Fad of using Coca-Cola as tanning aid earns frowns from dermatologists

Pouring Coca-Cola on your skin to enhance tanning may be all the rage as summer hits full stride, but dermatologists are doing what they can to kick sand on the trend.

MTV U.K. stars Charlotte Crosby and Chloe Ferry generated plenty of buzz while slathering the sticky beverage onto their skin while on holiday, and Leaf TV purred that Coca-Cola has been “praised as an exceptional tanning accelerator.”

But dermatologists have one word of advice about the Coca-Cola tan: Don’t.

“Besides the fact that it is gross and sticky (do you want flies with that burn?), it’s also a one-way ticket to developing cancer and wrinkles,” dermatologist Mona Gohara wrote in an online article for Fitness Magazine.

The thinking behind Coca-Cola as a tanning aid is that it contains a caramel dye said to give some people’s skin a bronze glow. Thus, proponents claim, the soft drink functions as a kind of self-tanner and tanning oil at the same time.

But Gohara and other dermatologists say that’s simply not true.

Rather than develop a quick, safe tan, they say, you’ll end up being a magnet for flies, wasps and other insects attracted by the sweet syrup. In essence, the only buzz you’re most likely to generate is from flying insects eager to bite you.

“The sad part is that, despite all the sun-safety education that’s been promoted over the last few years, many still think that tans are safe,” Gohara writes. “But there is no such thing as safe tanning. Tans are our body’s defense mechanism against toxic ultraviolet light, so when you develop one, it’s actually just your body’s way of saying, ‘Hello! You’re hurting me!’

“Not to mention that, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, more people develop skin cancer because of tanning than develop lung cancer because of smoking.”

So, if you’re determined to enjoy the sun this summer, make sure you use sunscreen with a high SPF, take your sunglasses and wear proper clothing — including a wide-brim hat if you can.

Save the Coca-Cola for sipping.

This story was originally published June 20, 2017 at 5:38 PM with the headline "Fad of using Coca-Cola as tanning aid earns frowns from dermatologists."