The Delux Ingredient Dictionary: Every Ingredient in the Range, Explained
Reference
The Delux
The Delux
ingredient dictionary.
Every ingredient across the Delux range, A to Z, in plain English: what it is, what it is doing in a tanning product, and which of our formulas it is in. Bookmark it, tap any entry, and use it on other brands' labels too. If an ingredient is on one of our tubes and not on this page, tell us and we will add it.
A-Zevery ingredient across the range
7formulas covered
4groups: actives, base, skin support, housekeeping
0entries we would not explain to your face
Actives support how skin makes melanin under UV. None of them tan you without light.
Base and emollients are what the cream is made of and how it feels.
Skin support keeps UV-exposed skin comfortable and holds the colour you build.
Housekeeping is texture, preservation and pH. Every honest cream has it.
Group one
Tanning actives
Acetyl hexapeptide-1Signalling peptide
A peptide that mimics the messenger your body uses to tell pigment cells to start producing melanin. Reinforces what MelanoBronze primes. The most expensive class of ingredient in a tanning cream.
Acetyl tyrosine / N-Acetyl-L-TyrosineMelanin building block
The amino acid your skin converts into melanin, in a stable form that dissolves in water-based products and absorbs well. The single ingredient that defines whether a product is an accelerator. Look for it above the fragrance.
Copper gluconateEnzyme cofactor
Tyrosinase, the enzyme that converts tyrosine to melanin, is copper-dependent. Copper gluconate is a gentle form that makes copper available. Small amounts by design.
MelanoBronze (Vitex agnus-castus extract)Licensed signalling complex
A licensed complex from Solabia, from monk's pepper fruit, that supports the signalling which switches pigment production on when UV arrives. Needs light; not a self-tan. Appears on labels under its INCI name.
NiacinamideVitamin B3: barrier and transfer
Supports the skin barrier and is involved in moving finished melanin from the cells that make it into the cells you see. Doubles as a skin-support ingredient. In our gummies from the inside.
Tripeptide-1Supporting peptide
A signalling peptide present at a low level in Sun Sauce. A supporting player, not a headline, and we say so on its page.
Group two
Base and emollients
Aqua (water)Base
First ingredient in every Delux cream and jelly. Water-based means sunbed-safe: oils are held in an emulsion rather than sitting on the acrylic.
All formulas
Aloe barbadensis leaf juice / aloe vera extractHydrating, cooling
Hydrates and calms UV-exposed skin. Second on the Next-Gen list; further down in the jelly, where a gel needs less of it to be felt.
Butyrospermum parkii (shea) butterRich plant butter
Softens skin and slows water loss. Conditioned skin holds colour; dry skin sheds it. Third in the Next-Gen creams, fourth in Go Dark.
Caprylic/capric triglycerideLight coconut-derived emollient
Spreads the cream evenly and absorbs without residue. Used instead of a silicone in the body creams.
Cetearyl alcoholFatty alcohol, not drying
Coco-caprylate/caprateDry-touch coconut ester
A light emollient with a dry, non-shiny finish. Chosen for the face.
Cocos nucifera (coconut) oilLight emollient
Slip and absorption, held in an emulsion so there is no film on skin or on the bed.
CyclopentasiloxaneVolatile silicone
Carries a rich cream on, then evaporates, so it does not feel greasy. Used in Go Dark, below every plant ingredient. Being phased out in the rebuild.
DimethiconeSilicone
Dipropylene glycolHumectant and solvent
Helps actives dissolve evenly and gives a gel its slip without oil.
GlycerinHumectant
Draws water into the top layer of skin and holds it. Second on the Sun Sauce and Go Dark lists. Also why a jelly goes sticky if over-applied: glycerin with nowhere to absorb.
All formulas
Glyceryl stearate, PEG-100 stearateEmulsifiers
The pair that holds oil and water together in a cream. Standard and gentle.
Isononyl isononanoateDry-finish emollient
A velvety, powder-dry ester that keeps a face cream from shining on a T-zone.
Propylene glycolHumectant and solvent
Theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butterRich, occlusive butter
Seals moisture in and gives Go Dark its body. Suits dry skin and winter sunbed months.
Group three
Skin support
Acetyl hexapeptide-8Expression-line peptide
A face-serum peptide, present in Lumière at a small amount. Not something you will find in another tanning product.
AdenosineSkin conditioning
Borrowed from anti-ageing serums for smoothness and comfort.
AllantoinSoother
A classic calming ingredient that helps skin recover between sessions.
Ascorbyl glucosideStable vitamin C
A form of vitamin C that survives in a cream. Antioxidant support and an even tone.
Avena sativa (oat) kernel oilSoothing oil
Rich in skin-friendly lipids; the same reason oat is in eczema creams. Calms UV-exposed skin.
