Now that it’s 2018, everyone pretty much knows that too much sun exposure is not the thing. But we all love our tans, which is why we love self-tanners. However, in current “What the what?!” news, tanning gummy bears are a thing.
Yep, apparently these gummy bears, oops, sorry, “tanning vitamins” can help you get glowing, with or without the sun. Except, they are not exactly healthy and not really all that effective. Ruh-roh.
Do Tanning Gummies Work?
If you are confused about how these gummy bears give you a better tan, the theory behind these “edible tanning supplements” is that they let potent actives to remain in the buccal cavity for an extensive amount of time which results in direct absorption by the membranes in the cheek walls. If your first thought was “What does that even mean?” you are not alone.
This means that when you chew the gummies, active ingredients remain in your mouth and are absorbed through the cheek and dispersed. Even more confusing is that the gummies don’t contain any insane-looking or hard to pronounce chemicals. Just sugar, flavoring, amino acids, and lots of vitamins A and C.
At first glance, these gummies seem like harmless vitamins. The tanning properties come from the high amounts of vitamin A, also known as beta-carotene. Although it is not dangerous to consume too much vitamin A, you probably won’t get that golden glow you are after. More likely, you’ll get the orangey-yellowy shade reminiscent of the time your best friend ate tons of carrots to get a tan.
If It Sounds to Good to Be True …
Just as you may have suspected when you first heard the news, you can’t tan your skin from the inside out. Exposure to UV rays, also known as the sun, and certain hormones are what gives skin a tan. So eating tons of vitamin A won’t give you the same golden, sun-kissed glow we are all chasing.
Sadly, these little gummies are nothing but sallow skin in a bottle. Or at best, a boost of vitamins A and C. However, it is possible to get a safe, beautiful, sun-kissed glow that won’t make you look like a Halloween pumpkin or one of Big Bird’s relatives. There’s a whole world of self-tanners out there that is truly magical. Today’s formulas won’t make you look orange and don’t leave behind that tell-tale after tan aroma. So stick to wearing your SPF and applying your self-tanner. Your skin will thank you later.
