Tanning pills can tint your skin, but they do it with a dye — not a real tan — and the main ingredient carries safety risks serious enough that no health regulator has approved them for this use. Most tanning pills are built around canthaxanthin, a reddish-orange pigment that deposits in your skin and fat to create an artificial “tan.” The problem is that the large doses needed to change your colour are also the doses linked to eye damage and, in rare cases, life-threatening blood disorders.
If you’re weighing up tanning pills as a sun-free shortcut, this is one trend where the “does it work?” question matters far less than the “is it safe?” one. Here’s exactly how they work, what the research shows, and why most dermatologists steer people firmly toward other options.
Key Takeaways
- Tanning pills technically “work” — canthaxanthin deposits in the skin and gives a colour shift, but it’s an orange-tinted dye effect, not a real tan.
- No tanning pill is FDA-approved. Canthaxanthin is only approved as a food colouring in small amounts, not as an ingested tanning agent.
- The big risk is your eyes. High-dose canthaxanthin can deposit crystals in the retina — a condition called canthaxanthin retinopathy.
- Rare but severe harms exist, including at least one fatal case of aplastic anaemia (bone marrow failure) linked to canthaxanthin tanning pills.
- The colour is often unnatural — more orange than bronze — and stains palms and soles too.
- Safer sunless options exist: DHA-based drops, lotions, and spray tans use an actually-approved active ingredient with a far cleaner safety record.
How Do Tanning Pills Work?
Tanning pills rely on pigment, not biology. The most common active ingredient, canthaxanthin, is a synthetic carotenoid — chemically related to the beta-carotene that makes carrots orange. When taken in large amounts, it colours the skin by depositing in the epidermis and the fatty layer beneath it [Bluhm et al., JAMA, 1990].
That’s a completely different mechanism from a real tan. A genuine tan is your body producing melanin in response to UV exposure. Tanning pills skip melanin entirely and simply stain you from the inside with dye. It’s the same broad idea behind carotenoid tanning gummies and beta-carotene for tanning, just with a more intense, more orange pigment.
Because that pigment settles into fat all over the body, it doesn’t stop at the spots you’d want tanned. Canthaxanthin can leave the palms and soles looking orange-brown, and the overall tone is frequently described as unnatural rather than sun-kissed.
Do Tanning Pills Actually Give You a Tan?
They give you colour, but “tan” is generous. Expect three realities:
It’s slow. Like other ingestible pigment products, tanning pills need consistent use over weeks before any visible change appears. There’s no same-day glow.
It leans orange. Canthaxanthin’s natural colour is reddish-orange, so the result often reads more like an artificial tint than a natural bronze — the same off-tone complaint people have with badly applied fake tan.
It’s not protective. A pill-induced tint does nothing to shield you from UV. You can still burn and damage your skin underneath, so sunscreen stays essential — see our guide on tanning with sunscreen on.
Are Tanning Pills Safe? The Honest Answer
This is where tanning pills separate themselves from ordinary supplements. Canthaxanthin is considered safe in the tiny amounts used as a food colour — but the doses required to actually change your skin tone are far higher, and that’s where the problems start.
Eye damage (canthaxanthin retinopathy)
The best-documented risk is canthaxanthin retinopathy, in which crystalline yellow deposits accumulate in the retina. Most people have no symptoms and the deposits are only visible on an eye exam, but the change is real and dose-dependent. The good news is that it’s largely reversible after stopping — though the crystals can take years to fully clear [Harnois et al., Arch Ophthalmol, 1989]. The bad news is that it isn’t always harmless: there are documented cases of genuine vision loss tied to canthaxanthin, some only partially recovering after stopping the drug [Beaulieu et al., Case Rep Ophthalmol Med, 2013].
Rare but severe reactions
More alarming still, there is at least one reported death: a previously healthy young woman developed fatal aplastic anaemia — a failure of the bone marrow to make blood cells — after taking canthaxanthin tanning pills supplied by a tanning salon [Bluhm et al., JAMA, 1990]. Milder reported effects include liver problems, nausea, cramping, diarrhoea, hives, and intense itching.
The regulatory bottom line
No tanning pill is approved for sale as a tanning agent. The FDA has approved canthaxanthin only as a colour additive in food, not as something you swallow to dye your skin, and it treats marketed tanning pills as adulterated products [U.S. Food & Drug Administration, “Tanning Pills”]. Despite that, these products still surface through online sellers and some salons — which is exactly why knowing the risks matters.
What About Beta-Carotene and Tyrosine “Tanning” Pills?
Not every tanning pill is canthaxanthin. Two other ingredients show up:
Beta-carotene: some formulas swap in or add beta-carotene for a similar (milder) pigment effect. It’s gentler than canthaxanthin, but high-dose beta-carotene has its own warning — large trials found it increased lung cancer risk in smokers [ATBC Study Group, N Engl J Med, 1994]. If you smoke, high-dose beta-carotene supplements are best avoided.
