1 week ago, I had a photo shoot.
I hadn't sunned for quite some time, so I dropped in for a spray tan at a local tanning salon.
BAD IDEA.
Minutes later, I looked tan, and less bloated….but I couldn't say the same for my head. It felt SUPER bloated…and that night, and the next morning, I woke up with a MASSIVE head fog and lethargy that had me second guessing ever getting spray tanned to begin with. It knocked me down so hard, the smell served as the constant reminder that there was only 1 thing I did different that day, and in my latest quest to avoid as many chemicals as possible, and emphasis in detoxification in my practice helping clients to lose the toxic weight, I sought out for answers. And here's what I found:
“The active chemical used in spray tans, dihydroxyacetone (DHA), has the potential to cause genetic alterations and DNA damage, according to a panel of medical experts who reviewed 10 of the most-current publicly available scientific studies on DHA for ABC News, including a federal report ABC News obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.
Six medical experts in areas ranging across the fields of dermatology, toxicology and pulmonary medicine said they “have concerns” after reviewing the literature and reports about DHA, the main chemical in the popular “spray-on” tan, which has conventionally been referred to as the “safe” alternative to tanning under ultraviolet lights.
The FDA originally approved DHA for “external” use back in 1977, when it was popular in tanning lotions. Those lotions, previously famous for turning skin orange, were never as popular as current products that produce better tans. In recent years, the use of DHA has exploded in the newer “spray” application of the product, which provides a more even tan for consumers.
The FDA told ABC News it never could have envisioned the chemical's use in spray tan back in the 1970s, and says “DHA should not be inhaled or ingested” today. It tells consumers on its website, “The use of DHA in ‘tanning' booths as an all-over spray has not been approved by the FDA, since safety data to support this use has not been submitted to the agency for review and evaluation.” Full Article…
I used to give a sh*t about my image, so I tanned weekly, sometimes up to 3 times per week…ever since travelling around the world last year, I became a minimalist, some refer to me as a hippy now, which I take pride in owning thank you very much. 🙂 I don't own up to it fully with dreds or anything, and still shave my armpits, but let's get real here…chemicals and modern technology are starting to go too far, leeching into our health. The statistic I use to get peoples attention at the beginning of seminars I give at health institutions lately is this:
“Did you know that of the 80,000 PLUS chemicals approved for use by the FDA, only 200 have been tested for safety. Read MY BLOG on this”
AND
“The average female puts on over 300-500 chemicals on her body before she leaves the house in the morning. Don't believe me? WATCH THIS”
As per the full article from ABC News, discussing the safety of spray tanning, even the FDA encourages us to avoid spray tanning, but in EXTREME cases where a Friday night falls upon us and we MUST look sexy for the evening to rile in some ‘strange' AT THE VERY LEAST follow these FDA Guidelines:
“
Use of Protective Undergarments
“ Use of Nose Filters
“ Use of Lip Balm
“ Use of Protective Eyewear.”
This article seriously blew me away…Salon employees mistakenly referred to the wrong DHA found in salmon as SAFE for consumption according to the FDA. Wrong acronym. Perhaps even some of them assumed “heeeey, DHA must be what gives salmon their color, and what also turns our clients orange after they're done being spray painted by this toxic crap”. In the end, we both come out orange, but I doubt salmon heads were pounding as much as mine were the other morning.
>But I want to look tan for an event, ISN'T THERE A HEALTHIER VERSION?….YES!!! Read on:
Yes, many salons get what DHA is confused. Spray tan solutions contain the main ingredient (DHA) that tans our skin. DHA can be made with chemicals or it can be 100% Organic.
DHA (Dihydroxyacetone) is a plant or sugar derived ingredient that has been used as a skin safe tanning agent for over 50 years in professional and consumer sunless tanning products. The most common natural sources are Sugar Cane. My friend Taryn, uses Ecocert Certified Organic DHA in her Airbrush Tanning Solution and skincare product line. And ya know what? I've NEVER had a headache or felt dead after she spray tanned me for a shoot!
WHAT IS ECOCERT?
ECOCERT is an internationally recognized organic certification that guarantees the genuine practice of environmental respect throughout the formulation and manufacturing of the product.
DOES ECOCERT CONSIDER TO BE ORGANIC?
ECOCERT is considered to be the most important organization in Europe in setting the criteria in natural and organic cosmetics – their requirements for an organic product are as follows:
• A minimum of 10% of the ingredients must be certified organic;
• At least 95% of the ingredients must be of vegetable/plant origin
And in the end…WHY DO YOU CARE TO LOOK TAN? Who gets to define YOUR beauty?
