A simple sugar and a key ingredient in sunless tanning products that temporarily darkens skin by reacting with amino acids on the skin's surface.
From 'di-' (two) + 'hydroxy' (two OH groups) + 'acetone' (a simple organic compound). Originally discovered as a metabolic byproduct, it was adapted for cosmetic use in the mid-20th century.
Dihydroxyacetone is the chemistry behind fake tans—it's a real sugar that makes skin brown through the Maillard reaction (the same chemistry that browns toast), which is why your spray tan gradually fades as your outer skin cells shed.
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