Carrots are being paraded as a ‘miracle’ way to tan quickly on TikTok, without the need for a tanning bed.
The so-called ‘hack’ has been promoted by beauty influencers with hundreds of thousands of followers.
One recommended eating three large carrots a day to get a natural ‘glow’, saying it will ‘alter your natural undertone’.
Another TikTok user claimed that he is no longer “pale” because of his unusual reason for eating carrots.
And one of them even came up with her own recipe, mixing carrots into a juice, to get an “enhanced tan and a healthy glow.”
TikTok beauty influencer @isabelle.lux, pictured on the left, says eating three carrots a day will change the “natural undertone” of your skin. She shared photos of herself without a fake tan to show off the difference in skin tone, to the right of the photo
@izaszyszko adds carrots, paprika, ginger, turmeric and lemons to her juice before putting it in small bottles to boost her tan
Experts argue that the trick — known for decades — isn’t typically dangerous.
But it’s not really a color.
Instead, the orange tint is due to carotenemia.
Any food naturally rich in beta-carotene, such as apricots, mangoes, pumpkin, or sweet potato, has the potential to turn your skin orange.
This happens due to high blood levels of beta-carotene accumulating in the body.
‘Carotenemia, when linked to diet alone, is usually not harmful,’ says Dr Duane Mellor, a dietitian at Aston University.
But if you eat a lot of vegetables loaded with the pigment, you could risk deficiencies in other nutrients, as other foods may be left out of the diet, he adds.
The desired orange glow can also mask other more serious health problems, such as jaundice.
Dr. Mellor said: ‘It’s also important that if someone notices their skin changing color they get screened for other conditions.
“Some people have genetic changes that make them less able to convert beta-carotene into vitamin A, so they need to make sure they consume enough foods rich in vitamin A, such as cheese and eggs.”
TikTok influencer @isabelle.lux has posted a few videos about the carrot madness that have collectively been viewed over five million times.
In a video, she says that eating three large carrots a day will change the “natural undertone” of your skin.
Showing off photos of herself when she was younger without a fake tan, she emphasizes that her carrot consumption over the past few years has given her a natural “glow.”
In another video she says, “Only eat three large carrots a day, I’ve been doing this for years, I don’t fake tan anymore, I don’t go out in the sunlight during the day.”
She shared photos of her natural complexion which she says is “pale and pink like Peppa Pig.”
@alycemadden posted a video of her eating a carrot with the caption ‘me since that one girl said eating carrots made her tan’
@adixovic, pictured, said he went from “pale” to more “colored” with no sun or produce just by eating carrots. He suggests eating up to three carrots a day to see results
@momentoflifestyle shows photos of sunbathing women with bronzed skin, asks views if they ‘want a natural tan’. The video suggests that eating carrots or juicing them daily will give you a natural glow
In another video promoting the beauty hack, @adixovic said he went from “pale” to more “colored” with no sun or products, just by eating carrots.
The video, which has been viewed 172,000 times, also claims that the beta-carotene in the orange vegetable is “good for acne” and “protects against sunlight.”
Experts warn that clothing, sunscreen, sunglasses and staying in the shade are the only ways to protect yourself from the sun.
A TikTok posted by @izaszyszko gives a juice recipe for carrot juice “sunshine shots” to enhance tan.
She adds carrots, paprika, ginger, turmeric and lemons to her juice before putting it into small bottles.
The video has been viewed more than eight million times and claims that carrots have the power to provide an “enhanced tan” and act as “sun protection.”
A video posted by @momentoflifestyle with over 3,000 views shows images of sunbathing women with bronzed skin, suggest that eating or drinking carrots daily helps to get a “natural tan.”
Other influencers suggest they’ve started eating more carrots since the trend went viral on TikTok.
@alycemadden posted a video of her eating a carrot with the caption “me since that one girl said eating carrots made her tan.”