I used to freak out when my skin was any less than a Level 4 tan, mistakenly viewing my reflection as ghostly or heaven forbid, I feared others being able to identify the inconsistencies in my skin – damn these crows feet, friggen Roseacia, stupid Cellulite. Hey guys, guess what? OWN IT! Love your bodies no matter WHAT, true health is addicting, and guess what? The more you take care of yourself from the inside out, and topically apply chemical free oils and fruits on your body, the better it will LOOK back at you in the mirror. I used to spend hundreds of $ on creams, masks, eye firmers, lip plumpers, make up preservers, blah blah YUK and now I:
Do a cleanse with the change of seasons, drink Aloe, take Digestive Enzymes & probiotics to promote healthy gut flora, which has SO MUCH to do with skin health (CLICK HERE to read more on the one I use and sell – ALL my clients report a GLOW after detoxing), apply coconut oil for my face cream (and a tooth whitener too – check THIS out!), as well as Castor Oil with some drops of Lavender, Licorice, Feverfew Oil or Green Tea to reduce inflammation of the skin surface (instead of the Rx I was prescribed for my small bit of rosacea). I also use Aloe for a natural anti inflammatory and cooling as well as chemical free SPF's for prolonged sun exposure (anything beyond 30 min b/t 10am and 2pm when UV-B “b for bad” rays are highest). And ya know what else? Every morning I drink hot water with juice from 1/2 squeezed lemon and use the remainder as a ‘facelift' applicant with a few drops of honey on top. Squeeze it on your face, leave it on for 15 min and WALA – Mother Nature's best face lift AND the cheapest! 🙂 Holy sh*t, I'm waaaaay off topic here as usual, so bringing it back…instead of spray tanning your imperfections, why not take care of them from the inside out. And ya know what else? Sun is HEALTHY for us! We NEED it for Vit D absorption, which is more of a hormone than a vitamin, since it triggers the production of serotonin in the brain, which is the HAPPY neurotransmitter. That's why we love to find our happiness in the sun! Plus not only that, today Vitamin D is the most deficient vitamin of them all, which causes a reduction in calcium (hello osteoporosis), immunity (we're sick pretty frequently) and healthy gene expression. During the winter OR even in the summer if you don't see the sun all day, there are safer tanning beds today you can use to get your Vitamin D OR do like I do and take a D Supplement…THIS is the one I use. As you read before, the spray tan crap chemical DHA, cause genetic alterations and DNA damage. All this talk about looking tan…
When did tanned skin come to be considered attractive?
Blame it on Coco Chanel during the Great Depression, when “many Europeans and Americans considered pale skin a mark of wealth and leisure until the early 20th century. Around that time, doctors began to prescribe sunbathing for a variety of ailments, most notably tuberculosis, which was the second-leading cause of death in the United States in 1900. Wealthy sufferers loaded up their trunks and headed for sanatoriums, where they did little other than lie out on chaise lounges. As the sun gained currency as a medication, monied Europeans flocked to resorts on the French Riviera. If there was a single person responsible for popularizing the tan, it was Coco Chanel, who bronzed herself on a yacht in the Mediterranean and declared in 1929, “A girl simply has to be tanned.” It didn’t take long for celebrity males to pick up the trend. Hollywood icon Cary Grant actively worked on his tan. Studies have shown that modern white Americans, Australians, and Europeans believe tan skin is a sign of health…if you'd like to READ MORE on this, CLICK HERE“.
Anyway, my point is, tanning is dumb, getting some sun in for good health ISN'T. Just like the doc's from the 80's who scared us into thinking that eating fat was what made us fat, the SUN isn't giving us cancer…while excess amounts can harm us, it's the chemicals we're putting on our body to protect us from it or to make us look as though we laid out for weeks in the Caribbean to appear kissed by it, that are making us sick and harming us. Who remembers this chick? Everyone knows a REAL LIFE Magda. Don't do what she does! HA!
CLIFF NOTES VERSION:
*Don't spray tan, and if you must, enlist the assistance of someone like my friend Taryn of Paradise Spray Tanning if you life in SoCal, who uses Organic solution
*Use chemical free SPF if in sun for more than 30 min
*Love yourself as beautiful no matter what your skin color
*Don't put anything on your skin that you wouldn't put in your mouth
*Eat beautiful and alive food to have beautiful and alive skin!
The END.
Ride on Wellness Warriors!
Di
The Mystic Booth…..the booth has so much overspray that when done spray tanning a client, the client walks out gasping for air due to the fumes/overspray. Definitely not good for breathing which is why there was an article and on the news about spray tanning. The medical researchers did their research on mice NOT humans so not enough information was represented to conclude their theory. But going into a Mystic Booth, I am sure that this theory can maybe be proven because of all the inhaling of the overspray in the booth. Do that a lot and I'm sure it's like smoking a cigarette (lung cancer).
Because of the news and articles the FDA require salons and anyone doing airbrush spray tanning or using the booths to (recommends but not require) the use of nose plugs.
With Paradise Airbrush Tanning, my machine has little to no overspray therefore there are no fumes to inhale and when tanning a client, I make sure the area is well ventilated. You won't get that using the Mystic Booth, you will walk out gasping for air due to all the fumes in the air.
