We all know tanning is bad for you. Not only will it age you but it can kill you! Fake tan is the saviour for many a pale skin that wants that golden glow minus the cancer-causing rays but, for some an allergic reaction to fake tans can mean a life of pale skin, or does it? Snezna Kerekovic reports

I am one of those poor unfortunates blessed with an olive skin that tans easily but fully aware of the fact that baking myself means leather skin as I age and exposing myself to skin cancer. Big deal, fake it I hear you say. Well, it is the ideal solution for some but not for moi.

You see, this is what happens when I apply fake tan. All is well at first. Then as the tan develops over a few hours I get an unbelievable, totally irritating and akin to the feeling of a gazillion insects crawling over my skin itch.

Yes boos, I have an allergic reaction to every fake tan I have used under the sun! And, having worked as a beauty ed for many years, trust me I have tried many. Many, many, many.

So I quietly resigned myself to the fact that I would live out my life as a pale skin, totally envious of those gorgeous glowing tans that are everywhere each summer!

Of course, being the dedicated little beauty journo I am and curious to know if there is any hope for my pale skin, I've done the research.

Here's the deal. The active ingredient in fake tan is Dihydroxyacetone (DHA). It is a non-toxic substance that reacts with cells in the outermost layer of the skin and produces a brown pigment (colour) called melanoidin. The outer skin cells are already dead, and are shed as the skin constantly renews itself. This is why fake tan needs to be regularly re-applied to maintain the colour. The DHA doesn't go beyond the outer layer of skin and therefore isn't absorbed into the body. So, it's not posing any danger.

But it's the DHA that causes the allergic reaction. And guess what? It's the active ingredient used in pretty much all fake tans. So there you have it - a life of tan envy!

Then across my desk comes a product claiming to be non-allergenic, perfect for sensitive skin, colour and fragrance free and promising me no allergic itch. It sounded too good to be true for my tormented fake tan guinea pig skin. All the same, I couldn't resist giving it a go. Had I found my tan nirvana?

So I set off to City Laser Clinic in Sydney with some trepidation but willing to sacrifice my body for the sake of our Bellaboo Crew!

Ok, if you are going to a spray tan clinic you better get over any feelings of shyness or body consciousness as you need to be starkers for a start. Yeah, you get a teeny cloth g-string to cover your front bits but that's not that much coverage!

My lovely spray tan operator directed me into a little tent and told me how to stand. Not my most glam moment - starkers, legs and arms akimbo with a strange woman angling a spray gun to all parts of my body!

The spray tan goes on cold. It takes 10 minutes and dries instantly. I am told that the Aviva spray tan causes no allergies. It will last for about 5 days with one coat and about 10 days with two coats. I opt for one coat on my body and 2 coats on my legs.

I get dressed and note that my tan is instantly dry - no ugly tan stains on clothing. It looks natural. I've had other spray tans where I look like that woman from Something About Mary for the first couple of days - you know, the old one with the deep orange skin! This looks really natural.

24 hours later. No itch!! Well, I felt a little itch on one part of my leg but it was teeny - nothing compared to the torment I have experienced with other tans. Perhaps if you are super sensitive and have experienced allergies one coat may be the best option to start.

Some facts about Aviva Sunless Tan is that it has 66% fewer ingredients than most other fake tans, it has a very low DHA percentage and it's oil-free, fragrance-free, and alcohol-free. If you can't face the prospect or don't have time for an in-salon spray tan, then they also have some fab at home products that have all the same features and benefits.

I have new renewed hope in getting colour without sun, without allergic reaction, without itching like a dog with fleas! Thank you Aviva!!