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For Frequent Travelers You’ll get six wrapped tanning towelettes in this set, perfect for taking on the road with you.

For Frequent Travelers You’ll get six wrapped tanning towelettes in this set, perfect for taking on the road with you.

Subtle Results For those concerned about having a self-tanner look, these wipes provide a gradual tan, working with your natural skin tones.

Subtle Results For those concerned about having a self-tanner look, these wipes provide a gradual tan, working with your natural skin tones.

Easy to Use These towels glide smoothly across your skin for an easy-to-apply self-tanning solution.

Easy to Use These towels glide smoothly across your skin for an easy-to-apply self-tanning solution.

Great for Everyday Wear Each use of these self-tanning towels brings out a little more color to give you the shade you prefer.

Great for Everyday Wear Each use of these self-tanning towels brings out a little more color to give you the shade you prefer.

Sunless tanning has become a popular alternative to tanning beds and baking in the sun for hours. Consumers are looking for alternative ways to get that sought-after glow at home, including via the use of self-tanning towels.

But sunless tanning isn’t without its risks. Self-tanners typically use a product called dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which reacts to the amino acids on the surface of the skin to darken. But while the FDA sees DHA as safe for use on the skin, there are concerns about exposure to the eyes, mouth and nasal cavities. For that reason, DHA in spray tanning booths can be of concern, considering it’s harder to control those exposures.

Fortunately, there are plenty of other ways to get that look you want without using a spray tanning booth or airbrush gun. Self-tanning products for use at home have been available for years. They come in lotions, sprays, mists, sticks, mousses and wipes. Each has its benefits, and the option you choose may simply be a matter of personal preference.

Wipes, also known as self-tanning towels, work similar to baby wipes or the wipes you use to clean and disinfect your hands. The product is on the cloth, and you simply pull it out of the packaging and rub it over your skin. To prevent streaking, it’s best to apply in circular motions.

One downside of self-tanning towels is that you’re limited in the amount. Each cloth will only hold so much product, so it might take more than one cloth to do everything. They might work best for those who only look to tan the areas of the body not covered by clothes.

Often, sunless tanning cloths are formulated using a product that is available in other formats. If you find a tanner you like in lotion or spray form, self-tanning towels could be a way to take your favorite product on vacation, particularly if you choose one that comes in individually wrapped packaging.

In this set, you’ll get six individually wrapped cloths, each loaded with tanner designed to give you a medium tan. In addition to self-tanning ingredients, you’ll get Vitamin E to help keep your skin smooth and soft. The formula dries quickly and provides a tan within two to four hours of application.

You’ll get six individually wrapped tanning cloths in this set, ideal for taking on the go. This sunless tanner is formulated to provide a light tan that builds up over time, allowing you to apply daily until you get the look you want. The formula includes Vitamin E to keep your skin soft and a fruity fragrance that lets you leave the house soon after applying without worrying about that sunless tanner smell.

You’ll get six individually-wrapped towelettes in this set, each with a formula that goes on clear. The formula uses natural sugars as a tanning agent for an alternative to chemical-based tanners. Coconut water and tropical passionfruit provide a pleasant scent in the hours after you apply.

You’ll get 10 towels in this set, each individually wrapped. Color will develop within two to four hours and will be subtle. You can continue to apply the tanner every day until you get the shade you want.

You’ll get quick, dramatic results with this self-tanner, which develops within just three hours. There are eight towelettes individually packaged to let you tan on the go. The scent is mild so you can use it even when you’re leaving the house for the day.

Sunless tanning has become a popular alternative to tanning beds and baking in the sun for hours. Consumers are looking for alternative ways to get that sought-after glow at home, including via the use of self-tanning towels.

But sunless tanning isn’t without its risks. Self-tanners typically use a product called dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which reacts to the amino acids on the surface of the skin to darken. But while the FDA sees DHA as safe for use on the skin, there are concerns about exposure to the eyes, mouth and nasal cavities. For that reason, DHA in spray tanning booths can be of concern, considering it’s harder to control those exposures.

Fortunately, there are plenty of other ways to get that look you want without using a spray tanning booth or airbrush gun. Self-tanning products for use at home have been available for years. They come in lotions, sprays, mists, sticks, mousses and wipes. Each has its benefits, and the option you choose may simply be a matter of personal preference.

Wipes, also known as self-tanning towels, work similar to baby wipes or the wipes you use to clean and disinfect your hands. The product is on the cloth, and you simply pull it out of the packaging and rub it over your skin. To prevent streaking, it’s best to apply in circular motions.

One downside of self-tanning towels is that you’re limited in the amount. Each cloth will only hold so much product, so it might take more than one cloth to do everything. They might work best for those who only look to tan the areas of the body not covered by clothes.

Often, sunless tanning cloths are formulated using a product that is available in other formats. If you find a tanner you like in lotion or spray form, self-tanning towels could be a way to take your favorite product on vacation, particularly if you choose one that comes in individually wrapped packaging.

Dihydroxyacetone is a simple saccharide, pulled from plant sources like sugar beets and sugar cane. It might have gone forever without making its way into tanning products if not for Eva Wittgenstein, who discovered DHA’s skin-tinting benefits by accident. Wittgenstein was working as a researcher at the Children’s Hospital at the University of Cincinnati in the 1950s at the time. She was studying the effects of large amounts of DHA on glycogen storage disease.

The children in the study were required to consume large amounts of DHA, so naturally, some occasionally splashed onto the skin. Wittgenstein observed brown splotches on the children’s skin a few hours after contact. Curious about those results, she tried DHA on her own skin and noted the tint. The result is something called the Maillard reaction, which happens when amino acids mix with sugars, creating golden brown compounds. DHA has since become best known as the key ingredient in self tanners of all types.

Stephanie Faris is a novelist and professional writer. She enjoys writing about beauty, and her work has been featured on some popular beauty sites.

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