How do the tan accelerators work?
Two cosmetic chemists examined the products’ ingredients and marketing claims,explaining that three of the companies used an amino acid called tyrosine,or chemically modified versions of it called acetyl tyrosine and oleoyl tyrosine.
Terri Jones,an experienced cosmetic chemist and founder of Australian skincare company Synergie Skin,explained that the amino acid could help accelerate melanin production,the substance in the human body that causes skin pigmentation. She said the premise appeared to be that by giving the body the extra raw material it needed,it could make more melanin in the sun.
However,while The Fox Tan and Carroten Australia use a chemically modified version of tyrosine,which may be better absorbed by the body,the version listed in the ingredients of the Brunae Body tanning oil doesn’t appear to be modified.
Because of this,Dr Michelle Wong,a cosmetic chemist and science educator,believes it’s unlikely that the tyrosine in the Brunae Body product would work as well to increase melanin production. Instead,she said it probably worked like an “old-school tanning oil”.
Its top ingredients are almond oil,grape seed oil,olive oil,cotton seed oil,sunflower seed oil,jojoba seed oil,mango seed butter and coconut oil.
“I think the way that it mostly works is actually just by increasing UV’s[penetration] into[the] skin … If you’re in the sun for two hours,then you get more UV into your skin,which does accelerate the tan I guess,but it’s also increasing skin damage by a lot.”
Jones said when she looked at the limited data available on the performance of these types of products,it showed that while some people responded strongly to the tyrosine to produce melanin,others did not.
She is worried this could encourage young people to spend even longer in the sun chasing the type of tan they’ve seen on social media or that their friends managed to achieve using the same product.
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“In none of these products do they[explain the exact] dose required to promote the tan,and that’s critical … people are going to be lulled into a false sense of security,and they’re going to say,‘OK,well,there is no recommended dose,I’m going to just do it for as long as I can until something happens’.
“That is just so dangerous in my opinion.”
A number of reviews for the Brunae Body accelerating oil reported that they had suffered sunburn despite using the oil with sunscreen. Another reviewer wrote that they had “sat in the sun for so long” during a holiday in Perth and got no darker.
In a blog post on Carroten Australia’s website,the company claims the orange pigment contained in carrots,called beta-carotene,is the “hero ingredient” of its tanning gel as it can “boost melanin production which ultimately gives our skin that instant and natural tanning result”.
However,this was debunked by Wong,who said there was no evidence that beta-carotene boosts melanin production.
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We asked Carroten Australia about this claim. The company did not directly respond but instead sent a statement saying the brand,which also sells a range of sunscreens,was “committed to promoting healthy practices when it comes to sun safety” and encouraged “consumers to always apply the highest level of sun protection as part of any use of a tanning product”.
A fourth tanning accelerator product,Melanoboost,contained different chemically synthesised ingredients designed to induce melanin production,Jones said. She was concerned by claims from the company that its “unique combination of peptide actives” could “strengthen the skin’s natural photoprotection” in the lead-up to UV exposure.
“[This] really bothers me because it’s almost saying that it’s going to act as a sunscreen and there is no TGA[Therapeutic Goods Administration] approval with this product whatsoever.”
The TGA has vowed to review the products following inquiries from this masthead “to determine if any are presented as therapeutic goods and take appropriate regulatory action if required”.
Multiple requests for comment from Brunae Body and Melanoboost went unanswered this week. A representative for The Fox Tan said that the company’s “owners are currently out of office” on leave or travelling for business.
Wong said while it was possible that some of the tanning accelerators had ingredients that could give users a darker tan with lower rates of UV exposure,the products were untested compared to simply protecting the skin from the sun,or compared to fake tans.
She pointed out that a type of tanning accelerator used in the 1980s before being banned contained psoralen,since shown to be carcinogenic.
“These new accelerators seem to work differently and should present a lower risk,but because they’re cosmetics,there’s no extensive checking of safety data by regulators before sale. The old accelerator was banned in a lot of places after the safety risk became clear,but not before melanoma cases started developing,” she said.
“Spending time in the sun,without sun protection,is going to increase your risk of UV damage,which leads to skin cancer and accelerated skin ageing … I think you are risking long-term damage for potential short-term gains.”
‘Biggest wake-up call’
Sydney sales professional Kate Thomas has already experienced the dark side of tanning oil use,having developed melanoma in her 20s after years of chasing bronzed skin.
Thomas,now 31,said despite her parents’ pleas that she practise sun safety,as a teenager she would go out most weekends to the northern beaches with her friends,using Reef tanning oil to accelerate her tanning.
She said the tanning oil was considered a beach accessory that she was keen to be seen or photographed with.
“The bottle was really aesthetically pleasing,” she said. “I distinctly remember the coconut smell.”
In 2020,Thomas got the “biggest wake-up call” when she had a stage-one melanoma removed from her right leg,which she suspects is linked to her repeated sunburns and use of tanning oils,given she had no family history of the cancer.
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Thomas believes the latest generation of tanning oils – with their social media images of thin and beautiful models – will appeal to teenagers,but she urged young people not to be seduced by these idealised depictions of tanning.
“It’s just so not worth it.”
The company behind Reef tanning oils recently decided to remove any reference to a “suntan” on its “hydrating oil” products that do not contain SPF sunscreen,a spokesperson said. The change will be implemented this year.
“For products which do not contain SPF,a caution is displayed prominently on the front of pack that the product contains no protection against UV rays,and the directions for use clearly advise that the product should be used in conjunction with a high protection sunscreen,” the spokesperson said.
Lee said that using sunscreen with a tanning oil would likely reduce the tanning effect,but also could give people a “very false sense of security” because sunscreen is only one aspect of sun protection – and also because not all sunscreens provide protection against UVA as well as UVB rays.
“It’s the UVA that penetrates deeper and also causes sun damage.”
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