Natural enthusiasts are currently sharing on the web the recipe for a homemade drink that can give you a sun-kissed complexion, like a "self-tanner to drink". Should we believe it?
A beautiful natural and orange drink that would give you a peachy complexion and a coloring worthy of a self-tanner , this is the new recipe that is making people want it on the web. According to its fans, this homemade juice made from carrots and sweet potatoes would boost your tan and give you a healthy glow (even under the gray skies). But should we believe it?
Carrots and sweet potatoes as key ingredients
In fact, nothing complicated, the juice (to be made with an extractor) aims to mix the ingredients which contain the most beta-carotene : sweet potato , which contains 10,500µg per 100 grams and carrot with more than 8,700µg per 100 grams.
These two foods promote tanning by boosting melanin synthesis and achieving golden skin, provided you drink them at least four times a week to obtain a nice, even tan.
Can we believe in the self-tanning effect?
While the idea is nice (drinking a healthy natural juice to get tanned skin), is it really effective? We asked dermatologist Dr. Isabelle Gallay for an expert opinion. And good news: yes, eating carrots and sweet potatoes regularly does have an effect on your skin.
But be careful, " it's not a self-tanner as such," she specifies. The carotenoids provide a pigment, which certainly colors, but does not necessarily make you tan.
There are even contraindications to respect: " You have to be careful with very light skin that can quickly turn carrot tones!" she specifies. Finally, you should not abuse it either. Drinking tons of carotenoids every day can lead to an excess of vitamin A , which is toxic for the body. "So it is not to be drunk every day or even several times a day!" emphasizes our expert .
The healthy glow drink recipe
To prepare your own drink, several recipes can be found online. But the simplest and tastiest is to put a cooked sweet potato and 175 ml of organic carrot juice in a blender, garnished according to your taste with other fruits, such as the juice of an orange or mango segments... Serve very smooth and very cold in a large glass. The drink thus prepared will keep for a few days in the fridge.