I drank carrot juice every day for a month to get a tan – and this is the result…

A healthy tan makes me feel full of life. It puts me in a good mood and magics up a beautiful glow for my face. The trouble is, in winter and spring, my skin is snow white; I’m not in the least bit tanned and I want to change that.

First, I get clued up on the best method for natural tanning, even in the colder months. As a beauty editor, I know that the sun and UV rays are extremely damaging to the skin, so using a sunbed would never be an option for me.

And fake tan products are not only expensive, they often contain a lot of chemicals, which I would prefer to avoid using in the long run.

There must be something that makes you tan naturally, right? That’s when I remember a school friend telling me that she always ate carrots to get a quick tan. Sounds good, so I thought I would give it a try.

Getting a natural tan with carrots: Does it work?

Before I start my experiment, I want to know from a dermatologist whether this idea really makes sense. Dr. Christian Merkel confirms that “yes, carrots can change the colour of the skin.” However, he also warns that “the shade is usually not as brown as the tan you get from the sun, but rather orange.”

According to Dr. Merkel, this is due to the beta-carotene in carrots and also the vitamin A, which not only has skin-protecting properties, but also provides a tint.

Carrot juice for a tan: Here’s how the test goes

I stock up on lots of carrot juice. Eating carrots would also work, according to Dr. Merkel, but you would have to eat a ton of them to see any results. “It’s best to drink about 0.3 litres or 300ml a day to achieve a tan after about four weeks,” Dr. Merkel advises.