Whats all the Hype over Custom Color Matching?

It's the tag line you see over and over again from airbrush tanners...so exactly WHAT IS Custom Color Matching, and more importantly, what is it NOT?... To answer that, lets first discuss the active ingredients in the self tanning spray that is used in airbrush tanning.


There are 2 ingredients found in most airbrush tanning formulas that actually react with the skin to produce a true sunless tan:

#1: dihydroxyacetone (DHA): This is the most common active sunless tanning ingredient. DHA, which is processed from either sugar beet or sugar cane plants, reacts with the amino acids in the outer layer of skin to produce a 'browning' effect. It is found in virtually all sunless tanning products, and has been FDA approved and available since the 1970's. DHA can take up to 10 hours to fully react with the skin to produce a browning effect.

#2: Eurythrolose: This is another self tanning agent that produces, in conjunction with DHA, a natural looking tan. Eurythrolose is especially beneficial to prolonging the sunless tan color results, and produces an even, less-orange toned shade. However, unlike DHA, it may take up to 24 hours to fully develop its final color.


Now, lets talk about BRONZERS. A Bronzer is NOT a self tanner, but simply a cosmetic
ingredient added to the airbrush spray formula to produce an 'instant color' or 'color guide'. A Bronzer is most commonly used for 2 reasons. Number one, it allows the client to leave the studio with an instant tan color, while the DHA reacts with the skin and later develops into the actual sunless tan. Number two, it provides a guide for the airbrush tanning specialist, allowing them to view where they are spraying the tanning solution on your body. A Bronzer is just a plain old color additive (think food coloring!) and DOES NOT affect the final result of your sunless tan. Bronzers are designed to simply wash away as soon as you take your first shower.
So, what's all this hype about color matching and color customization? If you notice tanning salons claiming they can 'customize' the color of your tan by adding reds, yellow, or brown tones to your tanning solutions to match the color specifically for you, well, they can.... BUT... those color 'tones' can only be customized via cosmetic bronzers. They are NOT the actual sunless tanner ingredients which develop on the skin for the life of the sunless tan. In other words, this customized tone will wash away as soon as you get wet, or take your first shower. Once you enter the shower, you'll notice all those cool browns, reds, and yellows in a big swirl of murkey water running down your shower drain... When you get out, you will notice that your tan probably is not quite as dark and "color customized" as it seemed before you showered.



So... How can the final results of a sunless tan be truly "customized" ? There is really only one way to customize the color you'll be left with after your first shower, and this is by altering the amount of DHA and Eurythrolose in the formula to suit each client. So in reality, true color matching comes from having a variety of formulations on hand, which contain various percentages of these two active ingredients. You airbrusher must know which combinations to use on your skin type. If too little is used, you'll barely notice a color change. Too much and, well, we all know what that means... The dreaded look of the Oompa-Loompa!



How is one to know if they are paying an arm and a leg for color additives that don't actually develop into a sunless tan? Ask your airbrush tanner how they customize the color and pay attention to what they say. Is it worth paying more for a 'customized' color that has been specially formulated to match your skin tone? Well, that's personal preference. But for me, I am not keen on watching my dollar bills swirl right down the drain with my custom matched food colorings...


- Stacie Phineas
Owner, Smart Bronze Airbrush Tanning Studio
Southlake, Texas
817-251-1082
www.SmartBronze.com