Are Tanning Drinks Safe? | What You’re Really Drinking

Most tanning drinks aren’t proven safe, can cause side effects, and don’t protect you from UV damage.

Tanning drinks are marketed as a way to get a bronzed look by drinking a mix of pigments, vitamins, and plant extracts. Some are “beauty shots.” Some are powders you stir into water. A few are sold as “tan boosters” next to supplements.

What Counts As A Tanning Drink

Most products fit into one of these groups:

• Carotenoid drinks built around pigments found in foods, like beta-carotene, lycopene, or astaxanthin.
• High-pigment formulas that behave like tanning pills in drink form. If you see canthaxanthin, treat it as a stop sign.

Even when a label stays vague, the safety question still comes down to ingredients, dose, and how long you take them.

How A Drink Can Change Skin Color

Carotenoids are fat-soluble pigments. When intake is high for weeks, some of the pigment can accumulate in the outer layers of skin and shift your tone toward yellow-orange. This effect has a name: carotenoderma. It is not melanin. It is not a UV shield.

Where The Real Risk Tends To Sit

The risk profile depends on which ingredient family the drink leans on.

Carotenoid-Heavy Drinks

Carotenoids from food are part of normal nutrition. Drinks can push doses well above food range, especially when someone uses them daily, stacks them with capsules, or keeps going for months. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements summarizes large trials where high-dose beta-carotene supplements increased lung cancer risk in people who smoke. That doesn’t mean a carrot is dangerous. It means high-dose supplementation is not casual.

Canthaxanthin And “Tanning Pill” Ingredients

Canthaxanthin is a color additive allowed in foods in small amounts. Using it to “tan” via pills is a different story. The FDA says tanning pills that use canthaxanthin for tanning are not approved, and it describes reported harms tied to large ingested amounts, including eye deposits and other health problems.

Are Tanning Drinks Safe? The Straight Answer By Ingredient Type

If a tanning drink is mainly a carotenoid drink with clear dosing and no added high-dose vitamin A, the main concerns are dose, duration, interactions, and the fact that it does not prevent UV damage.

If a tanning drink uses canthaxanthin or hides its pigment blend behind vague wording, the safety risk climbs. If it claims you can skip sunscreen, treat that as a hard no.

What To Look For On A Label

Labels can look clean while still hiding the parts that matter. These checks help you sort the safer-ish from the sketchy.

• Full amounts, not a “proprietary blend.” You need milligrams for each carotenoid, not mystery totals.
• Vitamin A form and dose. Preformed vitamin A (retinol, retinyl palmitate) can build up and cause toxicity if intake is high.
• Check your smoker status. If you smoke or used to smoke, high-dose beta-carotene supplements are a known concern per NIH ODS.
• Set a stop rule. Vision changes, itching, hives, new rashes, yellowing of the skin or eyes, or persistent stomach pain means stop and get medical care.

Side Effects People Report (And When To Stop)

Stop right away and get medical care for vision changes, yellowing of eyes, or dark urine. Stop and reassess for new rashes or hives.

• Vision changes: stop and get medical care, since FDA materials link canthaxanthin with retinal deposits.
• Yellowing of the eyes or dark urine: stop and get urgent medical evaluation.
• Rash, itching, hives: stop and get medical advice if symptoms persist or worsen.

Table: Ingredients, Intended Effects, And Safety Flags

This table is built for quick label reading. It lists the ingredient families that show up most often and the safety issues tied to each.

Ingredient Family	What Brands Promise	Safety Flags
Beta-carotene	Warmer “glow” tone over weeks	High-dose supplements raise lung cancer risk in smokers per NIH ODS; orange tint; GI upset
Lycopene	Bronze tone, “antioxidant” claims	Can tint skin; does not block UV; may upset stomach at higher doses
Astaxanthin	Richer tone, “skin health” claims	Possible interactions; can affect some lab values; dose varies widely by brand
Preformed vitamin A (retinol forms)	“Skin renewal” pairing with carotenoids	Toxicity risk at high intake; pregnancy risk; overlap with acne retinoids
Canthaxanthin	Fast orange-brown tint	Not approved for tanning use; linked to retinal deposits and other harms in FDA warnings
Tyrosine and “melanin boosters”	Claims tied to melanin processes	Weak evidence for visible results; may interact with thyroid conditions or meds
Herbal extracts (green tea, turmeric, citrus)	“Glow,” skin clarity claims	Interaction risk with anticoagulants and other meds; concentrated extracts can strain the liver
Mineral add-ons (copper, selenium, zinc)	Enzyme cofactor framing	Stacking raises dose fast; nausea with excess; check overlap with multivitamins

What The Regulators And Cancer Groups Say

The clearest guidance is about tanning pills, but it maps well to “drinkable tanning” when the same pigments are used at high intake. The FDA states that tanning pills using canthaxanthin for tanning are not approved and notes reported harms. Read the FDA page directly for the language and context: FDA: Tanning Pills.

The American Cancer Society also warns that tanning pills are not approved for tanning and that the color additives used at high levels may harm the body, with eye concerns called out: American Cancer Society: Tanning Pills And Products.

For carotenoids and vitamin A dose issues, the NIH ODS fact sheet is a solid source for upper limits, trial data, and risk groups: NIH ODS: Vitamin A And Carotenoids.

A clinician-written overview of tanning pill ingredients and risks is also useful background: Cleveland Clinic: Are Tanning Pills Safe?.

What A Tanning Drink Will Not Do

These products often get framed like “skin prep.” Here’s what they don’t do, even if you get a visible tint:

• They don’t prevent sunburn.
• They don’t replace sunscreen, shade, clothing, or a hat.

Safer Ways To Get The Look

If your goal is color, you have options that don’t involve swallowing high-dose pigments.

Topical Sunless Tanner

Most self-tanners use DHA (dihydroxyacetone) to darken the top layer of skin. Patch test first. Keep it off broken skin. Wash hands well.

Table: If You Still Want To Try One, Reduce The Downside

This table is not a green light. It’s a harm-reduction playbook for people who are set on experimenting.

Step	What To Do	Why It Helps
Pick a transparent label	Choose a product with exact milligram amounts for each carotenoid	Reduces the chance of accidental mega-dosing
Avoid canthaxanthin	Skip any drink, shot, or capsule that lists canthaxanthin	Avoids an ingredient tied to FDA safety warnings for tanning use
Check vitamin A totals	Add up vitamin A from all supplements, not just the drink	Prevents buildup risk from stacked retinol sources
Set a short trial window	Pick an end date before you start and reassess after 4–6 weeks	Limits long exposure when safety is unclear
Track eyes and skin	Stop for any vision change, rash, itching, or yellowing of eyes	These can signal adverse effects that need medical evaluation
Keep UV habits strict	Use sunscreen and shade the same way you would without the drink	Prevents the “false sense of protection” problem

Who Should Skip Tanning Drinks

Some groups have less margin for error with high-dose pigments and fat-soluble nutrients:

• People who smoke or used to smoke (high-dose beta-carotene concern per NIH ODS).
• Pregnant people or those trying to conceive (vitamin A toxicity risk).
• People on anticoagulants, thyroid meds, acne retinoids, or multi-drug regimens.

The Bottom Line On Safety

Skip canthaxanthin products for tanning. Treat carotenoid drinks as a supplement experiment, not a safety tool. For color, topical sunless options are easier to control.