We all want to have that nice sun kissed glow but at what cost?

Sun Tanning has been scientifically linked to premature aging and higher incidence rate for skin cancers.

So what do we do? Hide in recluse like the vampire in popular movies?

New trends have risen with a healthier alternative to tanning beds and laying out by the pool to achieve that bronze look.

There has been talk about a tanning pill “French Bronze” that has been banned by the FDA and US Court Appeals department. This pill has unapproved ingredients (canthaxanthin) that can cause adverse effects like retinopathy (disposition of crystals in eyes causing lack of visual acuity).

For a longer lasting “bronze” we often recommend patients try alternative methods like sun less tanning agents.

The most common and easily accessible alternative has been Bronzer in powder form. With powder bronzer we can apply as little or as much bronze as we like without being stuck with any shade or tone we do not like. Some powder bronzers will even include a bit of sun defense with SPF ranging from 5 to 20. Physicians Formula carries a powder bronzer with an SPF of 20. Physician Formula’s Solar Powder Bronzer SPF 20 is one of our favorites because it comes in two different tones to help match more skin types.

Tanning lotions are also easy to use and easy to attain. Most tanning lotions do not require any sun exposure to achieve a darker skin tone but can sometimes leave us with an orange look rather than the sun kissed bronze we all want. Our favorite self-tanner is the Jane Iredale Tantasia. It’s simple to use and develops its color by day 3. The effects will be gradual and you will not look orange. Their view on self-tanning is “Tint Today Tan Tomorrow”.

Unlike tanning lotions/tints, spray tanning offers immediate results with as little as one application. Spray tanning is usually done by a trained professional in a salon. Spray tans can last about one to two weeks and are often maintained with tanning lotions or gels. Spray tans are FDA approved and will typically only penetrate the outermost layer of the skin. Most salons will not apply spray tans on pregnant or nursing mothers and will often require a doctor’s note to allow treatment in those instances.