The notion of achieving a sun-kissed glow without ever venturing outside has swept across social media. Influencers and social users are saying that consuming a large quantity of carrots—or carotenoid supplements—will provide a “natural tan.” It’s every woman’s fantasy: no sunburn, no streaky fake tan, just eat your way to glowing skin. But what happens when you overindulge in carrots, and is it safe to do so?
Carrots and other brightly colored vegetables and fruits contain carotenoids, which are a family of natural pigments that cause plants to be bright yellow, orange, and red. The most famous of the family is beta-carotene, which occurs in carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and even darker green leafy plants like spinach and kale. When you consume foods with carotenoids, some of the beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A by your liver—a nutrient your body requires for healthy eyes, a robust immune system, and healthy skin. This can impart a yellow-orange color to your skin, a benign condition called carotenemia.
So, is it possible to eat your way to a tan? Strictly speaking, yes—but with an important caveat. The color you achieve isn’t the bronzed glow you’d have from a sunny day at the beach or a visit to the tanning salon. It’s more of a pale golden or yellowish sheen, and achieving it requires serious dedication. According to Beth Czerwony, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic, you’d need to eat around five medium carrots every single day for several weeks to start noticing any difference. Some TikTok users report eating up to ten carrots a day, but that can backfire. One influencer, Isabelle Lux, shared that after boosting her carrot intake, she developed symptoms of vitamin A toxicity and needed medical treatment.
The good news is that carotenemia itself is not hazardous and will normally resolve on its own. If you slow down on the carrot-rich regimen, your skin will eventually return to normal color over a few months. But it’s important to reiterate: this carrot-caused glow is not the same as the real thing. A natural tan results from UV exposure, which increases melanin in your skin and hues your skin a brown hue. Carotenoid pigmentation-related color is yellow or orange, and it doesn’t provide any protection from the sun whatsoever.
That being said, carotenoids are not entirely cosmetic. They are helpful behind the scenes. Pigments are antioxidants that prevent your cells from harm due to free radicals. They also benefit your immune system, filter out bad blue light to shield your eyes, and even help with brain health. Some studies indicate that consuming a diet full of carotenoids can help reduce your chances of developing chronic diseases such as certain types of cancer, heart disease, and age-related macular degeneration.
Still, before you go loading up on carotenoid supplements to get your glow on, there are a couple of key safety issues to be aware of. Dr. Homer Black, Baylor University professor emeritus of dermatology, cautions that we do not yet know all there is to know about the long-term safety of carotenoid supplements. For instance, excessive amounts of beta-carotene have been found to increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers and asbestos workers. Other carotenoids, such as lycopene and astaxanthin, are still on the research table, and we don’t know yet how safe they are in high amounts. Taking too many supplements also has some weird side effects—such as unusual skin colors—and, in some cases, more severe health problems.
If you’re looking to bring a little glow to your skin in a safe manner, your best option is to maintain a balanced diet rich in multicolored fruits and vegetables. Pass on the supplements unless your physician advises otherwise. And if you want that bronzed appearance without sun damage, a sunless tanner that contains dihydroxyacetone (DHA) is a much safer choice. Just remember, carrots won’t provide a rich summer tan—but they may give you a golden, healthy glow and a serious dose of nutrients in the process.