Beta-glucanOat-derived soother
Deep hydration and one of the gentlest calming ingredients in skincare.
BetaineHumectant
Sugar-beet-derived, hydrating and soothing. Common in Korean skincare, rare in tanning.
CaffeineMild antioxidant, firming
In our creams for skin, not for a tingle, and low among the actives on purpose.
Ceramide NPBarrier lipid
The mortar between skin cells that UV depletes. Rebuilding it keeps the barrier intact and the tan held.
Dimethylmethoxy chromanolAntioxidant
A newer antioxidant chosen for how well it handles UV-generated free radicals. Unusual in tanning products.
Dipotassium glycyrrhizate / liquorice root extract (glabridin)Soother, evening
Liquorice-derived anti-inflammatory that calms post-session redness and helps colour build uniform.
EctoinCell stress protection
First found in microbes that survive extreme environments; helps skin cells cope with UV and heat stress. Rare in tanning creams.
Hydrolysed collagenSurface conditioning
Broken down small enough to condition the surface and improve how skin holds moisture.
Limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oilLight, stable oil
Holds moisture in without weight. One you rarely see.
PanthenolPro-vitamin B5
Calms and conditions; takes the tightness out of post-session skin.
Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oilSkin-mirroring liquid wax
Sodium hyaluronateHyaluronic acid
Holds many times its weight in water for plumpness and hydration.
Squalane (olive-derived)Skin-identical light oil
Absorbs without residue and supports the barrier. Plant-derived, never shark.
Tocopherol / tocopheryl acetateVitamin E
Antioxidant against UV-generated free radicals; also keeps plant oils fresh. Tocopheryl acetate is the more stable ester.
Vitis vinifera (grape) fruit extractAntioxidant
Antioxidant support against free radicals from UV.
Group four
Housekeeping
Carbomer, hydroxyethylcellulose, xanthan gum, ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP copolymerThickeners and texture
Give a cream its body and a gel its structure, and keep the formula stable. The copolymer is the one that gives a face cream a smooth, even texture.
Various
Butylene glycol, hexylene glycol, 1,2-hexanediolSolvents and mild humectants
Dimethyl isosorbidePenetration enhancer
Helps actives travel into the top layer of skin rather than sit on it. Matters more in a thin face formula.
Disodium EDTAChelator
Stops trace minerals destabilising a gel.
Hydrogenated castor oilSolubiliser
Keeps fragrance dispersed in a water base.
Parfum / fragranceScent
The scent, always below the actives on a Delux list. Lowest in Lumière because faces are more sensitive; strongest in Go Dark by design.
All creams and the jelly
Phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin, glyceryl caprylate, hydroxyacetophenonePreservative system
What stops a water-based product growing anything in a warm bathroom. Every honest water-based cream has one.
All creams and the jelly
Sodium hydroxide, citric acidpH adjusters
Bring the finished product to skin's own slightly acidic level. Present in tiny amounts and fully reacted; there is no lye in the tube.
Various
Synthetic waxBody
Gives a face cream body without heaviness.
AlcoholTrace, carried in an extract
A tiny entry in Lumière at a level with no drying effect. Not to be confused with cetearyl alcohol, which is a fatty alcohol.
Group five
Colour and pearl: the honest entries
CI 19140, CI 15985Cosmetic colourants, trace
Mica, titanium dioxide, tin oxideCosmetic pearl
Together they make a light-reflecting pearl: mica is the flake, titanium dioxide coats it, tin oxide stabilises the coating. Gives Lumière its soft luminosity. Sits on the surface and washes off. The titanium dioxide is not at sunscreen levels; wear SPF.
Group six
Supplement actives
Astaxanthin (Haematococcus pluvialis extract)Carotenoid
A red-orange pigment from a freshwater alga, the one that colours salmon and flamingos. The headline carotenoid in our gummies.
Beta-caroteneVitamin A precursor
The orange pigment in carrots; vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal skin. Can lend a subtle warmth over weeks. Not a tan.
LycopeneCarotenoid
The red pigment in tomatoes, stored in skin after regular intake.
Vitamin C, vitamin D3, zincNutrients with recognised roles
Vitamin C for normal collagen formation and protecting cells from oxidative stress; zinc for normal skin and immune function; vitamin D3 for immune function and bones.
How to use this on someone else's tube
Find the tyrosine. Find the fragrance. If the tyrosine is first, it is an accelerator; if the fragrance is first, it is a moisturiser with a tanning name. Then look for caramel, DHA or a CI number near the top, which means the colour is applied, not built. Everything else on this page is context. Those two checks are the ones that matter.
Every ingredient, explained. Now pick a tube.
Each product guide walks the full list for that formula, in order, with why.
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