Does the dihydroxyacetone really work for self-tanning

A quick and easy way to get a healthy wheat-skin tone is to apply a tanning product. When selecting a tanning product, people tend to choose different products based on the degree of color they want to achieve. In fact, the main efficacy substance of most products is dihydroxyacetone(DHA). The dosage of dihydroxyacetone(DHA) added determines the final degree of coloration of the product on the skin.

So what's the mechanism of dihydroxyacetone discoloration on the skin?

Dihydroxyacetone and proteins in the skin undergo a Malanin reaction, turning the cuticle proteins brown.The specific reaction principle is as follows:

Dihydroxyacetone(DHA) does not damage the skin, and is considered a safe skin coloring agent. The color is not removed by simple washing, swimming, or natural perspiration, but it only lasts for 5 to 7 days, as skin cells are continuously being shed. Exfoliation, tape stripping, prolonged water submersion, or heavy sweating can lighten the tan, as these all contribute to rapid dead skin cell pealing.

Today, dihydroxyacetone(DHA) is the main active ingredient in virtually all sunless tanning skincare preparations.

The above pictures were taken from some subjects in a clinical experiment of DropBio. The coloring was recorded after 3 consecutive times (once a day) of using Instant Tanning Mousse with 10% DropBio@ DHA, and the subsequent fading was continuously recorded.

So Dihydroxyacetone(DHA) is a very effective ingredient for self-tanning.