They’re dying for that glow — one can of carrots at a time.
A new TikTok trend called “carrotmaxxing” is taking root among beauty-obsessed users looking to score a sun-kissed sheen.
But instead of bronzed bliss, some people are turning orange — or worse, landing themselves in the hospital.
“Fake tan has become too expensive. Time to start carrotmaxxing,” one user, @SydneyPacce, declared on X (formerly Twitter) on May 9 alongside a photo of six cans of sliced carrots and a bottle of Dr. Pepper.
Nine days — and an apparent veggie binge — later, she posted an alarming update: “UPDATE: CARROTMAXXING SENT ME TO THE ER.”
The beta-carotene-packed trend supposedly delivers a natural tan by turning skin a warmer hue.
But if you go too hard on the carrots, you might wind up with carotenemia — a rather harmless condition that literally turns your skin yellow-orange due to “high levels of beta-carotene in the blood,” according to Very Well Health.
Having your skin turn a different color is one thing — but getting sent to the ER for sodium overload from the root vegetable is another.
Experts warn that the high levels of sodium in canned carrots — the way many are partaking in this trend — can cause some serious harm.
According to Harvard Medical School physicians, who wrote in a recent statement, “It’s also highly likely that some patients are more salt-sensitive than others. Thus, directing salt restriction to those most vulnerable might be better than a one-size-fits-all approach.”
That was apparently the case for @SydneyPacce, who consumed six cans of sliced carrots daily — not raw carrots, mind you — amounting to over 5,250 milligrams of sodium a day.
That’s more than double the American Heart Association’s recommended limit of 2,300 mg, and way beyond the ideal cap of 1,500 mg.
“I already had heart problems, so all the sodium in the carrots kinda took me out and I went into mild organ failure,” she wrote in a follow-up tweet on May 19. “I’m doing much better now though!”
Carrots themselves aren’t the enemy — far from it. Packed with fiber, vitamin K, calcium and vision-boosting antioxidants, they’re a powerhouse snack when eaten in moderation.
“Since they are known for benefiting eye health and vision, carrots are thought to be loaded with vitamin A, but they actually don’t have any vitamin A in its active form,” said Rosy Rojas, a dietetic intern at Tufts’ Frances Stern Nutrition Center.
“Instead, carrots are filled with carotenoids, mainly beta-carotene, that can be converted to active vitamin A. Our body is able to regulate this conversion, so toxicity is not an issue.”
But when paired with sodium-laced canned veggies and a desperate quest for clout, the risks grow, as reported by The Independent.
While the glow-up might be the goal, the carrot craze is proving to be less of a bronzed beauty hack — and more of a cautionary tale.
Because when it comes to carrotmaxxing, too much of a good thing can leave you cooked.
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