a red flag. When I first created my own DHA-based sunless tanning cream, I was not working with the undiluted dihydroxyacetone, I was only created my product from an already diluted DHA-based formula. The second time around, I started experimenting with making the formula from scratch, which called for the undiluted, 100% pure DHA powder.
The first thing I always want to do is smell a new ingredient I have never worked with. I had worked with it before but not in its raw, undiluted powder form. However, I have learned to be careful. With DHA powder, I have to admit that the sniff test did not go well at all. When I opened up the powder I did not even have to look for a scent. It was potent, sort of like when you are around ammonia and it gets right inside your head, nose, and lungs as soon as it is opened and exposed to the air. It scared me and I immediately changed my mind about offering a DHA-based product after that experience. If you have read that your sunless tanning formula is made from beets or sugarcane, that is still DHA, but to process it, chemicals need to be added.
What does 100% pure dihydroxyacetone look like?
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wikipedia:
Dihydroxyacetone (/ˌdaɪhaɪˌdrɒksiˈæsɪtoʊn/ ⓘ; DHA), also known as glycerone, is a simple saccharide (a triose) with formula C3H6O3.
DHA is primarily used as an ingredient in sunless tanning products. It is often derived from plant sources such as sugar beets and sugar cane, and by the fermentation of glycerin.
Chemistry
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DHA is a hygroscopic white crystalline powder. It has a sweet cooling taste and a characteristic odor. It is the simplest of all ketoses and has no chiral center. The normal form is a dimer (2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)-1,4-dioxane-2,5-diol). The dimer slowly dissolves in water,[3] whereupon it converts to the monomer. These solutions are stable at pH’s between 4 and 6. In more basic solution, it degrades to brown product.[4]
Safe use and side effects
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The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved DHA for topical application on the skin, but not for contact with eyes, lips, and mucous membranes. DHA may not be used in spray tanning booths due to risk of exposure of these sensitive areas.[5]
DHA-containing spray tans have been associated to side effects such as rashes, cough, dizziness, and fainting. Frequent exposure to spray tans may increase the risk of pulmonary disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cancer. [5]
The chemical reaction of DHA in the skin may lead to an unpleasant smell. Fragrances are often added to the formulation to mask the smell, which may lead to allergic reactions or worsen asthma symptoms. Some products contain parabens as chemical preservatives that can cause rosacea and allergic contact dermatitis and act as weak estrogens.
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the sunless tanning industry is booming
The self-tanning products market size was valued at USD 1.16 billion in 2024. The market is projected to grow from USD 1.22 billion in 2025 to USD 1.99 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period. Europe dominated the self-tanning products market with a market share of 33.63% in 2024.
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It is not easy to find anything negative about DHA but I am still standing by my own experience with it and I wanted to share it with you as, just like with synthetic fragrances, when we apply something consistently or spray it onto our bodies, we are not the only ones being affected. Our families and our pets are affected too. So that is why I care. It is not the only option when it comes to sunless tanning ingredients, but it is the least expensive option for companies who manufacture sunless tanning products and brands that sell them. However, sometimes the risk is not worth the reward. Here is a tiktok influencer sharing her experience with a face tan solution:
face tanning mist reaction
reaction #2
reaction #3
reaction #4
