smart to bake under the Riviera sun. Many fashion designers and stylists send their models to spray
tanning booths or hire estheticians to rub self-tanners on their skin as they make final fittings before a
big show.
But self-tanners aren’t all that safe. Virtually all conventional and green self-tanners are made with
dihydroxyacetone (DHA). Does that sound similar to acetone, that infamous, toxic nail polish
remover? No wonder. They are cousins. When applied to the skin, dihydroxyacetone oxidizes and
injects the top skin layer with a brownish color that sheds off in five to six days.
Sounds pretty safe, doesn’t it? It’s something like a long-wearing blusher for skin. But when I tried
to impart some color into my pregnancy-stricken, milky-pale face with a perfectly natural DHA-based
self-tanner froma well-known green German brand, I did some research aimed for pregnant women.
The British hub for new mums at iVillage.co.uk revealed that dihydroxyacetone is not recommended
for pregnant women because there were no studies that confirmed its safety. Concerned, I dug deeper,
and here’s what I found: dihydroxyacetone generates free radicals during UV exposure. A German
study conducted in October 2007 found that DHA-treated skin was attacked by 180 percent more free
radicals during sun exposure compared to untreated skin (Jung et al. 2007). In plain English, self-
tanners actively promote skin aging. Needless to say, I passed on that self-tanner.
But what’s a pale girl to do? Long live the bronzer. These pretty, shimmery powders yield
immediate results and are easy to apply. When choosing a bronzing cream or a powder, steer clear of
talc-based versions, for talc is not the safest cosmetic ingredient. Some studies link cosmetic use of
talc to ovarian cancer, but the results are inconclusive (Langseth et al. 2008). Earlier, scientists
voiced concerns that some cosmetic talcs may be contaminated with asbestos (Blount 1991). So if
you prefer to err on the side of caution, look for titanium oxide–based bronzers that contain some
mica and iron oxides for coloring. Wou can blend some mineral or cream bronzer with your body oil
or SPF-rated sunscreen lotion and achieve a pretty glow that is healthy, too.
I know it’s hard to ditch the idea that sun in a bottle is the safest way to get a tan. So here’s a truly
safe self-tanner recipe my mom honed as she started spending more and more time away from the sun
and under an umbrella. This recipe takes more time than all the other recipes in this book combined
(three months to soak the walnuts!), but the wait is worth the results. This oil contains iodine from
walnut shells, so it may not be suitable for people with thyroid disorders.
Golden Shimmer Nut Tanner
1 cup green walnut husks or young walnut shells
1 cup organic virgin olive oil
2 tea bags of organic green tea
2 tablespoons coconut butter
120 mg (3 capsules) vitamin E
10 drops beta-carotene
1 teaspoon Bare Escentuals Precious Diamond Face and Body Color
Yield: