People are ‘carrotmaxxing’ and ‘shrimpmaxxing’ for tanner skin — no sun (or food) required

Some people are using carotenoid supplements or eating pigment-rich foods to give their skin a warmer, more golden appearance without sunbathing or using tanning beds. The trend matters because the colour change is not a sun tan: it comes from pigments accumulating in the skin, and experts caution that excessive intake can visibly discolour it.

Carotenoids include beta-carotene in carrots, astaxanthin in shrimp and salmon, and lycopene in tomatoes; several supplement brands combine them. A dietitian estimates that 20 to 50 milligrams of beta-carotene daily for several weeks, roughly three to eight large carrots a day or one to two glasses of carrot juice, may produce a colour change. Carotenemia is generally harmless and fades when intake is reduced, while too many tomatoes can cause orange-red lycopenemia; eating shrimp is not known to turn skin pink.