“90% of skin aging is caused not by our age, but by the sun. So if the majority of our skin health comes from sun exposure, why not support it not only with topical sunscreen but also through nutrition?” — Elsha Kim, Founder, Bronzebody
Bronzebody Founder Elsha Kim on Carotenoid Supplements and Skin Health
What Is Photo-Nutrition?
By Cheryl Gushue
Photo-nutrition is the practice of using targeted antioxidants, specifically carotenoids found in plants and foods, to support the skin’s natural defenses against light exposure. Unlike topical SPF, which creates a physical or chemical barrier on the skin’s surface, photo-nutrition works from within, building resilience at the cellular level over four to eight weeks of consistent supplementation. It is not a tanning strategy. It is a skin health strategy. And according to Bronzebody founder Elsha Kim, most people have never heard of it.
Kim discovered the concept while living in France, where a Moroccan friend introduced her to annatto, known in French as ircum, a potent carotenoid-rich spice used for generations as a natural approach to sun resilience. Another friend, badly burned on an Italian vacation after falling asleep covered in olive oil, woke the next morning with no pain after applying tomatoes directly to the burn overnight. Lycopene, the antioxidant responsible, has been studied for decades for its anti-inflammatory and sun-resilience properties. These experiences sent Kim down a research path that eventually became Bronzebody, a clean photo-nutrition supplement brand launched in Los Angeles.
“I approached it as a consumer,” Kim says. “I don’t want to take anything I’m not actually taking myself. I really built it for myself first.”
Bronzebody’s GLOW capsules, launched in March 2026 following a multi-year research and development process, are manufactured in an NSF Certified facility in the USA and contain five clinically studied carotenoids: astaxanthin, lycopene, beta-carotene, lutein, and annatto tocotrienols. The formulation is cold-processed and microencapsulated to preserve antioxidant integrity, and has been shared by more than 150 clinicians and dermatologists.
What Are Carotenoids and How Do They Work in the Skin?
Carotenoids are antioxidants found in plants, fruits, vegetables, and some animal sources like salmon. Plants evolved carotenoids to handle sunlight without degrading. When consumed by humans, these compounds accumulate in the upper layer of the dermis over time, depositing in the skin’s lipid layer and contributing to what researchers describe as a carotenoid glow: a warm luminosity that studies show is perceived as more attractive and health-signalling than a UV-induced tan across different cultures.
“Carotenoids are quite literally just pigmentation in our skin lipids,” Kim explains. “It creates that skin barrier to make us more resilient, and that subtle glow.”
The process takes four to eight weeks to build up meaningfully in the skin. This is a key differentiator from supplements containing Polypodium leucotomos (PLE), which are water-soluble, fast-acting, and exit the body within hours. Carotenoids become part of the skin’s structure. They require consistency.
A Tan Is a Stress Response. Here Is What That Actually Means.
One of the most important distinctions Kim draws is between a tan and a carotenoid glow, and it begins with understanding what a tan actually is.
“A tan is a stress response,” Kim says. “Our body is going through a stress response to UV light. When the UV triggers us, our body darkens. And if we continue to get UV exposure past our threshold, we get erythema, the irritation, the sunburn. The tan is just the first level of that.”
Carotenoids do not trigger this stress response. They deposit pigment in the skin lipid layer the same way a papaya or carrot carries its golden color. The result is a subtle, health-driven glow that reflects antioxidant accumulation, not UV damage.
This distinction matters enormously when evaluating the wave of tanning gummies and oral tanning supplements that have flooded the market since the early 2000s.
What to Know Before You Take Any Tanning or Glow Supplement
The tanning supplement category is crowded, and not everything in it has your skin health as the priority.
Kim flags several ingredients common in cosmetically focused tanning supplements. L-tyrosine is an amino acid used to stimulate melanogenesis, the body’s melanin production process. Copper is another. Pre-formed vitamin A is a third. The distinction between pre-formed and pro-formed vitamin A matters: beta-carotene is pro-formed, meaning the body takes only what it needs and excretes the rest. Pre-formed vitamin A cannot be self-regulated in the same way, making it accessible to all skin types for visible color change, but carrying a higher risk of toxicity at elevated doses.
“I’m all about supporting our body’s natural defences rather than forcing a cosmetic result,” Kim says. “If it’s a cosmetic result, you need to ask: is this in the benefit of your health, or are we working with your body?”
Research has also linked mega-doses of beta-carotene supplementation to increased lung cancer risk in smokers. This is not a reason to avoid beta-carotene in balanced formulations. It is a reason to know your dosages.
Supplement stacking is a real concern. Overlapping ingredients across multiple products can result in unintended over-supplementation. Check ingredient lists across your full supplement stack before adding anything new. If you are on prescription medication or managing a health condition, consult a healthcare practitioner first.
The 80s Tanning Pill: What Went Wrong and Why It Still Matters
Canthaxanthin tanning pills were widely marketed in the United States in the 1980s. Canthaxanthin is technically a carotenoid. But the form, function, and dosage of those products was entirely different from what clean photonutrition represents today.
“They were marketed as tanning pills and used as a dye,” Kim explains. “A safe amount of canthaxanthin as a carotenoid is around 30 milligrams. Those pills had over 100 milligrams in one dose.”
The consequences were serious and documented. Crystal deposits formed on the retina in users, a condition called canthaxanthin retinopathy, first described in 1983. At least one death was reported. Liver damage and severe skin reactions were also recorded. The FDA never approved canthaxanthin for use as a tanning agent.
