A woman said she achieved a 'natural fake tan' by eating 3 carrots a day. But a dietician cautioned against overconsumption, suggesting self-tanner instead.

• Beauty and wellness TikToker Isabelle Lux went viral saying eating 3 carrots daily has made her tan.
• Lux used to eat 10 carrots per day, but was told by her doctor to cut back after getting "really sick."

A TikToker who said she was able to achieve a "natural fake tan" by eating three large carrots daily for years has gone viral for the unorthodox beauty hack.

And while a dietician confirmed to Insider that eating lots of carrots can make you tan, she cautioned against "overconsumption" of the vegetable, suggesting those seeking a glow might be better served by self-tanning lotion.

In July, @Isabelle.Lux shared that she's been eating three large carrots daily for several years, which had changed the "natural undertone" of her skin — causing her to glow, as she put it, "from the inside out."

Lux's two videos on the matter garnered a combined 6.6 million views, but the 32-year-old beauty and wellness influencer later clarified in an August video she didn't actually start eating carrots to get tan. She was simply "obsessed" with the vegetable, she said.

"I've loved carrots since high school, which is when my skin tone changed," Lux told Insider. "I didn't realize it at the time because I was doing a lot of spray tanning. It took me 10 years later to realize my palms were always on the orange side and my skin tone had changed to a more yellow glowing shade than my natural very pale pink/blue tone."

At one point, Lux said her obsession resulted in medical intervention. She said on TikTok that eating 10 carrots per day had made her "really sick" with "vitamin A poisoning," whereupon her doctor told her to limit her daily intake to three. "Too much is too much," she said.

Bonnie Taub-Dix, a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), told Insider that while eating "bunches" of carrots can lend an "orange-like tan," overconsumption should be avoided.

While eating carrots on a "regular basis" provides vitamin A (for healthy eyes and skin), carotenoids (for immune system support), and fiber, Taub-Dix warned that "overconsumption of carrots may cause vitamin A toxicity, gastrointestinal discomfort, and skin discoloration, known as carotenemia."

"Just like any other food — just because it's good for us, doesn't mean we should binge on it," Taub-Dix said, noting a cup of chopped, raw carrots provides about 430% of the recommended daily value for vitamin A.

Lux's tanning hack was also amplified by a self-described nutritionist Maria Marlowe, who goes by @glowbymarlowe on TikTok, in a video last week with 15.1 million views.

Marlowe noted that in addition to tanning, eating carrots daily for weeks "helps to protect your skin from UV rays." She also cited a 2009 study that claimed that a "carotenoid tan" was more attractive to the opposite sex.

"It's important to eat a wide variety of vegetables and fruit in a rainbow of colors," Marlowe told Insider.

"The beta carotene in carrots is a powerful antioxidant that can help protect the skin from damage," Taub-Dix said, concurring with Marlowe's former assertion, while still cautioning against excessive consumption.

"As far as attracting the opposite sex," Taub-Dix said, "if someone's favorite color is orange, that could be an interesting tactic! Otherwise, I'd look for someone who's attracted to you for more important reasons."