Most women would do almost anything to achieve a natural, healthy looking tan. Already, many women suffer through streaky creams, Oompa Loompa sprays, and even cancer causing stints in tanning booths ... all to obtain that perfect golden hue.
That may all change, however, as researchers are close to developing a cream that allows the skin to tan in the way that it would in the sunlight, but without the harmful effects of UV rays.
The product would help you achieve a natural tan by stimulating the production of melanin, a dark pigment found in the base of the epidermis that determines skin color.
Researcher David Fisher of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, told The Daily Mail that women can expect the new product to protect them from the negative effects of the sun in addition to giving them a natural tan. This is because melanin acts like a barrier to the suns rays.
Not only would increased melanin directly block UV radiation, but an alternative way to activate the tanning response could help dissuade people from suntanning or indoor tanning, both of which are known to raise skin cancer risk, Fisher told The Daily Mail.
In 2007, approximately 793,000 people suffered from melanoma in the U.S. alone. The World Health Organization blames tanning booths at least partly for this epidemic, calling them as dangerous as cigarettes.
Fisher told The Daily Mail that the cream may be available as soon as four years from now. So far the product has only been tested on mice. While they appear to react favorably, Fisher points out that these drugs do not yet penetrate human skin.
