If You’re Drinking Carrot Juice to Get a Tan… We Need to Talk

A little while ago here at Crave, we wrote about some rather controversial tanning gummies that promised to help you achieve a sun-kissed glow from the inside out. Let’s just say the claims generated plenty of debate.

Fast forward a few months and social media has moved on. Apparently, we’re now all supposed to be guzzling glasses of carrot juice in the hope of emerging as bronzed goddesses.

OMFG… can we all just stop?

There are plenty of genuinely good reasons to eat more carrots or enjoy the occasional glass of fresh carrot juice. Looking like you’ve spent a month cruising around the Mediterranean isn’t one of them.

Yes, carrots are packed with beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A, and yes, eating very large amounts over a prolonged period can subtly change the tone of your skin. But we’re talking about a slight golden hue—not a holiday in Marbella bottled into a smoothie.

So before you fill your shopping trolley with kilos of carrots because TikTok told you to, let’s look at the reasons carrot juice is actually worth drinking. Spoiler alert: none of them involve ditching the fake tan.

Can Carrot Juice Actually Help You Tan?

Let’s tackle the viral claim first.

Carrots are naturally rich in beta-carotene, a plant pigment responsible for their bright orange colour. Once inside the body, some of that beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A, while the rest is stored in the body’s fat and skin.

If you consume very large amounts over an extended period, the pigment can build up beneath the skin, giving it a slightly warmer or more golden appearance.

Notice what we didn’t say.

We didn’t say “bronzed.”

We didn’t say “sun-kissed.”

And we definitely didn’t say you’ll look like you’ve just stepped off a yacht in St Tropez.

In fact, overdo it and you could develop carotenemia, a harmless condition where the skin takes on an orange tint—particularly the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet. Not quite the summer glow TikTok was promising.

Most importantly, drinking carrot juice doesn’t protect you from the sun, doesn’t replace sunscreen and won’t help you tan more safely.

1. It’s Brilliant for Your Eyes

This isn’t just something your parents told you to make you eat your vegetables.

Vitamin A plays an essential role in maintaining healthy vision, particularly in low-light conditions. It’s also important for keeping the surface of the eye healthy, making carrots one of the most eye-friendly vegetables you can eat.

2. Your Skin Loves It (For Different Reasons)

Ironically, carrot juice really can support healthy skin—but not because it turns you into a bronze goddess.

The antioxidants found in carrots help protect cells from oxidative stress, while vitamin A contributes to normal skin maintenance. Combined with good hydration and a balanced diet, carrot juice can form part of a healthy skincare routine.

Think healthy skin rather than tanned skin.

3. It’s Packed With Antioxidants

Carrots contain a range of powerful antioxidants, including beta-carotene, lutein and other carotenoids.

These compounds help protect the body’s cells from damage caused by free radicals, which are produced naturally through everyday life and can increase through factors such as pollution, smoking and UV exposure.

While no single food is a miracle cure, eating a variety of antioxidant-rich foods is generally considered beneficial for long-term health.

4. It Supports Your Immune System

Vitamin A plays an important role in keeping your immune system functioning normally.

It helps maintain healthy tissues throughout the body, including those that act as your first line of defence against bacteria and viruses.

Another reason to enjoy carrot juice? It tastes considerably nicer than some of the herbal concoctions social media tries to convince us to drink.

5. It’s an Easy Way to Eat More Vegetables

Let’s be honest.

Most of us could probably do with eating more vegetables.

While whole carrots are still the better option because they contain fibre that juice removes, a freshly made glass of carrot juice can still help increase your vegetable intake—especially if it’s blended with other ingredients such as ginger, oranges or apples.

Just be mindful of portion sizes, as fruit juices can quickly become surprisingly high in natural sugars.

Whole Carrots or Carrot Juice?

If you had to choose, whole carrots win.

They’ll keep you fuller for longer, contain more fibre and release their natural sugars more slowly.

But that doesn’t mean carrot juice is a bad choice.

A small glass can still provide vitamins and antioxidants as part of a balanced diet, particularly if it’s freshly prepared without added sugar.

So… Should You Drink Carrot Juice?

Absolutely.

Drink it because it’s refreshing.

Drink it because it’s full of vitamins.

Drink it because it’s an easy way to boost your vegetable intake.

Drink it because you genuinely enjoy it.

Just don’t drink it expecting to wake up looking like you’ve spent two weeks sailing around the Greek Islands.

As we’ve said before with tanning gummies, there are no shortcuts to a healthy glow.

Healthy skin comes from looking after your body, wearing sunscreen, eating a balanced diet, staying hydrated and accepting that social media doesn’t always have the answers.

Sometimes a carrot is just… a carrot.

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