Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) is a white to off-white free flowing powder. DHA is soluble in water. As a general statement, the storage stability of DHA at 4 – 8 °C is declared to be at least 18 months.
DHA is used as self-tanning agent. DHA reacts with the amino acids and amino groups of proteins present in sweat, keratin and skin leading to the production of coloured melanoidins. This process is similar to the “Maillard reaction”, also known as non-enzymatic browning. 2 – 6 hours after application, a brown coloration appears that has a similar hue to that of natural suntan.