Why are tanning pills suddenly safe?
Written by the Zephyrian team · Updated August 18, 2026
Short answer: Zephyrian rebuilt the “tanning pill” with 100% natural ingredients, 0% of the bad stuff from the 1980s products.
Here’s what went wrong in the skin glow category earlier, and how we’ve made it right.
Because we make it the way it should be.
Zephyrian is a food supplement with natural carotenoids, the same ones that you already get from food like salmon, carrots and tomatoes:
- Astaxanthin
- Lycopene
- Beta-carotene
- + Coconut oil
Nothing more. We make it the way it should have been in the first place.
These natural pigments are widely studied in independent clinical research1) and have the FDA’s GRAS status.
Our product is manufactured in a GMP-certified, FDA-registered facility.
Every batch is third-party tested for purity and potency. You can always find the test results for the up-to-date batch on our website.
“Unlike tanning, which the FDA warns is always a sign of UV damage, carotenoid-based skin color reflects nutrition and protection. Think of it as a glow that comes from health, not harm.”
Dr Valeria Kopytina
PhD in Molecular Biosciences. Coordinates clinical studies in dermatology and nutritional interventions.
What’s inside Zephyrian?
Four ingredients. Three carotenoid pigments from food, and the coconut oil that carries them. Nothing else.
What was the problem with 1980s tanning pills?
The problem was a synthetic color additive called canthaxanthin. The 1980s tanning pills worked by swallowing massive doses of it, which was found to cause a variety of health problems.
That is why the FDA5), Cleveland Clinic6) and the American Cancer Society7) still warn against “tanning pills” today. We agree with every word of those warnings. They are about synthetic canthaxanthin in 1980s “tanning pills”.
Zephyrian rebuilt the skin glow category, and ours contain none of that.
It’s not the 1980s anymore. We take pride in using only natural food pigments, formulated to work together for glowing skin.
What’s the difference between the 1980s tanning pill and Zephyrian?
If you heard negative things about “80s tanning pills”, you heard right. Here is what those pills were, and why Zephyrian is different.
Natural carotenoids from foods you already eat: tomatoes, carrots, and the microalgae behind the red in cold-water fish. Plus coconut oil to carry them. Zephyrian does not contain any canthaxanthin.
Canthaxanthin, a synthetic dye, taken at megadoses.
Certificates of Analysis on every raw material. Independent sampling, then third-party testing for potency, heavy metals and microbials. Results published live.
GMP-certified, FDA-registered facility.
Sold legally as a food supplement. FDA GRAS status ingredients.
Pulled from the US market. The FDA acted against 80s tanning pills.
How is Zephyrian tested for safety?
Raw ingredients
All raw material arrives with a Certificate of Analysis, the lab results for every batch.
Premier factory
GMP-certified, FDA-registered production.
Batch complete
Each production run gets a batch number that follows it from here on.
Random sampling
A separate sampling organisation, not the lab, not us, pulls sealed samples.
Lab testing
A 3rd-party lab tests heavy metals, microbials and label claims. Results published live on our website.
To your door
Only batches that pass ship. The batch number on your pouch traces back to step 1.
Modern tanning pills, five honest answers.
The assumptions that come up most when people search whether a tanning pill is safe.
01 Are canthaxanthin and astaxanthin the same thing?
No, they are two completely different molecules.
Canthaxanthin is the synthetic dye behind the 1980s tanning pills and the reason they were pulled.
Astaxanthin is a natural carotenoid grown in microalgae, the pigment that makes salmon pink. If you remember one distinction from this page, make it this one.
02 Does Zephyrian contain canthaxanthin?
No. Zephyrian does not contain any canthaxanthin, or any other synthetic pigments.
Zephyrian’s color comes from natural carotenoids already familiar from foods.
03 Is Zephyrian the same formula as the 1980s tanning pills?
No, and nothing in common.
The 1980s pills used canthaxanthin, a synthetic dye. Zephyrian contains none of it. The pigments here are carotenoids you already eat, from tomatoes, carrots and microalgae.
04 Is Zephyrian legal in the US?
Yes. Zephyrian is sold legally in the US as a food supplement.
What the FDA acted against was synthetic canthaxanthin. Zephyrian contains none of that. Our ingredients are permitted in food and sold in supplements every day.
05 Can everyone take Zephyrian?
Zephyrian is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and it is not intended for smokers. It does not replace sunscreen or sun protection, and if you take medication or have a medical condition, check with your doctor first.*
Zephyrian Natural Carotenoid Blend
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FAQ
Will it turn me orange?
No. Orange skin comes from taking a big dose of beta-carotene on its own. We do not do that.
