Busting The Base Tan Myth

The History of Tanning

Skin color trends have fluctuated throughout history. For a long time, fair skin was considered to be linked with social status. Now, a tan means “healthy” which is pretty ironic considering UV radiation is a carcinogen.

Tanning started to become popular in the United States in 1923 after Coco Chanel sported an accidental tan on the French Riviera¹. Photos of the famous french designer went “viral” and started the craze for the bronzed look. It was part of the Victorian Era fading into the past. Flappers, smoking, drinking, shorter hemlines and tanning. It was rebellious — newfound freedom. In the ’20s and ’30s, people started to travel more overseas, engage in more activities outside, and cowboy movies and western TV shows were picking up steam with tanned actors like Clint Eastwood and John Wayne.

More and more skin became exposed as we progressed through the ’30s and ’40s with the release of the first bikini in 1946 by Louis Rerard. Tanning also gained more public favor because of the tans on returning WWII soldiers. Followed by the rising popularity of Coppertone (Can you believe they used to say “Coppertone gives you a better tan” in their ads?) and Hawaii becoming a state in 1959. In 1964, Sports Illustrated had its first swimsuit issue with a tanned cover model. Then in the ’70s, Malibu Barbie was launched and Charlie’s Angels came out. During this time period, indoor tanning also became wildly popular². The tanning trend took off from there.

The Hard Facts

A tan isn’t a healthy glow, it’s sun damage.

We have these cells called melanocytes in our skin which produce melanin a.k.a. pigment. People who have more melanogenic activity in their skin have darker skin tones and people who have less melanogenic activity have fairer skin tones. When you are exposed to prolonged UV radiation, these cells will produce and redistribute melanin to try and protect the deeper layers of your skin. This is what we call a “tan.”

However, it is important to note that a tan is a defense mechanism that your skin uses to protect itself in reaction to too much sun. It is not a preventative measure against further damage. But it’s not just skin damage, it’s DNA damage. Over time, prolonged exposure will make your skin darker but also thicker and leathery.

So are Base Tan’s a Myth?

Until proven otherwise, yes. Melanin is produced by the body to protect the skin, therefore it has protective qualities, but it’s very important to wear sunscreen because we don’t produce enough melanin to protect ourselves. There are studies that assume the SPF (sun protection factor) of a tan would range anywhere from an SPF of 1.5–4 depending on the individual. The efficacy of melanin as a sunscreen is still very controversial. You can read more here.

SPF 4 is worth noting but it isn’t enough to warrant the UV exposure you sustain while getting the base tan in the the first place.

Any kind of tan you are getting from sun exposure (or a tanning bed) is skin damage and there are no conclusive studies to indicate the exact protection factor. Most people would not be able to dose the proper amount of UVR for melanin protection and lighter skin cannot repair itself as well as darker skin. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, “a single blistering sunburn can nearly double one’s lifetime risk of melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.”³ Skin cancer doesn’t discriminate against any skin color, so protect your skin.

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Sources:

1. A Brief History of Tanning

2. Ask The Experts

3. Melanoma Stats