Q: Can I use Tanning Pills
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A: You can use
tanning
pills, but you
shouldn’t.
In-Depth Answer
This answer comes straight from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and their article entitled Tanning Pills published on October 18th 2000. I'd like to think my answer is a little easier to read.
The Method
- Swallow massive amounts of canthaxanthin, an FDA approved food coloring.
- Canthaxanthin takes up residence throughout your body, including your skin.
- It changes your skin color as more and more builds up in your skin.
- Color varies from brownish to orange depending on the individual.
The Problems
- Though FDA Approved for use as a food coloring you have to eat more than 24 times the recommended dose of canthaxanthin per day in order to get and maintain this ‘tan’
- Adverse effects have been reported, the scariest of which is retinopathy. Crystals form in the eye and effect your vision. Though the condition is reversible, it can take from 2-5 years to completely get your vision back.
- No UV protection. Canthaxanthin does nothing to
increase skin melatonin levels. Normally I think no UV
protection is a good thing since it forces you to wear sunscreen.
In this case, it really depends on how the product is marketed. - The FDA is going out of it’s way to say “Not Approved for This Use”
