Carrot Craze Taking a Risky Turn

There’s a new TikTok trend called “carrotmaxxing” that’s really catching on among beauty enthusiasts hoping for that coveted sun-kissed glow.

However, instead of achieving a bronzed look, some participants are finding themselves turning orange—or worse, ending up in the emergency room.

One user, @SydneyPacce, expressed her thoughts on X (formerly Twitter) back on May 9, saying, “Fake tan has become too expensive. Time to start carrotmaxxing,” alongside a photo of six cans of sliced carrots and a bottle of Dr. Pepper.

Just nine days later, after what seemed like a binge on veggies, she posted an alarming update: “UPDATE: CARROTMAXXING SENT ME TO THE ER.”

The trend, loaded with beta-carotene, supposedly provides a natural tan by warming up skin tones. Yet, overindulgence in carrots can lead to carotenemia, a relatively harmless condition that turns the skin yellow-orange due to elevated beta-carotene levels in the blood.

But the concern doesn’t stop at skin color changes—some have faced serious health issues from sodium overload linked to canned carrots, which seem to be the popular choice among followers of this trend.

Medical experts caution that the sodium content in canned varieties can be quite harmful. As Harvard physicians noted, some individuals are more salt-sensitive, meaning a blanket approach to salt intake isn’t always the best route.

This appears to have been true for @SydneyPacce, who was consuming six cans of sliced carrots each day, racking up over 5,250 milligrams of sodium daily, far exceeding the American Heart Association’s recommended limits.

In a follow-up post on May 19, she shared, “I already had heart problems, so all the sodium in the carrots kinda took me out and I went into mild organ failure. I’m doing much better now though!”

Carrots themselves aren’t the problem. In fact, they’re packed with fiber, vitamin K, calcium, and antioxidants known to boost vision and overall health—when eaten sensibly.

Dietetic intern Rosy Rojas from Tufts explains that while carrots are good for eyes and vision, they don’t contain vitamin A in its active form but are rich in carotenoids, like beta-carotene, which the body can convert effectively, avoiding toxicity.

Yet, when mixed with sodium-heavy canned veggies and a strong desire for social media recognition, dangers become more pronounced. The intention of getting that glow is turning out to be more of a cautionary tale than a beauty hack.

In the end, it seems that when it comes to carrotmaxxing, enjoying things in moderation might just be the smarter path.