* Erythrulose naturally occurs in red raspberries. It reacts with the amino acids in the keratin protein on the outer or dead surface layer of the skin, (the stratum corneum layer of the epidermis). This non-toxic reaction produces a temporary bronze browning effect. This is not a stain or dye, but rather a chemical reaction that produces the color change.

The brown color is comparable to the appearance of a UV based suntan. Because the skin continually exfoliates itself, losing thousands of dead surface skin cells each day, the tan hue is temporary. The tan appearance typically lasts up to 10 days, depending on the quality of application type, and skin condition.

Erythrulose and dihydroxyacetone (DHA) are very similar in composition, and both react much the same way on the skin surface. Erythrulose produces a slower developing tan, taking 24 to 48 hours to fully develop. The final tone of erythrulose is slightly redder than the DHA based tan. We feel that when combined with DHA, the resulting sunless tan lasts longer, fades more smoothly, and produces a more cosmetically pleasing color tone.