Are There Really Any Benefits To Using Sunless Tanning Pills?

Faced with the desire to get a “healthy” tan without exposing unprotected skin to the harmful rays of the sun, some people turn to self-proclaimed sunless tanning pills. Supposedly, you take these pills as directed, and your skin develops and retains a lovely tan. It almost sounds too easy, and, as with most things that are extremely simple, there are numerous drawbacks to using the products. If the critics are to be believed, these drawbacks include the fact that the pills don't work as advertised, that they turn skin a funny orange-brown color, and that they have some bad side effects. Before choosing this type of sunless tanning product, you'd best know all the facts.

To start with, the active ingredient in sunless tanning pills is canthaxanthin, a substance that is most often used as a food additive which adds color to foods such as ketchup and cranberry juice. However, the U.S. has not approved it for use in tanning pills. Foreign manufacturers continue to market these products in the United States, though, because of the huge and lucrative market there. Although the substance is considered to be relatively safe for use in small amounts in food, the concentration in tanning pills is high enough to present a danger. In addition, taken alone in pill form, canthaxanthin is not easily absorbed into the body.

You're probably wondering what kinds of health issues sunless tanning pills create and if they're really serious enough to cause you to want to avoid them as a means of tanning. After all, you may have some friends who take them, and you envy their year-around tans and the fact that they don't have to spend hours in a tanning salon to get them. In this instance, you can be the smart one, though, by being the most informed.

The FDA issued a statement saying that pills that contain canthaxanthin have been associated with eye problems known as canthaxanthin retinopathy which is causes yellow deposits on the retinas of the eyes. There have also been reports of liver damage and urticaria, which is a condition accompanied by severe itching. Consumers need to think long and hard about these possible side effects of sunless tanning pills. After all, how attractive will your tan be if all people notice are the yellow spots in your eyes and the way you are constantly scratching?

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