The TikTok creator Isabelle Lux, @isabelle.lux, claims that eating three large carrots a day will give you a natural tan. The video went viral with millions of views. She said that this way of tanning will “change your natural undertone” and make you “glow from the inside out”.
After her first video got so much attention she created a few follow up videos on the same subject. She explains more in depth about her experience as well as the pros and cons.
It all started from her love of carrots, “I wouldn’t do it if i didn’t like carrots. I’m obsessed with carrots. I love them.” It was after eating so many carrots that she noticed the difference it had made to her skin.
Many doctors and dermatologists have since reacted to this video. And, they all confirm it to be true!
What Is a Carrot Tan
A carrot tan essentially happens when you eat so many carrots that your skin can change colour. By tanning this way you will get more of an orange undertone than a sun tan which will give you more of a brown undertone.
With the added bonus that the results can last for months. So, this is perfect if you’re looking for a long-lasting, natural glow.
How Does It Work?
Carrots contain something called beta-carotene. It’s the pigment that gives certain foods their colour. And if you have enough beta-carotene in your system it can turn your skin into an orangey tone. The medical term for this effect is carotenemia. Carotenemia “usually concentrates first in your palms and the soles of your feet where the skin is thicker” says Doctor Youn, @doctoryoun on TikTok.
So basically, carotenemia in the medical world is what is now known on TikTok as a ‘carrot tan’.
Also, it’s not just carrots that are high in beta-carotene. Other fruits and veg contain it too. These include:
- Sweet potatoes
- Spinach (& other dark leafy greens)
- Butternut squash
- Cantaloupe
- Romaine lettuce
- Red bell peppers
- Apricots
- Broccoli
- Podded Peas
Benefits of a Carrot Tan
There are so many benefits of the carrot tanning method. And not just the fact that carrots are good for you…
- No tan lines: sun bathing can leave you with unwanted tan lines. Luckily, carrots do not.
- No streaky tan: applying fake tan is never easy and can often leave you with streaky lines.
- No UV damage: sitting in the sun and using tanning beds can cause skin damage from the UV rays.
- Inexpensive: fake tans can be pricey, especially if you are using them regularly to maintain your colour.
- Natural: fake tans can also contain chemicals, some of which might not be great for your skin.
- Stay tanned through all the seasons: you can eat carrots all year round to maintain your tan.
- Antioxidant rich: antioxidants naturally found in carrots help protect cells from damage and fight off disease.
- More attractive: studies show that a golden undertone is ‘more attractive’ than a pinky undertone.
- Long-lasting: once you have a carrot tan, it can last for months! Even without maintaining it.
- Healthy: as well as glowing, you’ll also be dosing up on your daily vitamins
How To Do It
Eating raw carrots every day might not be for everyone. But luckily, there are lots of different ways you can do it…
- Raw carrots: If you love carrots you’ll probably be happy to eat them as they come.
- Carrot juice: If you don’t fancy eating them then you might find drinking them slightly easier. You can also mix with other juices for a nicer taste.
- Carrot salad: Another viral TikTok trend has been the carrot salad. Mixing strips of carrot with soy sauce, sesame oil and other ingredients can be a lot more tasty than having them plain.
- Supplements: What about if you don’t like carrots at all? With supplements you can still get a carrot tan! There are a lot of beta-carotene tanning tablets either at health shops or online. These are effective and require minimal effort.
How Many Carrots Do I Need To Eat To Get A Tan?
For this to work effectively, you do need to eat a fair few carrots . Ideally you want to be having from 30 to 50 milligrams of beta-carotene a day.
In one of her videos, Isabelle Lux says that a medium carrot only contains around 4 milligrams of beta-carotene. So, as we’re aiming for a minimum of 30 milligrams that would be 7 and a half medium sized carrots. She says that she started with about 10 carrots each day to establish the tan, then when down to about 2 or 3 to maintain it (Please read ‘Downside’ below!).
But, that’s for eating carrots raw. What about if your making carrot juice? If you want to do this then you’ll want to aim for 300 millilitres of carrot juice daily. And after around 4 weeks you should then see results.
But as I said before, this seems like a lot, especially if your not a fan of carrots. But there are multiple carrot tanning tablets available which would be a lot easier to keep up.
Is There a Downside?
There are a few things to consider before you start.
In one of her following videos she addresses some warnings. After felling like it was her responsibility to talk about this as she brought the trend to the app.
She warns you not to really over do it. In her original TikTok she says that she was eating 10 carrots a day but got “really sick”. A visit to the doctor told her that she was getting too much vitamin A and she was given a recommended limit of 3 each day.
By eating that many carrots she was “on [her] way to getting” vitamin A poisoning, which, she added, “is very serious and [she felt] like people have to talk about it”.
But, dietician Dr Jennifer Altman tells delish.com that although it gives you an orange tone to your skin, carotenemia is not “harmful to your health.”
What Do We Think?
I think that carrot tanning looks like a great natural option for a healthy glow. For me personally, I would most likely go down the supplement route, just because it seems like the easiest to maintain.
If you choose to eat carrots instead, just make sure you don’t take it too far. If you start feeling ill then cut back as she did. But 3 carrots a day is a safe amount. And once you’ve developed your ‘carrot tan’ then this should be enough to keep it up.
