How long do you think that sunless tanning lotion has been on the market? Come on, take a guess. Many people think that sunless tanning lotion first hit the market in the late 1980's. But this is only because a new version of the product came out at this time, drawing attention with an extensive marketing campaign. Sunless lotions were actually first developed twenty years before that. And although they weren't always used as prevalently as they are today, they have been a part of the tanning industry since that time.



The first sunless tanning lotion to be sold to consumers was released in the 1960's. It was a simple product which was intended to be applied, left on overnight and then washed away. The result was, of course, supposed to be a naturally beautiful and even tan. Unfortunately, as with many new products that are just being tested out, this product didn't quite do what it was supposed to do. Remember the old fears that sunless tanning lotion would turn your skin an orange color? Those fears date back to the fact that this was reality back in these days. You can see why it didn't get a good enough name back then to spread through the consumer industry.

If you guessed that these products were first created in the 1980's, you weren't entirely wrong. That's because the new version of these products, a version using better ingredients and achieving better results, was finally developed and brought to consumers at this time. Something else also happened at this time which you might be well aware of as someone who enjoys indoor tanning. That was the first budding fears that indoor tanning (and also natural outdoor tanning) could have harmful effects on the health. Since no one knew quite what the deal was with these rumors at the time, consumers began actively looking for alternatives to indoor tanning. Sunless tanning lotion became one of those options.

Supply & Demand go hand-in-hand so it was at this time that a number of the major manufacturers of sunless tanning lotion began to crop up. Their products hit the shelves of local beauty shops and cosmetics stores. The competition in the industry helped to drive the price of the lotion down, making it more affordable to the average person. This allowed even more consumers to explore use of the product. Many of the products that are on the market today are similar to those being released back in the 1980's.

Of course, there have been some developments in sunless lotion since that time. Tricks have been learned to make sunless tanning lotion work better for all people, including using it in conjunction with other tanning lotions and with exfoliation and moisturizing techniques. Furthermore, developments have been made to allow sunless tanning lotion to work for a broader range of different skin tones. But the basics of the product remain the same. You put it on, wait for it to develop and come out with that even tan that you were looking for.