L-tyrosine: marketed as a “tanning accelerator” on the theory that this amino acid boosts melanin. In practice there’s little evidence it meaningfully darkens skin when taken orally, and excess tyrosine can cause its own side effects. Our guide to the best tan accelerators covers what genuinely helps and what doesn’t.
Safer Ways to Get Colour Without the Sun
The good news: you don’t have to choose between UV damage and risky pills. Sunless tanners work topically using DHA (dihydroxyacetone), an FDA-approved active that reacts with the surface of the skin to create a temporary bronze — with a far cleaner safety profile than ingested dyes [Braunberger et al., J Drugs Dermatol, 2018].
DHA comes in drops you mix into moisturiser, lotions, mousses, and professional spray tans, and it gives real, controllable colour that fades naturally in about a week. If you want to try it, start with our guide on how to self-tan at home, and if you’re choosing between formats, spray tan vs self tan breaks down the trade-offs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do tanning pills actually work?
They can shift your skin colour, but not by creating a real tan. Canthaxanthin (the usual active) is a dye that deposits in the skin over weeks, producing an orange-tinted colour rather than melanin-based bronzing.
Are tanning pills FDA-approved?
No. The FDA approves canthaxanthin only as a food colour additive in small amounts. It has never been approved as a pill for tanning, and marketed tanning pills are considered adulterated.
What are the side effects of tanning pills?
The most documented is canthaxanthin retinopathy — crystalline deposits in the retina. Others include liver problems, nausea, diarrhoea, hives, itching, and rarely, severe reactions including a reported fatal case of aplastic anaemia.
Can tanning pills damage your eyes?
Yes. High-dose canthaxanthin can deposit crystals in the retina. It’s usually symptomless and largely reversible after stopping, but the crystals can take years to clear and vision loss has been reported in some cases.
Do tanning pills make you orange?
Often, yes. Canthaxanthin is a reddish-orange pigment, so the result frequently looks more orange than a natural tan and can stain the palms and soles too.
Are tanning pills the same as tanning gummies?
They’re similar in concept but not identical. Classic tanning pills usually use canthaxanthin, while most tanning gummies use beta-carotene. Both are ingested pigments, but canthaxanthin carries the more serious documented risks.
What’s a safer alternative to tanning pills?
DHA-based self-tanners — drops, lotions, mousses, and spray tans. DHA is FDA-approved as a sunless tanning active, gives controllable colour, and avoids the eye and blood risks tied to ingested tanning pills.
The Bottom Line
Tanning pills can colour your skin, but it’s a dye effect that leans orange, and the ingredient doing the work — canthaxanthin — carries real risks to your eyes and, rarely, your blood. No regulator has approved these products for tanning, and the safety record simply doesn’t justify the cosmetic payoff.
If you want a sun-free glow, skip the pills and reach for DHA-based options instead. They deliver reliable colour with an approved active ingredient and none of the ingested-dye baggage. For a controllable, low-risk starting point, our self-tan at home guide is the place to begin.
Research Sources
Canthaxanthin Safety & Skin Deposition:
Bluhm et al., 1990, JAMA, “Aplastic Anemia Associated With Canthaxanthin Ingested for ‘Tanning’ Purposes” Reports a fatal case of aplastic anaemia after canthaxanthin tanning-pill use, and describes how canthaxanthin colours skin by depositing in the epidermis and subcutaneous fat.
Canthaxanthin Retinopathy (Reversibility):
Harnois et al., 1989, Archives of Ophthalmology, “Canthaxanthin Retinopathy: Anatomic and Functional Reversibility” Documents crystalline retinal deposits from canthaxanthin and shows they largely reverse after stopping, though slowly.
Canthaxanthin Retinopathy (Visual Loss):
Beaulieu et al., 2013, Case Reports in Ophthalmological Medicine, “Canthaxanthin Retinopathy With Visual Loss: A Case Report and Review” Case report and review showing that canthaxanthin retinopathy can cause real visual loss, with variable recovery after cessation.
Beta-Carotene Safety (Smokers):
The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group, 1994, New England Journal of Medicine, “The Effect of Vitamin E and Beta Carotene on the Incidence of Lung Cancer and Other Cancers in Male Smokers” Large trial that found higher lung cancer incidence among smokers taking high-dose beta-carotene.
DHA Sunless Tanning:
Braunberger et al., 2018, Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, “Dihydroxyacetone: A Review” Reviews DHA, the FDA-approved active in sunless tanners, including how it produces temporary colour on the skin’s surface.
Regulatory Status:
U.S. Food & Drug Administration, “Tanning Pills” FDA statement confirming no tanning pills are approved, and outlining side effects including canthaxanthin-induced retinopathy.