Is a spray tan safe, and what is DHA?
A spray tan involves no UV exposure at all, which is the single biggest safety difference between it and a sunbed. The colour comes from DHA, a sugar-derived ingredient that reacts with dead cells in the outermost layer of skin. It does not go deeper than that, and the UK safety assessment of DHA in cosmetics found acceptable safety margins for adults, including for spray application.
Fair question and it deserves a proper answer rather than a sales one.
What DHA actually is
DHA stands for dihydroxyacetone. It is a simple sugar-derived compound, and it has been used in tanning products since the 1960s.
What it does is react with amino acids in the dead cells of the stratum corneum, which is the very outermost layer of your skin. That reaction produces brown pigments called melanoidins, and that is your tan. It is the same basic browning chemistry that happens when a cut apple goes brown.
The important bit: it works on dead cells at the surface. It does not penetrate to living tissue, it does not enter your bloodstream in any meaningful way, and it does not change your skin’s own melanin. That is also why a spray tan fades as you naturally shed those surface cells, usually over five to ten days.
No UV. That is the whole point
This is the part that matters most and it gets lost in the detail.
Sunbeds and the sun cause tanning by damaging skin with ultraviolet radiation. That damage is what causes skin cancer and premature ageing. A spray tan involves no UV whatsoever. There is no radiation of any kind involved.
That is why, if you want colour, this is the version that does not carry that risk. We have written more in our comparison of spray tan vs sunbed vs self tan and our piece on the dangers of sunbeds.
What the safety assessment found
DHA in cosmetics has been formally assessed by safety committees in both the UK and the EU.
The UK Scientific Advisory Group on Chemical Safety in Consumer Products concluded that DHA is acceptable for use by adults at the concentrations it reviewed, across leave-on self-tan products and spray booth application. It calculated margins of safety well above the threshold considered acceptable, and it looked specifically at inhalation during spray application, where the margins were also acceptable.
The committee did note it could not draw a conclusion on safe use by children, because there was not enough exposure data. Which is a sensible reason why spray tanning is an adult service.
The sensible precautions we take anyway
Being assessed as safe is not the same as being careless. These are standard and we do them every time.
- Do not breathe it in. We will tell you when to hold your breath and for how long. It is a couple of seconds at a time and it is not difficult
- Nose filters or a cover if you would like one. Just ask, and it is no bother
- Eyes and lips closed during the passes over your face. DHA is not meant for mucous membranes, so we keep it away from them
- Ventilation. We want a window open or the extractor on. It takes seconds and it makes the whole thing more pleasant anyway
- A patch test if you have ever reacted to a tanning product, or if you have sensitive skin. Twenty four hours beforehand and it costs nothing
The two things it does not do
It gives you no sun protection. None. Not one factor of SPF. A spray tan looks like a suntan and behaves nothing like one, and you will burn exactly as you would with pale skin. This catches people out on holiday every single year. Wear proper sun cream.
It does not replace vitamin D. If you are worried about that, and in Scotland plenty of people reasonably are, that is a conversation for your GP about supplements, not a reason to get under a sunbed.
Who should not get one
- Anyone booking for someone under 18 should message us first so we can talk it through with you and their parent or guardian. The UK committee could not draw a conclusion on safe use by children, because there was not enough exposure data either way
- Anyone with broken, cracked or actively flaring skin. More in our piece on sensitive skin, eczema and psoriasis
- Anyone who has had a genuine allergic reaction to DHA before
- Anyone with a respiratory condition that makes any aerosol a problem, without speaking to their doctor first
If you are pregnant, plenty of our clients still get tanned. Skin can be more sensitive so a patch test is sensible, and mention it to your midwife if you would like the reassurance.
Honestly?
After sixteen years and thousands of tans, the genuine risks are a reaction in someone with very sensitive skin, which a patch test catches, and people forgetting there is no SPF in it.
If you are unsure about anything at all, message us and ask before you book. We would far rather have the conversation first.
Frequently asked questions
Is a spray tan safe?
It involves no UV exposure at all, which is the main safety difference from a sunbed. DHA reacts only with dead cells in the outermost layer of skin, and UK safety assessment found acceptable margins for adults including spray application.
What is DHA in spray tan?
Dihydroxyacetone, a sugar-derived compound used in tanning products since the 1960s. It reacts with amino acids in the dead surface cells of skin to produce brown pigments. It does not reach living tissue.
Is DHA absorbed into the body?
It reacts with dead cells in the outermost layer of skin and does not penetrate to living tissue in any meaningful way. That is also why a tan fades as you shed those surface cells.
Is it safe to breathe in spray tan mist?
We ask you to hold your breath during the passes and we will offer a nose cover or filters. The UK assessment looked specifically at inhalation during spray application and found acceptable safety margins, but not breathing it in is still the sensible approach.
Does a spray tan protect you from the sun?
No. It gives you no SPF whatsoever and you will burn exactly as you would with untanned skin. Always wear proper sun cream.
Can under 18s get a spray tan?
Message us first and we will talk it through with you and their parent or guardian. The UK safety committee could not draw a conclusion on safe use by children because there was not enough exposure data either way, though it did find acceptable margins for 14 to 18 year olds under high-exposure scenarios.
Ready to book, or just want to ask something first?
Leave a Reply