Tanning Pills
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There are two very different types of
tanning pills.
There are those pills intended to supplement
indoor tanning and
outdoor tanning,
and those pills intended to achieve a truly
sunless tan.
The tanning pills used to supplement indoor and outdoor
tanning contain amino acids that promote the production
of melanin when tanning; these pills contain no coloring
agent. The sunless variety of self tanning pills, however,
do contain a coloring agent – canthaxanthin.
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Manufacturers use canthaxanthin as a food-coloring agent;
it can be found naturally in many plants, vegetables,
and flowers, giving them a red color. High doses of this
same chemical are used in sunless tanning pills. When
these sunless tanning pills are consumed canthaxanthin
is deposited throughout the body, turning the skin and
all internal organs an orange-brown color. The tanned look
results from the coloring of the second layer of skin, the
subcutaneous (fat) layer, which can be seen through the
translucent outer skin layers.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology,
self tanning pills containing canthaxanthin have been linked
to dangerous side effects, including: hepatitis, urticaria,
and canthaxanthin retinopathy
(yellow deposits form in the retina of the eye). Given these
risks, and given the availability of safe
sunless tanning alternatives,
I’ve personally never tried self tanning pills. Instead I’m
comfortable using products containing dihydroxyacetone (DHA),
including:
sunless tanning lotion and
self tanning lotion,
self tanning towelettes,
airbrush tanning,
spray tanning, and
aerosol tan spray.
Self tanning products, including self
tanning pills,
do not
protect against UV exposure, nor aid in the production of
vitamin D. Prior to any UV exposure it is recommended that
you use a quality
sunscreen,
sunblock, or
SPF moisturizer
before venturing outdoors.
