Tanning Pills
After the cancer scares of this generation a wide
variety of products have sprung up claiming to be able to produce “that
back-from-vacation tan” without exposure to sunlight or harmful UV rays.
One of them is the tanning pill. In recent years, however, tanning pills
have been criticized because of their ineffectiveness.
Generally-speaking, tanning pills fall into two categories: carotenoid
supplements and tyrosine supplements
(I) Carotenoid Supplements
Carotenoids such as canthaxanthin and beta-carotene are normally used as
food additives. They are pigments that give the orange color of carrots,
for example. In tanning pills, the concentrations of these carotenoids
are very high. Upon ingestion they saturate the body tissues including
the skin. This gives the skin additional color. There is however no
effect on melanin which is the primary natural factor in tanning.
Carotenoids have been known to produce serious side effects when
ingested in large quantities:
• There is no control over where the carotenoid deposits occur so that
unpleasant effects such as palms of hands and soles of feet may be
colored. Colored (orange) excrements, urine, tears and sweat may occur.
• Carotenoids have been known to cause crystal deposits in the eyes—a
condition known canthaxanthin-induced retinopathy. This impairs vision
and is not easily healed.
• Liver damage and severe itching are known side effects of carotenoid
intoxication.
It must be noted that tanning pills containing carotenoid supplements
have not been FDA approved.
(II) Tyrosine Supplements
Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid that plays a key role in
melanogenesis. Under the effect of the enzyme tyrosinase, tyrosine is
converted to (to make things short) eumelanin or pheomelanin, the
precursors of melanin that cause darkening of the skin. Tyrosine
supplements, by increasing tyrosine levels in the blood, claim to
increase the level of melanin in the skin. There is no scientific proof
of this. Moreover, as stated above, tyrosine is a non-essential amino
acid. This means that the body is able to manufacture it and there is no
need for us to include it in the diet. Consequently, in well-fed
individuals, there is unlikely to be any shortage of tyrosine. Thus,
taking a tyrosine supplement is pointless.
Having said this, some tanning pills can act as vitamin supplements
and serve to enhance the natural tanning methods (exposure to solar
radiation). In other words, they are used to complement suntans. One
should however be very careful in the choice of tanning pills. Some
precautions are listed below:
• Avoiding pills that make outrageous claims of producing tans within a
day without exposure to UV. These “magic pills” simply do not exist.
• Look for FDA approval on the package. This is important for your
long-term health. Avoid purchasing directly for the Net. There are some
dubious products out there.
• Avoid carotenoid supplements. Look for ingredients such as
canthaxanthin, beta-carotene and lycopene.
• Avoid tanning pills that claim to induce or affect melanogenesis.
These also do not exist.
• Vitamin A supplements often will work better than most tanning pills.
Try them out before anything else.
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