Coca Cola is the Latest Fad in the Self-Tanning Craze

The self-tanning industry is experiencing a monumental boom. According to Statista, self-tanning products are expected to generate around 1 billion dollars by the end of 2017. However, recently, the trend to give skin that instant bronze tint has taken a strange turn. This summer, beach goers are applying Coca Cola in order to make their skin look a few shades darker.

Dermatologists are alarmed by the ad-hoc tanning method. “It can thin the skin and actually cause increased burning,” said Kathryn Balazs, MD. “We don’t think it’s a good idea at all because people aren’t using sunscreen and they are doing this Coca-Cola thing, which is very dangerous.”

Coca Cola’s corrosive properties and high acidity will destroy your skin’s natural barriers that protect us from harmful UV rays. Dousing skin in the soda will inevitably increase a person’s chances of developing skin cancer. According to British aesthetician, Andy Millward, "the effects from using Coca-Cola, which is loaded with citric acid, would be similar to exfoliating or peeling the skin with acid and then going in the sun." Coca Cola has even made efforts to warn consumers from using it as a tanner: "As much as we love Coca-Cola, we really wouldn't recommend using it in this way. There is no sun protection factor in it at all - it's a drink!"