The Truth About Self-Tanner & Why You Should Make the Switch

by Jesse Golden February 22, 20220 comments

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One of the most common questions I get asked is,"what self-tanner do you use?" My answer is always, I don't use self-tanner. I believe in the sun and my golden secret’s oils. So many people are shocked by my answer. I think it's because so many have become sun-phobic. With such fear of the sun, our very {life force energy}, we are missing out on one of the most powerful hormones in the human body. Vitamin D is paramount for nearly every function of the human body. Vitamin D supplementation cannot replace nature and our need for daily sun exposure. We are a living beings. We were designed to be outside in the sun and need it to survive and thrive. Simply put, if you want to see something die, deprive it of the sun.

The reality is, when you allow your body to get adequate, healthy sun time, your body is efficiently able to produce enough Vitamin D and this naturally gives you a beautiful glow about you. Add The Golden Secrets oils in there and you are a natural golden goddess, no need for any synthetic self-tanners that can disrupt your health. To learn more about receiving the sun in a healthy way, check another blog post I did HERE

Let me explain, many people think that they are doing "the right thing" by avoiding the sun and lathering up in self-tanners but I hate to break it to you, you are likely to cause more damage than if you just got sun safely on a regular basis without the use of self-tanners.

See the active ingredient in most self-tanners, even the natural ones, is an isomer of glyceraldehydes called (DHA) Dihydroxyacetone, which can cause genetic mutations and wreak havoc on human DNA. It is usually synthetically made but can be considered "natural" as it can be derived from sugar beets or cane sugar. But just because it sounds ok, doesn't mean it is. Let's break it down.

DHA creates a chemical reaction in the skin called the Maillard Reaction. This reaction is similar to what you see happen to grilled meat or toasted bread. The top layer of the skin produces this same reaction giving your skin the appearance that it is tan. This is called melanoidin. This reaction often comes with a scent, which is the smell of your skin literally caramelizing, aka burning flesh. Many companies try to cover this scent up with more harmful ingredients, such as fragrances- which in itself comes with a whole slough of health issues but irregardless, whether there is a scent or not, if there is DHA in it then the damage to your skin is happening.

Now let's get into what this actually does to the skin:

It deteriorates and degrades the collagen and elastin matrix causing accelerated aging.
It increases sun damage by 180%! DHA is highly unstable so if you use self-tanner while exposed to UV light, the damage increases up to 180% versus not wearing self-tanner.
Increases oxidative stress, inflammation and free radical production.
Damages the delicate balance of the protective skin barrier.
Melanoidins inhibit the production of Vitamin D.
Creates overall hormone disruption.

The bottom line, self-tanners, even the natural ones are not harmless to your skin, your health or your hormones. I always say nature first. I truly believe that when we align with nature, we naturally glow. There are no shortcuts to beauty without a price to pay later on.

So what should you do instead?

Try this:

Start practicing dry brushing every morning with a drop or two of Goddess Shaping Body Oil. This helps flush and detoxify the skin by improving circulation and lymphatic drainage to give your skin a natural, smooth glow. Start from the limbs and stroke towards the heart.

Exfoliate the skin a minimum of 2x per week in the shower. I like to use this towel and soap.

Get daily sun exposure, without the use of sunscreen so that your body can assimilate the production of Vitamin D. I like to use my Heal All Oil daily before, during and after sun exposure. It helps protect the skin’s moisture barrier and protect against 85% of the DNA damage inflicted by the sun without inhibiting the production of Vitamin D.

Practice body gua sha with our Sculpting Stone, designed to increase blood flow and oxygen and reinforce the skin's texture and elasticity for firm, toned muscles and glowing skin.

Lastly, and definitely not least, perhaps the most important and the best replacement for self-tanners is our Aphrodisiac Glow Body Oil- a natural, bronzing oil that deeply hydrates the skin while giving it an instant tint of color. Formulated with two of the most stable, vegan oils that safeguard your skin from damage and naturally occurring minerals from the earth (muscovite and silicate) that give all skin tones a beautiful glow. Naturally healing and cell regenerating.

BEFORE & AFTER with our Aphrodisiac Glow Body Oil