Q: Are sunless tanning lotions safe? How...

Q: Are sunless tanning lotions safe? How do they work?

A: Yes, they are safe, according to the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter. Their main ingredient is dihydroxyacetone, which is colorless itself, but reacts with amino acids in the top layer of skin to form a light brown stain. But the Food and Drug Administration cautions that few of these preparations contain sun block, and the brown color itself provides no protection from sunlight.