In Western countries before 1920’s, tanned skin associated with the lower classes
The preference for fair-skin continued until the end of the Victorian era
In the early 1920’s benefits of the sun became recognized for cures to Lupus & Rickets (vitamin D deficiency)
In the 1920’s Designer Coco Channelwas burnt while in the French Riviera and this started the “healthy tanned look”
Parisians fell in love with Josephine Baker, a “caramel-skinned” singer in Paris, and idolized her dark skin.
These two women were leading figures of the transformation tanned skin underwent, in which it became perceived as fashionable, healthy, & luxurious
Jean Patou capitalized on the new tanning fad launching the first suntan oil “Huile de Chaldee” in 1927
By the 1930’s Sun therapy became a very popular subscribed cure-all (fatigue to tuberculosis)
1940’s magazine promoted sun tanning and swimsuits became “smaller”
In the latter part of the 1950s, silver metallic UV reflectors common to enhance one’s tan.
In 1953, Copper Tone marketed their sunscreen by placing a little blond girl and her cocker spaniel on the cover of their bottles; this is still the same advertisement used today
In 1962, sunscreen commenced to be SPF rated, although in the US SPF labeling was not standardized by the FDA until 1978
Current Day- education on skin sun damage and cancer has seen the Sunless Tanning Industry soar