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created about 1 year ago | Tagged: |
2martens
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t’s universally acknowledged, if not necessarily heeded, that both tanning by sunlight and by booth can cause skin cancer, and now we’re being warned that something so seemingly innocuous as a spray tan could very well be our next death wish. Is there any safe way to get a tan anymore? Not so, if a new study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania is any indicator. When DHA, the chemical ingredient that serves to darken skin, was approved by the FDA in the seventies, it was only intended to be used as an ingredient in topical tanning creams. The problem arises when, as the chemical is dispersed into the air, it also enters the lungs by way of breathing.
I have concerns," said Dr. Rey Panettieri, a toxicologist and lung specialist at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. "The reason I'm concerned is the deposition of the tanning agents into the lungs could really facilitate or aid systemic absorption — that is, getting into the bloodstream. These compounds in some cells could actually promote the development of cancers or malignancies," he said, "and if that's the case then we need to be wary of them."
"DHA should not be inhaled or ingested" today. It tells consumers on its website, "The use of DHA in 'tanning' booths as an all-over spray has not been approved by the FDA, since safety data to support this use has not been submitted to the agency for review and evaluation." The agency advises consumers who spray tan they are "not protected from the unapproved use of this color additive" if they are inhaling the mist or allowing it to get inside their body. The agency recommends, "Consumers should request measures to protect their eyes and mucous membranes and prevent inhalation."
