TikTok Trend Watch: Is Beer Tanning Really a Thing?

Dr. Jeanine B. Downie sounds off on this "absolutely ridiculous" TikTok trend.

TikTok is where many trends and DIY challenges get started, and skincare is one of the more popular categories for this content, for better or sometimes for worse.

 Take beer tanning, for example. Tik Tokkers are claiming that pouring beer on skin will activate melanin for a better tan

“This is absolutely ridiculous and will predispose you to sunburn, premature aging, and potentially life-threatening skin cancers, “ says Jeanine B. Downie, MD, Founder and director of image Dermatology in Montclair, NJ

“The thought of pouring beer all over your body, staining your beautiful swimsuit, and either washing off the sunblock you have on or not even using sunblock and putting beer on to get a tan is downright dangerous.”

For people with lighter skin tones, beer tanning can lead to this severe blistering and burning, she says.

The bottom line? Beer tanning is Not recommended, there is absolutely no tan that is safe.