
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 5, 1990                   TAG: 9006050211
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By TRACIE FELLERS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

TAN FROM A BOTTLE IS SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO SUN

So you've decided to heed the admonitions of modern medicine and give up soaking in the sun's rays this summer. But you'd still like to achieve the look of a tan - while bypassing the harmful effects of overexposure to the sun.

Products designed to give you that golden glow are only as far away as the nearby drug store or shopping mall. Cosmetics manufacturers are producing a dazzling array of bronzing gels, powders and self-tanning lotions - all of which promise natural-looking color without the risk of sunburn and skin damage.

This spring, Chanel introduced Bronzage Automatique, a self-tanning lotion with an sun protection factor of 8. At a suggested retail price of $22.50, a 4-ounce tube of Bronzage Automatique promises a natural-looking tan in as little as four hours, with or without sun exposure.

Chanel also has Bronzage Progressif, designed to produce a more gradual tan. A 7-ounce tube of the product, also SPF 8, has a suggested retail price of $21.50.

Max Factor has introduced California Bronze - a hypo-allergenic, fragrance-free gel designed to give skin a suntanned look without irritation, streaking or rubbing off. A 1.75-ounce bottle has a suggested retail price of $5.95.

Estee Lauder, Giorgio Beverly Hills and Lancome are among the other cosmetics manufacturers that offer products to give the look of a tan without the sun.

Roanoke dermatologist Dr. James E. Comer said he doesn't have a problem with such products. "They're not dangerous in themselves," he said.

But those who use bronzing gels, self-tanning lotions and the like must realize that they aren't effective sunscreens, he added. Many contain sunscreens with SPFs much lower than 15, and some don't contain sunscreens at all.

Comer also warned against using exfoliating agents before applying a self-tanning product. Exfoliators are products, such as creams containing small grains, designed to remove flakes of skin. Cosmetics manufacturers may recommend exfoliation to provide a smoother surface for self-tanning, but Comer said exfoliating agents may remove more than rough skin: "I think that takes off your normal protective cells and some of the pigment, probably."

Tanning booths, popular in recent years among those who seek faster, safer tans, also can be harmful, Comer said. In tanning booths, most ultraviolet B rays, the burning rays, are screened out. But UVA rays, which cause wrinkling and premature aging, are not.

"I think the part that people don't realize is that you're going to get wrinkling and skin damage from longtime use," Comer said.

Comer also advises against the use of tanning pills. But people aren't as likely to misuse the pills because they are available only by prescription. "They're used primarily by people with diseases like vitiligo," in which a loss of pigment results in white patches of skin.

"You might be able to get a few in Mexico, but not in the United States," he said. And Comer doesn't recommend them: "That's not the way to get a tan."

by CNB