Spray tanning allows people to achieve a bronze glow all year round without the health risks of tanning beds. The process is fairly simple. A thin mist is sprayed onto the desired areas of skin, and the skin turns a natural-looking shade of tan. The process works because of a chemical called Dihydroxyacetone (DHA). This chemical is actually colorless, but it interacts with the amino acids that naturally occur in skin cells. When they come into contact, the skin cells become several shades darker. While the thought of spraying yourself with a chemical that causes your skin cells to turn brown may sound suspicious, DHA is totally safe. It has no known health risks, and it's been used for cosmetic reasons for decades.