The lesson is not that carotenoids are dangerous. It is that dose, form, function, and manufacturing standards determine whether any supplement supports your health or works against it.
Why European Standards Change Everything
In Europe, photo-nutrition supplements are sold in pharmacies. No prescription required.
“In Europe, these products are sold in pharmacies because they’re credible, and the whole culture is just different,” Kim says. “When I got started in the US, it was honestly pretty shocking how easy it is for anyone to just get into this and how little visibility you have into the process unless you’re very active about it.”
In the United States, dietary supplements are regulated under DSHEA of 1994. Manufacturers are not required to obtain FDA pre-market approval. In the European Union, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) requires pre-market safety review. Ingredients are vetted before they reach consumers.
This regulatory gap means the responsibility falls almost entirely on the consumer and on brands with the integrity to hold themselves to a higher standard. Bronzebody’s GLOW capsules are manufactured with a Canadian pharmaceutical-grade partner, cold-processed, and third-party tested.
The Gummy Problem: Why Format Matters for This Ingredient Class
Tanning gummies have become one of the fastest-growing formats in oral beauty supplements. For carotenoids specifically, Kim says gummies are the wrong delivery format.
“Carotenoids are highly heat-sensitive. Research shows that the gummy manufacturing process destroys up to 60% of the actual integrity of the antioxidant. For our carotenoids, no. Sadly.”
Bronzebody uses cold-processed capsules with microencapsulation to protect the carotenoids through manufacturing and digestion.
Kim also points to gut health as a critical and underappreciated factor in supplement efficacy. “Your gut health determines how much of any supplement is actually absorbed. That’s point one.”
Photo-Nutrition Is Not a Replacement for SPF
This point cannot be overstated. Photo-nutrition supplements support the skin’s internal defences. They do not replace topical sun protection.
“I wouldn’t even compare it to SPF at all,” Kim says. “SPF is a shield on the outside of your skin. Photo-nutrition is nutrition that supports your body’s natural defences in response to sunlight exposure.”
The two work on entirely different planes and are most effective when used together.
Bronzebody GLOW capsules are available at shopbronzebody.com and on Amazon.
FAQ
What is photo-nutrition and how is it different from SPF?
Photo-nutrition uses carotenoid antioxidants taken orally to support the skin’s internal defences against light exposure. SPF is a topical product that creates a barrier on the skin’s surface. They work on entirely different mechanisms and are designed to be used together, not interchanged. Photo-nutrition does not replace sunscreen.
What are carotenoids and where do they come from?
Carotenoids are antioxidants found in plants, fruits, vegetables, and some animal sources. They give papayas, carrots, tomatoes, and salmon their color. Plants evolved carotenoids to protect themselves from sun damage. When consumed, they accumulate in the skin’s lipid layer and support the skin’s natural resilience to light.
How long does it take to see results from Bronzebody?
Based on clinical research, carotenoids take four to eight weeks to deposit meaningfully into the skin. Unlike water-soluble supplements that exit the body within hours, carotenoids build up in the skin’s structure over time. Consistency is required. Results vary by individual and skin type.
What is the difference between a carotenoid glow and a tan?
A tan is a stress response triggered by UV exposure. The skin darkens as a defensive reaction, and continued exposure past the body’s threshold results in a burn. A carotenoid glow is the result of pigment depositing in the skin’s lipid layer through supplementation. Multiple studies show this pigmentation is perceived as healthier and more attractive than UV-induced tanning across different cultures.
Can I take Bronzebody with other supplements or medication?
Supplement stacking matters in this category. Overlapping ingredients across multiple products, particularly beta-carotene, can lead to unintended over-supplementation. High-dose beta-carotene supplementation has been linked to increased lung cancer risk in smokers. Anyone on prescription medication or managing an existing health condition should consult a healthcare practitioner before adding any new supplement to their routine.
What made 1980s tanning pills dangerous?
The canthaxanthin pills of the 1980s were dangerous primarily because of dosage and intent. A safe level of canthaxanthin is approximately 30 milligrams. Those products contained over 100 milligrams per dose. Users developed retinal crystal deposits, liver damage, and severe skin reactions. At least one death was reported. The FDA never approved canthaxanthin as a tanning agent.
Why are photo-nutrition supplements more credible in Europe than the US?
In the EU, supplements undergo pre-market safety review by EFSA before reaching consumers. In the US, DSHEA of 1994 does not require pre-market approval. Products go to market and regulatory intervention happens after problems surface. In Europe, photo-nutrition supplements are commonly sold in pharmacies as credible, tested products. In the US, the burden of quality control falls entirely on the brand.
Why doesn’t Bronzebody make a gummy version?
Carotenoids are highly heat-sensitive. The gummy manufacturing process can destroy up to 60% of carotenoid antioxidant integrity. Bronzebody uses cold-processed, microencapsulated capsules specifically to preserve ingredient quality through both manufacturing and digestion.
ABOUT
Elsha Kim is the founder of Bronzebody, a photonutrition brand built for people who love the sun. During a decade in health and beauty manufacturing, Elsha saw firsthand how much ingredient quality and transparency matter. She first discovered photonutrition in Europe, where supporting skin from within is commonplace, and was struck that it remained virtually unknown back home.
She spent years in research and development creating a daily blend of clinically studied carotenoids that works where SPF cannot reach, a formula now shared by more than 150 clinicians and dermatologists. Bronzebody grew from a simple belief: the sun is not something to hide from. It is something to meet. Plant-based, third-party tested, and made in an NSF Certified facility in the USA, so that everyone, from the fair and freckled to the sun-seekers, can glow with confidence.
