Do Self Tanners Protect You From the Sun

Episode #2 / May 12, 2009

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Hello, I’m Dr. Neal Schultz and welcome to DermTV.

Self tanners are becoming more popular, so more and more people are asking, does a self tanner give me the same small protection from the sun that a natural tan does, and the answer is, it doesn’t. One of the reasons self tanners are becoming more popular, is they’re easier to use, they’re working better, and the colors are more natural. But, again, the color you get from a self tanner doesn’t give you any protection from the sun, so please make sure you’re using a sunscreen every day with an SPF between 15 and 30, and that will prevent sun damage.

We've all probably come to the conclusion that after we've developed a "base tan" we feel less sunburnt from any future sun exposure. That makes some sense because tanned skin does filter some damaging ultraviolet sunlight. But does an artificial tan provide any protection? Dr. Schultz will answer this often overlooked question.

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