why is trump so, well, orange?

when i was 12, my friends and i would bake our bodies in the sun, back when it was cool to have tan lines. we would wear little sunblock (ok, no sunblock), lots of baby oil and spray lemon juice in our hair to get those natural highlights.a few years later, as word got around that the sun not only could make you sick, but also damage your skin, self-tanning products began their rise. by then, my friends and i were old enough to realize that we weren’t going to be young forever, our skin (and other things) were not always going to be as perky and yes, now that 40 seemed not so far away, we actually did care what we would look like when we were ‘old.’ baby oil was replaced with lotions and sprays that promised a sun-kissed look without the risk.and while there may not have been a health risk to using self-tanners, there was certainly the risk of just doing it wrong. you could always identify a self-tanner by the disconcerting streaks of brownish orange that ran down their legs, elbows that looked as if they had been soaked in brown deck varnish and the tell-tale white rings around the eyes.so when i saw u.s. president donald trump debate joe biden, looming over his podium and looking, frankly, like a dark orange rain cloud, i wasn’t too surprised to see others on social media wondering if the president was appearing extra-orange last night (one tweet even compared him to “a rabid orange dog“). i thought it might be worth returning to a question we originally asked in february: what the heck is up with trump’s face? since situations like these require the experts, i had reached out to janine falcon, former magazine beauty editor and founder of top canadian beauty site beautygeeks.healthing: what is trump is doing to his face?janine falcon: i don’t understand how he gets that pumpkin hue. assuming he is using a self-tanner, how he manages to achieve that outright orange result is incomprehensible. self-tanning products have come such a long way — i bet he’s using a brand he first landed on 30 years ago and is just too set in his horrible ways to change. it could also be a combination of self-tanner and makeup. whatever the issue, he must actually like the way it turns out, the same way he likes his hair in that strange style.h: are self-tanners becoming more cool?jf: according to a 2019 industry report, self-tanners, as of 2018, account for a $1.47 billion dollar us business with a predicted compounded annual growth rate of 5.9% in the next five or six years. that sounds like they are most definitely still a thing, especially as more people understand the health risks of tanning and ultraviolet exposure. although we might not be hearing much about self-tanner right now, we’ll start hearing more about them as annual summer beauty-prep stories begin to proliferate in magazines and online.h: what about safety?jf: any dermatologist will tell you that a self-tanner is the smart alternative to uv exposure if you want to achieve a tanned or beach-bronzed appearance. its key ingredient, dihydroxyacetone (dha), has been around since the 1930s and is considered quite safe. a saccharide or sugar usually derived from sugar cane or beets, dha reacts with the proteins in the skin to create pigment that looks like a tan. it affects only the outer layer of skin, which is thinner than a sheet of paper and composed of dead cells that have moved up through the epidermis to the surface. thus, a faux tan lasts up to seven days — that’s how long it takes the dead cells to slough off.there is some concern that dha causes free radical damage to the skin, especially with unprotected sun exposure, but a 2018 study suggests that formulating self-tanner with antioxidants (as well as wearing sunscreen) can offset that. also, fans of spray-tanners should be careful not to breathe it in during application. i don’t know whether there are any studies to confirm that it causes or exacerbates respiratory problems, but best to avoid the possibility.h: when i was a teenager, i remember feeling a bit orange after using a self-tanner. plus, all those streaks!  what are your tips on idiot-proof application?jf: it actually isn’t difficult to find a self-tanner that won’t make you look like an oompa-loompa. most popular brands, such as st. tropez, jergens, clarins and james read tan, are cleverly formulated to produce a much more natural golden brown or bronzed tone rather than orange. the biggest challenge is achieving a streak-free finish. thorough exfoliation is key, and in areas where dry skin tends to build up – elbows, knees, ankles, wrists, hands and feet – a bit of moisturizer before application will ensure an even result.also, be generous with your application. st. tropez expert sophie evans blew my mind when she gave me that advice. streaks are caused mostly by not using enough — skimping makes the product drag over the skin. so slather it on and massage it in like it’s your favourite moisturizer.h: what if you are a self-tanner newbie and are nervous about trying it out?jf: a gradual self-tanner is your best bet. formulated with a lower amount of dha, gradual self-tanner requires daily application to develop full colour in about three or four days. another alternative is straight-up dha-free body bronzer that washes off – charlotte tilbury, guerlain, the body shop and sally hansen come to mind. st. tropez has one too.overall, good self-tanner application isn’t rocket science, but it can be tedious if you aren’t used to it. the more you do it, the easier it gets.janine falcon is a former magazine beauty editor and founder of toronto-based beauty website beautygeeks.

@janinefalcon
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