There are several different kinds of sunless-tanning products available today. People have been using application type tan lotions since 1960, when Coppertone came out with the first sunless-tanning product or Quick Tanning Lotion. In the old days you got an incredibly orange hue from this lotion. Since then, there have been several advancements made on the sunless-tanning front.

There are basically two type of sunless tanning, those on the outside and those from the inside.

OUTSIDE - BRONZERS and TANNING LOTIONS/SPRAYS:

Bronzers are cosmetic and stay on until they wash off Tanning lotions contain DHA - dihydroxyzcetone. It's a colorless lotion that has a way of changing the outer layer of cells to a darker pigment, it lasts about 5-7 days.

INSIDE - TANNING PILLS/TANNING ACCELERATORS:

Tanning Pills contain canthaxanthin. This is the same ingredient used in food coloring. When you consume it, it is eventually deposited in the skin cells turning them an orangish-brown coloration. There are some dangerous side-effects to this method too; it's been linked to hepatitis, etc. Tanning Accelerators contain tyrosine, an amino acid. It increases the formation of melanin, the compound that causes color in skin.

These days, you can find tanning pills, sunless or self-tanners and bronzers. You can smooth, swipe or spray on a light bronze glow or a deep, dark tan. Many of these products take 45 minutes to one hour to start taking effect, and once you factor in drying time, you could be looking at about three hours spent achieving that sun-free tan.

Another relatively new sunless tanning technique is called airbrush tanning; it's safer than exposure to the damaging rays of the sun or traditional tanning beds.

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