Eating fruits and vegetables is a surefire way to give your skin a glowing appearance. However, eating too much can cause your skin to turn orange, and orange skin isn’t the look that many people want. So why do certain fruits and vegetables turn your skin orange? Could there be other underlying factors causing your skin to turn orange?
Carotenemia
One of the most common causes of orange skin is carotenemia. The harmless condition is a result of eating an excess amount of produce that contains beta carotene. Beta carotene is an antioxidant, and pigment, that gives fruits and vegetables like mangoes, papayas, pumpkins, and most notably, carrots, their color. So how does it turn your skin orange?
Your liver metabolizes beta carotene and converts it into Vitamin A. However, your body will store excess beta carotene in fatty tissue. By absorbing into your skin, the beta carotene slowly turns your skin orange. After a few weeks, the color change of skin is visually noticeable.
Can your skin turn back to your normal color? Yes, carotenemia is reversible. Simply reduce your intake of fruits and vegetables that contain beta carotene, and your skin will return to its normal complexion.
Jaundice
If you haven’t consumed an excessive amount of fruits and vegetables, but your skin is yellow or orange, it’s possible you have jaundice. Jaundice occurs when your blood contains high levels of bilirubin. Bilirubin, a yellow-orange pigment, is produced when the liver filters dead blood cells out of the bloodstream. If your liver isn’t functioning properly, excessive amounts of bilirubin can be excreted back into the bloodstream. So what can cause the liver to malfunction?
Underlying conditions, such as hepatitis and pancreatic cancer can damage the liver, resulting in jaundice. What you ingest also affects your liver. For example, excessive alcohol consumption can damage your liver over time, resulting in jaundice. If you have jaundice, it’s important that you consult with your doctor immediately.
Tanning
Self-tanning products, if not applied to the skin properly, can turn your skin orange. Over-applying a tanning product causes layers of the product to build up, giving your skin an orange tone, rather than a tanned tone. Choosing a color that is similar to that of your natural skin is also important, as a dark tan may appear orange once applied to your skin. Be sure to test any product on a small patch of your skin before covering your entire body with it.
A spray-tan can also give an unusual orange hue to the skin. Spray-tanning too often can cause the tanning solution to build up layers on your skin, turning your skin orange. As with self-tanning products, be sure to choose a solution that is similar to your natural skin tone, as a dark tanning solution can color your skin orange.
The information provided herein has been reviewed for accuracy, but cannot be guaranteed to be free of infallalacy. A consultation with a doctor is always needed before receiving treatment of any cosmetic product.
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Published: 20161216
Revised: 20190628
