If you’ve scrolled TikTok this year, you’ve seen it: “tanmaxxing.” It means doing everything possible to get the deepest tan you can. People lie out at peak sun for hours, layer kitchen and baby oils, skip sunscreen, and sometimes add tanning beds on top.
We get the appeal. A deep bronze glow makes you feel confident, rested and put together. But the way tanmaxxing gets there costs your skin a lot, and you don’t need to sacrifice your skin’s health to get the look.
The sun isn’t the enemy. Overdoing it is.
At Brazi Bronze, we believe the sun is life. Sunlight helps your body make vitamin D, it supports your mood and your natural sleep-wake rhythm, and there’s nothing like a warm afternoon outside. The problem with tanmaxxing isn’t the sun. It’s the excess: hours at peak UV, no protection, and chasing color until you burn.
Too much UV is what leads to sunburn, sunspots, fine lines, loss of firmness and a higher risk of skin cancer. Moderation and protection are what keep sun time something you can enjoy for years.
FAQ
Is tanmaxxing dangerous?
Deliberately maximizing UV exposure without protection raises your risk of sunburn, premature aging and skin cancer. Indoor tanning is especially risky: the Skin Cancer Foundation reports a 75% higher risk of melanoma for people who start using tanning beds before age 35. That’s why we never recommend tanning beds.
Can I still get a sun tan in a smarter way?
Yes. Think short, consistent sessions instead of marathon days. 30 to 45 minutes in the sun per tanning session is all you need. Your color builds gradually over several sessions, and staying longer won’t make you tan faster. It just raises your chance of burning.
For a smarter session:
• Apply SPF first, then your tanning oil on top.
• Avoid the 10am to 4pm peak when UV is strongest. Early morning or late afternoon is ideal.
• Start shorter if you’re fair, and build up over several days.
• Never let yourself burn. Pinkness means your skin has had enough. Get into the shade.
• Keep your face protected with SPF and a hat.
• Hydrate and moisturize afterward to keep your glow even.
Why isn’t longer better?
Your skin can only produce so much melanin in one session. After that, extra time mostly adds UV exposure, not extra color. Short, regular sessions give a more even, longer-lasting tan.
Does the sun have health benefits?
In moderation, yes. Sunlight is the body’s main natural source of vitamin D, and daylight helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle and mood. The key is balance: enough sun to enjoy it, never so much that you burn.
What you put on your skin matters too
How your skin responds to the sun isn’t only about how long you stay out. It’s also about what’s on your skin while you’re out there. Some ingredients react with sunlight, some are under growing scrutiny from regulators and researchers, and some offer no protection at all. Here are the ones worth avoiding in your sun and tanning routine:
• Oxybenzone (benzophenone-3): A chemical UV filter that is absorbed into the body. The FDA has said it needs more safety data. The EU now limits how much of it products can contain, and Hawaii has banned sunscreens containing it over coral reef concerns.
• Octinoxate (octyl methoxycinnamate): Another chemical filter the FDA has asked for more data on. It’s also banned in Hawaii because of reef concerns.
• Homosalate: The EU’s scientific safety committee found current levels weren’t safe for all uses, so the EU now caps it at a much lower concentration, and only for face products.
• Octocrylene: A 2021 study published in Chemical Research in Toxicology found that it can break down into benzophenone, a possible carcinogen, as products age on the shelf.
• Synthetic fragrance (“parfum”): A common cause of skin irritation and allergic reactions, and some fragrance ingredients react with sunlight.
• Citrus juices and some citrus essential oils (lime, lemon, bergamot): They contain compounds that react with UV light and can cause burns, blisters and dark marks. This reaction is known as phytophotodermatitis, or “margarita burn.” Never use DIY lemon or lime juice tricks to “boost” a tan.
• Kitchen and baby oils: These aren’t toxic, but mineral oil and cooking oils give no nutrients or antioxidants. Slathering them on for hours is what tanmaxxing is built on.
• Retinoids and exfoliating acids (AHAs/BHAs): These are great skincare, but they make your skin more sensitive to the sun. Skip them the night before a sun session.
The smarter swap: For your SPF, choose a mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. These are the only two sunscreen ingredients the FDA has proposed as “generally recognized as safe and effective.” Then layer a clean, natural tanning oil on top.
The Brazi Bronze solution: “maxx” your glow, not your damage
• Organic Sun Tanning Oil with Urucum: The natural alternative made for your 30 to 45 minute sessions. It’s 100% natural, organic and vegan, free from GMOs, pesticides and synthetic fragrance. It’s made with urucum (annatto), carrot oil, sweet almond oil and antioxidant vitamins A and E to nourish your skin while you tan. It has no SPF, so apply your mineral sunscreen first, and use it on the body only (never the face). Contains almond oil, so skip it if you have a nut allergy.
• Sunkissed Self-Tanning Face Drops: Keep your face protected in the sun and get your facial glow from these instead. Our skincare-first serum tans while you sleep. Use 10 to 15 drops for a deep bronze.
• Head to Toe Sun Tanning Glow Ritual: Scrub, Face Drops and tanning oil together, everything for a sun-kissed glow from head to toe.