Top 10 Foods You Can Eat for a Perfect Tan (2024)

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If you want to encourage your summer tan, check out this list of the top 10 foods and drinks to enhance it. While these foods won’t give you a dark tan immediately, if you eat them regularly it will help to build up and enhance your tan.

By Cookist

Top 10 Foods You Can Eat for a Perfect Tan (1)

Did you know that certain foods can help promote tanning, and there are others that can cause our skin to reject the sun’s rays?

If you want to encourage your summer tan, check out this list of the top 10 foods and drinks to enhance it. While these foods won’t give you a dark tan immediately, if you eat them regularly it will help to build up and enhance your tan.

1. Carrots

Top 10 Foods You Can Eat for a Perfect Tan (2)

Lots of tanning products use alpha-carotene, which is found in carrots. When you eat them raw, carrots keep all of their helpful properties. Try to find ways to eat raw, organic carrots, and your tan should really look its best.

2. Eggs

Top 10 Foods You Can Eat for a Perfect Tan (3)

Eggs, especially egg yolks, can help encourage your tan. Eggs contain high amounts of vitamin A, which is helpful for both your skin and your tan.

3. Mangoes

Top 10 Foods You Can Eat for a Perfect Tan (4)

Like eggs, mangoes contain lots of vitamin A – in fact, they contain more than any other fruit!

4. Water

Top 10 Foods You Can Eat for a Perfect Tan (5)

Water is so important to keep skin healthy and looking good. Our bodies are around 60% water, so it needs plenty to keep hydrated and to help your skin tan instead of burn in the sun. Drink fresh water at least every 20 minutes while you are out in the sun, or eat water-containing foods such as watermelon or cucumber.

5. Cheese

Top 10 Foods You Can Eat for a Perfect Tan (6)

Cheese can help protect you from sunburn because it has high levels of selenium. This mineral can also help you to tan better. White cheese has the highest selenium content.

6. Spinach

Top 10 Foods You Can Eat for a Perfect Tan (7)

Spinach is a healthy veggie for many reasons, but it’s also good for enhancing your tan because it's full of beta-carotene and antioxidants.

7. Tomatoes

Top 10 Foods You Can Eat for a Perfect Tan (8)

Tomatoes contain lycopene, which is similar to the compounds found in carrots and spinach.

8. Apricots

Top 10 Foods You Can Eat for a Perfect Tan (9)

These tasty fruits can really help your tan along. Apricots are full of carotenoids, which are natural pigments that give them their golden peachy color. Apricots can help to transfer that color to your skin, and they are also full of antioxidants.

9. Olive Oil

Top 10 Foods You Can Eat for a Perfect Tan (10)

Olive oil doesn’t contribute color to your tan, but it does help keep your tan in the best condition by keeping your skin soft and supple.

10. Peaches and Plums

Top 10 Foods You Can Eat for a Perfect Tan (11)

These fruits are high in vitamin A, as well as carotenids that help transfer the color of the fruit to your skin.

Top 10 Foods You Can Eat for a Perfect Tan (2024)

FAQs

Top 10 Foods You Can Eat for a Perfect Tan? ›

In addition to cherries, watermelon and other red fruits, peaches, apricots and melons are also ideal tanning foods.

What foods help you get a better tan? ›

In addition to cherries, watermelon and other red fruits, peaches, apricots and melons are also ideal tanning foods.

What drink helps you tan? ›

However, our recommendation for tanning is to choose carrot juice instead of carrot oil since carrot juice is one of the most healthy drinks for natural and lasting tanning as it also has many benefits, like speeding up your tanning process as much as slowing down the process of skin ageing.

What is a tan diet? ›

Foods rich in bioflavonoids and vitamin E contribute in the production of melanin. Vitamin E also keeps the skin soft and supple, which leads to a glowing complexion. Consume tomatoes, pistachios, and fish to obtain high doses of vitamin E for your tan. Eating raw carrots will boost your body with carotene.

What makes skin more tan? ›

UVA radiation is what makes people tan. UVA rays penetrate to the lower layers of the epidermis, where they trigger cells called melanocytes (pronounced: mel-AN-oh-sites) to produce melanin. Melanin is the brown pigment that causes tanning. Melanin is the body's way of protecting skin from burning.

What ingredient makes you tan faster? ›

Eat the right food

Fruit and veg that's naturally high in beta carotene, which can help you tan, but without burning. Beta-carotene is widely recognised as being an excellent antioxidant that fights free radicals and reduces skin damage and oxidative stress on the skin, helping limit the harmful effects of UV light.

How to get a deep tan? ›

Go out when the sun is highest.

Spend a brief time outside around 12:00 noon for the most exposure to the sun and greatest chance to tan. Remember that you can still get burned or tanned throughout the daylight hours, and even in cloud cover or shade.

What fruit helps you tan? ›

Foods That Give You a Tan

Consuming five servings of green or orange produce a day will tan your skin somewhat in just a month, thanks to nutrients called carotenoids, researchers report.

What makes you tan darker? ›

Your skin begins to darken in an attempt to block out harmful rays and prevent further injury. Deeper tan color is produced by darkening of existing pigment and by a limited increase in pigment formation. The skin cells that produce this pigment are called melanocytes. The pigment that is produced is called melanin.

What foods make skin darker? ›

However, anecdotal evidence suggests vitamin C might increase melanin levels. Eating vitamin C–rich foods like citrus, berries, and leafy green vegetables may optimize melanin production. Taking a vitamin C supplement may help as well.

How many carrots to eat a day to get tan? ›

One published case report (where researchers talk about one patient's case) found eating around 3 kilograms of carrots per week (about seven large carrots a day) induced skin colour changes. Other experts suggest you would need to eat at least ten carrots per day, for at least a few weeks, for colour changes to occur.

Does salt water help you tan? ›

Sunbed risks and saltwater sprays

Commenting on the effectiveness of using a saltwater spray to 'enhance' a tan, Dr Gulati says that this will not increase how quickly you'll tan, but it "may dry the skin if it is absorbed."

Can I get a good tan in 2 hours? ›

Most people tan within 1 to 2 hours, but factors like skin type, weather conditions, and the time of day will play a role. Burns and color may take time to develop, so don't assume you're not tanning if you don't see immediate results.

What is the beige diet for adults? ›

Beige foods tend to be comfort foods and snack foods such as mac & cheese, chicken nuggets, chips, and crackers. These foods tend to have subtle flavors and are easy to chew and swallow. The beige diet may also consist of white or some orange or yellow foods as well (like goldfish crackers and cheese for example).

Is tanning a good way to Lose weight? ›

Recent scientific reports and studies, such as the University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine, have shown that sunlight, specifically UVB rays, can shrink fat cells and aid in burning fat, making it a great way to burn belly fat, which is considered to be the most dangerous type of fat.

How long does it take for a tan to feed? ›

Most people will tan within 1 to 2 hours in the sun. It's important to remember that both burns and tans may take a while to set in, so if you don't see color immediately, it doesn't mean you're not getting any color or should use lower SPF. Any type of tanning has risks, including skin cancer.

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