5 Things to Know About Tanning Pills

Other Types of Tanning Pills

In addition to tanning pills with canthaxanthin as the star ingredient, there are other types of tanning pills on the market. There are other pigment-based tanning pills like those that contain canthaxanthin, instead containing other pigment such as carotene (from carrots).

Tanning accelerators are a type of tanning pill that when consumed are supposed to speed up the production of melanin in your body. They contain ingredients such as psoralen (a plant-derived ingredient that may increase your skin's sensitivity to sunlight) and tyrosine (an amino acid the body needs to produce melatonin). Do they work? Current research suggests there is no truth to this claim.