First of all, the active tanning agent in our DHA-FREE CARAMEL TAN is a yellow to reddish sugar found in red berries, most commonly raspberries. Like DHA, it tans the skin due to a reaction with the amino acids (proteins) in the skin’s dead surface layer, producing a brownish tint.
Our DHA-FREE formula works in much the same manner as a DHA TAN. Neither ingredient uses the skin’s normal pigmentation or UV exposure to produce the tan coloration. It rather works as a chemical reaction on the skin’s dead surface cell layer, and changes the dead skin cells to a brownish tone. This is a similar reaction to how cut fruit can turn brownish when exposed to air.
With any self tanner, as the skin’s colored (tanned) dead cells flake off (millions a day) the lighter un-tanned skin appears, which is what causes a sunless tan to fade or lighten. This can take anywhere from 5-10 plus days, depending on skin condition, products used, the active tanning agent and formula used, and skin care practices before and after tanning. Proper exfoliation right before your application of HAUT CARAMEL TAN can help the tan tone appear richer, deeper, and last longer. Depending on the client, the tan fade rate may be slower, and smoother.
When compared to DHA, ours is a slower working tanning agent that can be less drying to the skin. Our formula is also unique in that it does not create that familiar smell that DHA does on the surface of the skin. This is something all DHA sunless tanners do. Some have said it smells like baking bread. We also do not add any type of perfume or essential oil to our formula. Our sunless tan coloration may be more visually pleasing and ‘natural’ looking, as our unique formula is a slightly different tonality than DHA. It can add a warmer/redder tone to the final sunless tan. The colour of tan can vary depending on the individual client, as each person’s unique skin’s tone is mixing with the tan our formula creates. When used alone, the tan developed is more red and warm in color than a DHA based tan which is more orange. Our formula generally takes 2-3 days to develop a tanned color, and reaches its maximum intensity after 4-6 days. DHA takes 8-24 hours to completely darken, and intensifies for 2-4 days.
For brides, or anyone wanting to achieve the perfect tan for a special day, evening, or event. doing two applications over two days can make the tan appear its darkest on days 2-4 of application. It is a huge benefit also for those wanting to stay tan for a week. Our DHA-FREE formula creates a significantly slower fading tan than a DHA TAN, as the coloration peaks later in the tan development cycle. The best time to do an application is in the morning, right after an exfoliating shower. You want to leave the formula on the skin, just like you would a body butter. Drinking a lot of water and moisturizing well will extend the life of your tan and richly hydrated skin will also show off a deeper, more natural tan. You can read about KRIS CARR’S SELF-TANNER REVIEW HERE.
