Ask most guys why they want a tan and you will hear the same themes: looking more athletic, more defined, and a bit more confident in a T shirt or at the beach. The goal is usually not to spend hours lying in the sun. It is to have skin that looks slightly deeper, smoother, and more even without a complicated routine. The problem is that the fastest traditional route to a tan has been unprotected UV exposure, which is the same thing that accelerates wrinkles and increases skin cancer risk over time.
From a science based perspective, getting tan as a guy has less to do with gender and more to do with strategy. Your skin works the same way as anyone else’s. UV light triggers melanin production, certain surface reactions can darken the outer layer of skin, and pigments and antioxidants from your diet can accumulate in the tissue and influence its color. The smartest approach is to let those cosmetic and nutritional levers do most of the work and let UV play a limited, carefully managed role, instead of being your primary tanning tool.1-3,6-9 KINGS is designed to live in that space as a simple drinkable step that supports a warmer, more bronzed tone from within.
How guys usually try to tan (and what the science says)
Most men who try to tan quickly fall into one of two camps. The first group relies on outdoor sun or tanning beds, often with little or no sunscreen. The second group uses a basic self tanner or tinted body product when there is a holiday or event. UV driven tanning increases melanin inside the skin, but it does so by causing DNA damage and oxidative stress, which is why indoor tanning devices are classified as carcinogenic and repeated intense sun exposure is strongly linked to melanoma and other skin cancers.3,4 Self tanners, in contrast, usually depend on dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a sugar that reacts with amino acids in the stratum corneum to form brown melanoidin pigments that color only the outermost layer of the skin and do not require any UV at all.1,2
If you are a guy who wants to tan faster and smarter, the evidence is clear: avoiding tanning beds completely, keeping intentional sun exposure moderate and protected, and treating DHA based products and internal pigment support as your main tools will change how your skin looks much more quickly and safely than trying to force deeper UV exposure.
The essentials of tanning physiology (without the textbook)
When UV rays reach your skin, they pass through the outer dead layer and reach the living layers of the epidermis where melanocytes sit. Those cells respond by increasing melanin production and dispersing pigment granules to neighboring keratinocytes. This extra pigment absorbs and scatters some UV radiation, so a tan is actually a sign that your skin is trying to protect itself after damage, not that it has become healthier.3,5 Sunscreen does not turn this process off completely, but broad spectrum SPF 30 used properly can block most UVB and a substantial portion of UVA, which reduces the amount of damage and slows how quickly you tan from sun alone.5
On the cosmetic side, DHA acts only in the stratum corneum and is considered a much safer way to create the visual effect of a tan because it does not rely on UV or changes in melanin inside the skin.1,2 On the nutritional side, carotenoid pigments such as beta carotene and lycopene are deposited in the skin when you consume them. This can shift skin color toward a slightly deeper, more golden hue that multiple studies have associated with higher ratings of health and attractiveness in both men and women, independent of sun exposure.6,7,9 Oral carotenoids can also provide a small amount of systemic photoprotection, making skin less prone to UV induced redness when taken consistently over time, although this does not replace sunscreen.8
How KINGS fits into a low effort routine for men
KINGS takes advantage of that internal route and wraps it in a format that fits easily into a male grooming routine. You add the drops to a glass or bottle of water once a day, so there is nothing to apply, blend, or rinse off. Once you drink it, the active ingredients are absorbed through the gut into your bloodstream, circulate to the skin, and over time help support a warmer, more even tone that aligns with your natural undertone rather than painting a new color on top. The product itself has not yet been studied in its own clinical trials, and it is not a drug or a substitute for sunscreen, but it is formulated on the same principles as the carotenoid research that has shown diet and supplements can influence skin color and modestly affect its response to light.6-9
For a guy who prefers simple systems, that means your daily KINGS ritual quietly shifts your baseline so that you start from a slightly more bronzed, healthier looking canvas. When you then add a well applied DHA self tanner or a short, well protected period in the sun, you reach your preferred tan with less UV exposure and less risk of streaky, obviously cosmetic color.
A practical step by step plan to get tan as a guy
Here is how you could structure a routine that respects your skin but still gets you to a believable tan relatively quickly:
Step 1: Make KINGS and hydration a daily habit. Mix KINGS into the water you are already drinking once a day and treat it like any other consistent health or grooming input. The goal is not an overnight change but a gradual build so that pigment supporting nutrients have time to accumulate in the skin and contribute to a more even tone.
Step 2: Use a no fuss self tanner once or twice a week. Choose a simple, fragrance light DHA based product, exfoliate gently before the first application, and pay extra attention to dry areas such as knees, ankles, and elbows.1,2 Apply in good light, use a mitt or glove, and give it time to dry before getting dressed. This gives you quick visible color on top of what KINGS is building from within.
Step 3: Protect your skin every time you are outside. Use a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 on exposed areas, reapply if you are outdoors for more than two hours, and skip tanning beds completely.3-5 This may slow a purely UV driven tan slightly, but it drastically reduces your risk of burns, uneven pigmentation, and long term skin damage.
Step 4: Eat for your skin as well as your muscles. If you already focus on protein and training, adding more carotenoid rich foods like carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and dark leafy greens helps support the same pigment pathways that KINGS is targeting. Studies show that higher carotenoid intake is reflected in skin color and that this look is consistently rated as healthier and more attractive in men as well as women.6,7,9 KINGS is designed to complement, not replace, this dietary foundation.
Step 5: Know your skin type and medical history. Very fair or easily burned skin has limited capacity to tan safely in the sun, and anyone with a history of skin cancer, atypical moles, or photosensitizing medications should be especially cautious and speak with a dermatologist. No aesthetic goal is worth overriding basic medical safety.
The bottom line for guys
Getting a tan as a guy does not have to mean acting like a teenager in a tanning bed or spending your weekends lying in direct sun. The most efficient and skin friendly strategy is to let cosmetic chemistry and internal support do the heavy lifting and let UV play only a controlled, secondary role. Self tanners and bronzers create fast surface color without UV.1,2 KINGS provides a low effort way to support a warmer, more bronzed tone from within by drawing on the same carotenoid based mechanisms that research links to healthier looking skin and modest systemic photoprotection.6-9
When you stack these tools on top of everyday sunscreen use, shade, and basic skin care, you can reach and maintain a convincing tan more quickly while still protecting your skin for the long term. If you have a personal or family history of skin cancer, an underlying skin condition, or questions about how any product fits with your medications, it is always wise to check in with a dermatologist or physician before you change your routine.