Achieving a sun-kissed glow without the harmful effects of UV rays is the promise of self-tanning products like Cocoa Brown. Understanding the ingredients behind these formulations allows consumers to make informed choices. This article explores the key components found in Cocoa Brown tanning products, shedding light on their functions and potential effects.
The Foundation: Water (Aqua)
The most abundant ingredient in many cosmetic formulations, including Cocoa Brown tanning products, is water, listed as "Aqua" on the ingredient list. However, it's not just any water. The water used in cosmetics is purified and deionized to remove mineral ions and contaminants, ensuring product stability and preventing unwanted reactions. Water acts as a solvent, dissolving and carrying other ingredients within the formula.
The Tanning Agent: Dihydroxyacetone (DHA)
The magic behind self-tanning lies in an ingredient called Dihydroxyacetone, or DHA. While the mousse itself may have a color guide for application, DHA is the active tanning ingredient and is colorless. DHA interacts with amino acids in the skin's surface layer to produce a browning effect, mimicking a natural tan. The intensity of the tan depends on the concentration of DHA in the product and the duration it's left on the skin.
Humectants: Hydration Heroes
Several ingredients in Cocoa Brown contribute to skin hydration. Humectants attract and retain moisture, preventing the skin from drying out during and after the tanning process.
Glycerin
A 100% natural and plant-derived moisturizer that mimics the natural carbohydrate fraction found in the upper layer of the skin.
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Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5)
Panthenol, also known as pro-vitamin B5, is a multi-tasking ingredient with moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, and skin-protecting properties. As a humectant, it attracts water to the skin and helps retain it, combating dryness. Studies suggest that panthenol can reduce irritation caused by other ingredients. It also benefits nail and hair care products, providing hydration.
Propylene Glycol
Propylene Glycol improves the freeze-thaw stability of products.
Emollients and Texture Enhancers
These ingredients contribute to the smooth application and feel of the tanning product.
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
A mildly viscous, amber-colored liquid with a fatty odor, made from Castor Oil and polyethylene glycol (PEG).
Preservatives: Maintaining Product Integrity
Preservatives are essential to prevent microbial growth and extend the shelf life of cosmetic products.
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Phenoxyethanol
It’s pretty much the current IT-preservative. It’s safe and gentle, but even more importantly, it’s not a feared-by-everyone-mostly-without-scientific-reason paraben. It’s not something new: it was introduced around 1950 and today it can be used up to 1% worldwide. It can be found in nature - in green tea - but the version used in cosmetics is synthetic. Other than having a good safety profile and being quite gentle to the skin it has some other advantages too. It can be used in many types of formulations as it has great thermal stability (can be heated up to 85°C) and works on a wide range of pH levels (ph 3-10). It’s often used together with ethylhexylglycerin as it nicely improves the preservative activity of phenoxyethanol. It's one of those things that help your cosmetics not to go wrong too soon, aka a preservative. No matter the origin, in small amounts (up to 1%) it’s a nice, gentle preservative. Has to be combined with some other nice preservatives, like potassium sorbate to be broad spectrum enough.
Ethylhexylglycerin
A little helper ingredient that can boost the performance and enhance the delivery of active ingredients in a formula. If you have spotted ethylhexylglycerin on the ingredient list, most probably you will see there also the current IT-preservative, phenoxyethanol.
pH Adjusters: Balancing Acidity
Maintaining the correct pH is crucial for product stability and skin compatibility.
Citric Acid
Citric acid comes from citrus fruits and is an AHA. But according to a comparative study done in 1995, citric acid has less skin improving magic properties than glycolic or lactic acid. A little helper ingredient that is used to adjust the pH of the product. It also helps to keep products stay nice longer by neutralizing the metal ions in the formula (they usually come from water).
Surfactants and Cleansing Agents
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Super common ingredient in all kinds of cleansing products: face and body washes, shampoos and foam baths. Number one reason for its popularity has to do with bubbles. Everyone loves bubbles. And cocamidopropyl betaine is great at stabilizing them. The other reason is that it’s mild and works very well combined with other cleansing agents and surfactants. The art of cleansing is usually to balance between properly cleansing but not over-cleansing and cocamidopropyl betaine is helpful in pulling off this balance right. Oh, and one more nice thing: even though it’s synthetic it’s highly biodegradable.
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Solvents and Penetration Enhancers
Alcohol Denat.
Alcohol with some additives to make it unconsumable. It is a great solvent, penetration enhancer, creates cosmetically elegant, light formulas, great astringent, and antimicrobial.
Pentylene Glycol
A nice odorless liquid used mainly as a superior solubilizer and efficacy booster for cosmetic active ingredients such as skincare bigshot vitamin C, self-tanning active DHA or the anti-acne gold standard, benzoyl peroxide. Other than that it can also be used in hair care products where it gives a longer-lasting and more uniform coloring.
Emulsifiers: Blending Oil and Water
Polysorbate 20
It's a common little helper ingredient that helps water and oil to mix together.
Fragrance: The Scent of a Tan
Cocoa Brown contains natural extracts of the deliciously scented Tahitian Gardinia, which leaves a subtle floral fragrance on the skin. The floral scented tan can be used on both your face & body, as the moisturising ingredients are kind to your skin.
Fragrance (Parfum)
Exactly what it sounds: nice smelling stuff put into cosmetic products so that the end product also smells nice. If you are someone who likes to know what you put on your face then fragrance is not your best friend - there's no way to know what’s really in it. Also, if your skin is sensitive, fragrance is again not your best friend. It’s the number one cause of contact allergy to cosmetics. It’s definitely a smart thing to avoid with sensitive skin (and fragrance of any type - natural is just as allergic as synthetic, if not worse!).
Colorants: Adding Visual Appeal
CI 19140 (Tartrazine)
Ci 19140 or Tartrazine is a super common colorant in skincare, makeup, medicine & food. FDA says it's possible, but rare, to have an allergic-type reaction to a color additive.
CI 42090 (Blue 1)
CI 42090 or Blue 1 is a super common synthetic colorant in beauty & food.
Propellants
Butane
A colorless gas used as a propellant in cosmetic products that come in a spray form.
How to Use Cocoa Brown 1 HOUR TAN
Formulated with hi-tech accelerating ingredients for a fast, beautiful, natural-looking tan that develops in just 1 hour.
Wait 1, 2 or 3 hours depending on how deep you like your tan and then gently rinse mousse off in the shower. After rinsing Cocoa Brown 1 Hour tan off, your tan will continue to develop into a natural Cocoa Brown tan for up to 3 hours & lasts from 5-7 days.
NB: The colour you see in the mousse is a colour guide so that you can see where you are applying the tan. DHA - the active tanning ingredient is colourless. You can leave Cocoa Brown 1 HOUR TAN on overnight but it is not necessary.
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