Zephyrian uses three carotenoids that balance each other out. Astaxanthin brings red undertones, lycopene brings surface warmth, and a supporting dose of beta-carotene adds golden balance. The result is a believable tone, not a costume.
How long until I see results?
Carotenoids build up in your skin slowly, so this is a gradual change and not an overnight one. Most people follow the same arc.
- Week 1 to 3. The first signs. Skin often looks a little warmer, especially in indoor light.
- Week 4 to 8. Other people start to notice. This is when you get "have you been away?"
- Week 8 to 12. Full saturation. The change is clear in the mirror.
Take one softgel every day. Being consistent matters more than anything else.
I am extremely pale and nothing has ever worked. Will this?
This is who we built it for.
You are not adding melanin, you are adding warmth, so it does not depend on your ability to tan. Very fair skin often shows the change more clearly than olive skin, because there is less color there to start with.
Be realistic about the size of it. This is a warm, healthy tone, not a deep tan.
Is this melanotan or a peptide?
No. Zephyrian contains no melanotan, no peptides, and no hormones. Nothing in it is injected and nothing in it is a research chemical.
It does not touch your melanin system at all. It is a food based carotenoid supplement, and the color comes from pigment stored in your skin.
Is it safe to take every day?
Yes. It is built to be taken every day.
All three ingredients are permitted for use in supplements in the US, the UK, and the EU. Zephyrian is made in an FDA-registered, GMP-certified facility and third-party tested for purity and potency.
These are the same carotenoids you get from tomatoes, carrots, and seafood, concentrated into one softgel.
What is in it? Exact doses please.
Per softgel:
- Lycopene 30mg, from tomato
- Astaxanthin 16mg, from Haematococcus pluvialis algae
- Beta-carotene 16mg, from Dunaliella salina algae
All three carotenoids are naturally sourced. None of them is a synthetic copy made in a lab.
The carrier is coconut oil, and it earns its place. Carotenoids are fat soluble, which means your body can only take them in alongside fat. The oil is what gets them absorbed.
The softgel shell is bovine gelatin, glycerin, and water. That is the whole formula. Nothing else is in there.
Made in a facility that may process common allergens (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy, sesame).
This product is manufactured under strict GMP quality and purity standards. Each batch is third party tested to be free of contaminants.
What if it does not work?
You get your money back.
The headline is 150 days. Here is how it actually works. Use Zephyrian for 90 days and document your progress, then claim any time up to day 150.
One step is on you: you have to activate your guarantee. You get simple instructions right after you buy, and it takes about a minute.
It covers your first 3 months. The 3-Month Results Kit qualifies right away. Monthly plans qualify from month 3. Full terms are on the guarantee page.
Why do I have to commit to 3 months?
You do not have to. You can buy a single month. We just have a genuinely better deal for you, so let us explain.
Carotenoids take 8 to 12 weeks to reach full levels in skin. One pouch runs out at week 4, right in the middle of the boring part where nothing has visibly happened yet. People who buy one month almost never make it far enough to see the result.
That is also why the guarantee is tied to 3 months. We would rather set you up to actually get there.
Will it darken my freckles or moles?
No. It does not darken existing spots.
What it does is warm up your overall base tone, which often makes freckles stand out a little less by comparison. It will not remove them either.
Keep having any mole that changes shape or color checked by your doctor, exactly as you would anyway.
How is this different from a self-tanner?
A self-tanner is a dye that sits on the surface. It streaks, it smells, it transfers onto clothes and sheets, and it is gone in about a week.
Zephyrian works from the inside. There is nothing to apply, nothing to wash off, and nothing to redo before an event.
Can I skip, pause, or cancel a plan?
Yes, any time, and there is no minimum number of orders.
Use the manage subscription link in your order or renewal email, or email support@zephyrian.shop and we will do it for you. You can skip one delivery, move the date, or cancel entirely. Do it before your renewal date so the next charge does not go out.
One thing to know: if you are planning to claim the results guarantee, your plan needs to stay active until the claim is settled.
More questions? Read the full FAQ.
Research references
- Whitehead et al., PLOS ONE (2012): dietary carotenoids measurably change skin tone within six weeks.
- Pezdirc et al., Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2016): randomized crossover trial, carotenoid-rich intake deepens skin’s golden tones.
- Zhou et al. (2021): meta-analysis of nine randomized trials, oral astaxanthin improved skin moisture and elasticity.
- Baswan et al., Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine (2021): clinical review of ingestible carotenoids in skin protection.
- FDA: Tanning Pills.
- Cleveland Clinic: Are Tanning Pills Safe?
- American Cancer Society: Tanning Pills and Products.