What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientCocoglycerides
Emollient
Dihydroxyacetone
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Polyacrylamide
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Erythrulose
TanningParfum
Masking
Propylparaben
Preservative
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingCetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingButylparaben
Masking
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Triethanolamine
BufferingWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Isopropyl Palmitate, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Cocoglycerides, Dihydroxyacetone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyacrylamide, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Erythrulose, Parfum, Propylparaben, Laureth-7, Cetyl Phosphate, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Triethanolamine
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dihydroxyacetone, or DHA, is the active ingredient in self-tanners.
It's a simply sugar that reacts with the free amino acids in your outermost layer of skin to produce brown-colored compounds called melanoidins.
DHA does not penetrate living skin cells, does not interact with melanocytes, and does not affect actualy melanin production.
There's a "safety controversy" that largely stems from misinterpreted studies:
Once concern is that DHA can generate unstable molecules that can damage cells (free radicals) when exposed to sunlight. This only happens in the outermost layer of dead skin cells and wearing SPF on top takes care of it.
The DNA damage claim comes from lab studies that doused living skin cells in much higher concentrations of DHA than you'd ever find in a self-tanner. That's not really a meaningful comparison to putting self-tanning lotion on your skin.
Regulatory bodies around the world, including the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) and the U.S. FDA consider it safe for use in cosmetics when applied topically (maximum 10%, and most self-tanners contain between 3-5%).
Learn more about DihydroxyacetonePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
