Speeding The Glow

For those who burn easily, the promise of a magical elixir that prepares the skin for a maximum tan with minimum exposure is a tempting prospect -- and a potentially dangerous one. U.S. dermatologists dismiss most such preparations, called tan accelerators, as little more than harmless skin moisturizers. But there is sharp debate over the safety of a French-made lotion called Bergasol, which is available in Europe and will be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for approval.

In recent trials of the tan enhancer, Norman Levine, a University of Arizona dermatologist, confirmed that it produces a fast tan for all skin types by increasing melanin, the skin pigment that absorbs the sun's ultraviolet rays. The black mark against Bergasol, say other doctors, is that it contains the chemical psoralen, extracted from citrus oil. In animal tests at Harvard Medical School, high doses of psoralen caused skin cancer. Still, says Harvard Dermatologist Madua Pathak, Bergasol also contains sunscreen, which reduces UV absorption and cuts the risk to humans to acceptable levels. Harvard Colleague Robert Stern is not so sure. Says he: "I don't believe that using the agent is safe."