For many years, tanning has been a fashionable trend in beauty. As more and more research reveals the risks of UV radiation from indoor and outdoor tanning, many people are switching to self-tanners as a safer alternative. Dihydroxyacetone, generally known as DHA, is one of the most widely used self-tanning chemicals and is largely obtained from sugar beets and sugar cane. You can learn more about it through this article.
What is DIHYDROXYACETONE or DHA?
The most widely used method of getting a tan-like appearance without exposure to sunlight at the moment is to use the sunless tanner dihydroxyacetone (DHA), one of the most popular self-tanning chemicals. It poses fewer health dangers than any other approach because it is mostly made from sugar beets and sugar cane. The only ingredient now permitted to tan the skin by the US Food and Drug Administration is DHA, a basic carbohydrate. DHA achieves this by combining with amino acids in the protein keratin of your skin to give a sun-kissed hue, and when used properly, it is a non-toxic technique to temporarily brown your skin.
How does it tan your skin?
Glycerol, from which DHA is derived, causes the Maillard reaction, which darkens the skin. The Maillard reaction is commonly referred to as non-enzymatic browning. The Maillard reaction takes place on the skin when DHA reacts with amino acids in the skin cell proteins. It also stimulates the synthesis of melanoids, or brown pigments, which results in a tanned appearance.
