Oral skin tanners & tanning pills - are they safe?

Oral tanning supplements, oral skin tanners, tanning pills and tan gummies are all over social media right now, often marketed as a shortcut to a “sun-kissed glow” with no sunbeds and no sunburn.

But are these skin tanning supplements actually safe - and do they even work?

As a healthcare professional working in aesthetic medicine, I’m increasingly being asked about oral fake tan, tanning gummies and even melanotan-style tanning products. This article is purely for information - it’s not personal medical advice. If you’re using these products (or thinking about it), please speak to your GP or a dermatologist.

What are oral skin tanners?

“Oral skin tanners” is a catch-all term people use for supplements that claim to darken the skin from the inside. They’re marketed as:

• Oral tanning supplements / tanning pills / tan tablets

• Tanning gummies or “edible tanning drops”

• “Skin glow” supplements that quietly hint at a tanning effect

They’re usually sold online, often by influencers, and can be described as sunless tanning products or “safe tan in a bottle”.

Crucially, health regulators have not approved any pills specifically for tanning. In the US, for example, the FDA explicitly states that “tanning pills” are not approved and have been linked with side effects. U.S. Food and Drug Administration+1

Key ingredients you might see

Different brands use different formulas, but common ingredients in oral tanning supplements include:

1. High-dose colour additives (e.g. canthaxanthin)

Some tanning pills use very high doses of colour additives such as canthaxanthin to tint the skin from the inside out. The idea is that the pigment is deposited in the skin and gives an orange-brown tone.

Regulators allow canthaxanthin in small amounts as a food colour, but not at the huge doses used in tanning pills, because it has been linked with problems such as yellow deposits in the retina and vision changes. U.S. Food and Drug Administration+1

So even though it’s “just a colour”, it’s not a risk-free way to tan.

2. Carotenoids & “glow” blends

Other skin tanning supplements use high-dose beta-carotene, lycopene or similar carotenoids. These can give the skin a slightly warmer tone, but large amounts in tablet form still carry potential risks - and they do not protect you from UV damage. Cleveland Clinic

You’ll often see these marketed more softly as “skin radiance” or “glow” capsules rather than outright tan tablets.

3. Melanotan-style peptides

Then there are melanotan-style tanning products - synthetic peptides designed to mimic the body’s melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH). They act on pigment cells to increase melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour. DermNet®+1

These are usually sold as injections, nasal sprays or drops, sometimes bundled with instructions to use them alongside sunbeds or sun exposure.

Key points:

• Melanotan-type products (often called Melanotan I / II, MT2, etc.) are unlicensed medicines in the UK and many other countries. Drug Office+1

• Regulators and cancer charities have issued repeated warnings about links to mole changes and potential melanoma risk, as well as systemic side effects (nausea, blood pressure changes, etc.). PubMed+2BMJ+2

• They’re often marketed as “cosmetics” or “research chemicals” online to dodge medicines regulation.

Even when they’re not truly oral products, they’re often lumped into the same conversation as oral skin tanners, so it’s important to understand that this whole category is largely unregulated and potentially risky.

Are oral tanning supplements safe?

Short answer: we don’t have good evidence that they’re safe or effective - and we do have red flags.

Across different regulators and medical bodies, a few consistent themes emerge:

• No approved tanning pills: There are no tanning pills or oral skin tanners approved specifically for tanning by major regulators like the FDA or MHRA. U.S. Food and Drug Administration+1

• Unregulated dosing & ingredients: Over-the-counter supplements often don’t match what’s on the label. You might be getting more or less of an ingredient than you think - or something that’s not listed at all. Cleveland Clinic

• Questionable benefit: Some ingredients (like oral tyrosine) have no good evidence of actually improving tanning. PubMed Central

• Real risks: From eye problems with canthaxanthin, to potential mole changes and melanoma risk with melanotan-style compounds, the side-effect profile is not reassuring. U.S. Food and Drug Administration+2BMJ+2

So when you see phrases like:

• “All-natural oral fake tan”

• “Safe sunless tanning products you just drink”

• “Doctor-approved tan gummies”

…it’s worth remembering that marketing language moves a lot faster than regulation or long-term safety data.

Risks you might not realise

Using oral skin tanners, tanning pills or melanotan-style products isn’t just about whether you feel a bit sick after taking them. Potential risks include:

• Changes in moles - new or rapidly changing moles have been reported in people using melanotan alongside UV exposure, which is concerning from a skin cancer perspective. PubMed+2BMJ+2

• Eye and vision issues - with some high-dose colour additives. U.S. Food and Drug Administration+1

• Systemic side effects - nausea, vomiting, blood pressure changes, flushing, headache and more have all been reported with melanotan-type products and nasal tanning sprays. Trading Standards+1

• False sense of security - a “tan” from pills does not protect you from UV damage, so you can still burn and increase your skin-cancer risk if you then sunbathe or use sunbeds. Cleveland Clinic+1

Safer ways to get a tan (without gambling your health)

If you like a bronzed look, the safest options we have are still:

• Topical fake tan (creams, mousses, sprays) used on the skin

• Spray tans done professionally

These sunless tanning products colour the outer layer of your skin and, when used as directed, are considered much safer than sunbeds or deliberate UV tanning. Cancer Research UK

Regardless of what you use:

• Wear broad-spectrum SPF 30+ daily on exposed skin

• Avoid sunbeds

• Check your skin and moles regularly, and see a GP/dermatologist if something new or changing appears

Final thoughts

The idea of a quick, easy “tablet tan” or “oral fake tan” is understandably tempting. But at the moment:

• Oral tanning supplements are unregulated, unproven and potentially unsafe.

• Melanotan-style tanning products are unlicensed, with worrying reports of side effects and mole changes.

• A bottle of fake tan + good SPF habits is still the safest way to get that “holiday glow”.

If you’re using oral skin tanners, tanning pills or melanotan-style tanning products, or you’ve noticed new or changing moles, please don’t rely on social media advice - book in with your GP or a dermatologist for personalised guidance.

@itsdranya