Is Your Spray Tanning Business Aviva Approved?

This is incorrect. You have a right to know what specific ingredients are in each of the products you use, so that you can alert your clients to any potential allergic reactions, or to avoid ingredients you do not agree with. The FDA requires manufacturers to list all of the ingredients in a product on its label, along with the amount of each (starting with greatest first). If the ingredients are part of a proprietary blend: the specific amount of each individual ingredient in the blend does not have to be listed, but the ingredients themselves still have to be!

So, if your spray tan solution company is hiding their ingredients behind terms like “Tanning complex”, or “Bronzer Enhancing Formula”, and saying that they can’t tell you what’s in those formulas, just cite this article, and then ask yourself: what is it that is in that “Tanning complex” or that “Bronzer enhancing formula” that they don’t want you to know about?

Our own in-house studies have shown that Erythrulose produces a redder result, and often the fading tan is blotchy and more uneven than a DHA-only tan. In multiple studies, Erythrulose was found to fade more quickly than DHA. More importantly though, Erythrulose is not currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a self-tanning agent.

For our clients’ safety, we dug a little deeper into Erythrulose, and found these surprising results: According to the MSDS sheet for Erythrulose from one supplier (M.C.Biotec Inc.), Erythrulose has the following potential health hazards:

• Causes skin irritation.
• May be harmful if inhaled.
• Causes respiratory tract irritation.
• May be harmful if swallowed.
• May be harmful if absorbed through skin.
• May cause eye irritation.

Here are excerpts from that MSDS sheet, and the sheet itself is also attached in the “resources” section of this article. And before you ask: yes, Erythrulose can be sourced from other suppliers, but the chemical composition remains the same and therefore so do the risks!

Personal precautions, protective equipment and emergency procedures: Avoid breathing vapors, mist or gas.

Personal protective equipment: Use equipment for eye protection tested and approved under appropriate government standards such as NIOSH (US) or EN 166(EU).
Skin protection: Handle with gloves. Gloves must be inspected prior to use. Use proper glove removal technique (without touching glove’s outer surface) to avoid skin contact with this product. Dispose of contaminated gloves after use in accordance with applicable laws and good laboratory practices. Wash and dry hands. The selected protective gloves have to satisfy the specifications of EU Directive 89/686/EEC and the standard EN 374 derived from it.
Body Protection: impervious clothing, The type of protective equipment must be selected according to the concentration and amount of the dangerous substance at the specific workplace.

Now, those risks might not seem too drastic, but compare that to the First Aid requirements for treating someone with exposure to DHA:

After Inhalation: Fresh Air

I know what you must be thinking right now: “No! This can’t be a misconception!” Let us explain, or better yet, we will let the ICCR Working Group on Cosmetic Product Preservation explain through their FAQs:

Question: What types of cosmetic products need to contain preservatives?

Answer: Cosmetic products with high water content, such as creams and lotions, mascara or liquid eye liner need to contain preservatives to keep them in good condition and safe to use.

Question: How are products labelled as “natural” or “organic” are preserved?

Answer: Regardless of specific marketing claims or designations, or how a product is labelled, all cosmetic products need to be adequately preserved and tested. This is particularly important for products containing water (or ‘aqua’) included on the product label, as microorganisms thrive under moist conditions.

“Natural” or “organic” cosmetic products are no different and must undergo the same level of testing to ensure that they are adequately preserved and safe for the consumer as any other cosmetic product.

Question: What would it mean if cosmetic products did not contain preservative ingredients?

Answer: Without preservative ingredients, a cosmetic product would pose a risk to the consumer, have a very limited shelf life and would easily spoil. Products with high water content may need to be replaced in a week, or less. Similar to perishable foods, refrigeration might extend the shelf life of unpreserved cosmetics. Even then, product quality could not be guaranteed in many products

We’ve uncovered some pretty astounding misconceptions today, and there are still more out there to be revealed. We know that was a lot to take in, and I’m sure there are some of you who are still in a daze–I know I was the first time I learned all of this! If anyone has any questions about what they’ve read or needs clarification on any of the topics, please feel free to reach out to us at info@avivalabs.com. We are always here to help!