The History of Tanning |
ANYONE sporting a golden, gorgeous suntan today is seen as being healthy and in many quarters - wealthy.
Modern science has shown that moderate exposure to sunlight probably reduces the risk of many forms of cancer, diabetes and other diseases. This was not the case in the fifteenth century!
Queen Elizabeth I (the Virgin Queen) has always been depicted in paintings as having an extremely white face and very pale skin. The gentry, noblemen and aristocrats followed suit; exposure to the sun was for 'the peasants' and not them. This class distinction continued for many centuries. Only labourers had a tan from working 'outside'.
In the 18th and 19th centuries a pale complexion was so desired, many women took it to extremes and used all manner of potions, cosmetics and pastes to achieve the palest of skins. In some instances the use of lead-based cosmetics and the use of arsenic lead to an untimely death.
The 19th and early 20th centuries saw women moving to less extremes and used long body-covering clothes, hats and parasols to cover their body. |
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1903 can be seen as a turning point. Niels Finsen (1860-1904) was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology: "in recognition of his contribution to the treatment of diseases, especially Lupis Vulgaris, with concentrated light radiation". He opened a new avenue for medical science. His work was concluded in the opus "The Finsen Light Therapy". His therapy was to cure infectious diseases such as Lupis Vulgaris (also known as "Tuberculosis luposa"). |
Lupis Vulgaris manifests itself as a painful cutaneous tuberculosis skin lesions most often found on the face, around nose, eyelids, lips, cheeks and ears. If left untreated the lesions can develop into disfiguring skin ulcers. Finsen devised a treatment of "concentrated light radiation" to cure the disease. Sunlight was now seen as 'good for you' - giving healthy Vitamin D. |
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The Roaring twentys |
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Some of the best ideas happen by accident. It is said Coco Channel accidently got sunburnt while on on holiday on the French Riviera. Fans on seeing her golden brown skin loved the image. Soon both men and women were sunbathing to imitate their idol. The era of sun worshiping had arrived. Skirt levels rose above the ankles and necklines began to plunge. |
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The oily Thirties |
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The 1930's saw the invention of sun screen. Who actually invented the first sunscreen is not quite clear, most acknowledge it was Milton Blake, a South Australian chemist who first experimented unsuccessfully with the idea. However, the founder of the cosmetic company L’Oreal, Eugene Schueller (also a chemist) found success where Blake did not. He is often credited for inventing the very first sunscreen. Other sources name Austrian scientist Franz Greiter as the inventor, creating a product released as Glacier Cream. |
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The 1940's Bikini |
Sunbathing exploded in the 1940's with the invention of the bikini by French engineer Louis Reard in 1946. He named it after Bikini Atol in The Pacific - site of the now infamous first nuclear tests. He thought the burst of excitement in seeing his Bikini invention would be like a nuclear device going off! The Bikini revolution began to define suntanning
The 1940's also saw the first self-tanner solution known as “Man-Tan”. As like all 'new creations' it wasn't quite perfect. The general results create an orange tinge. With much research and development over the following decade lotions became better and more realistic.
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| The Nifty 50's |
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In 1953 the American company Coppertone brought out their iconic advertisement (which is infact still being used today). Their formula was revolutionery at the time. It set the standard for healthy tans for a long time.
Little known fact: Jodie Foster in 1965 made her acting debut as the Coppertone girl in a US television commercial - when she was just three years old.
The 21st century has now seen the advert being 'toned-down' and not showing the young girl's bottom!
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| The 'Swinging Sixties' |
| The 1960's was a time of 'Hippie-dom' and self expression. Mini skirts, free-love and lots of sun worshipping at pop concerts and festivals set the tone for the decade. |
| The 'Glam' Seventies |
The 1970's saw a maturing and development of many new ideas and creations. The world became more 'product' and glamour orientated. Where the sixties were revolutionary, the seventies built upon those new ideas. In 1971 the American toy manufacturer Matel brought out a new version of Barbie - Malibu Barbie. This was in direct response to reflect the current mood and attitude people had to looking glamourous and being (so-called) healthy. Malibou Barbie was truly suntanned; repleate with sunglasses and a bottle of suntain lotion!
In 1978 a new type of revolution was unveiled to the mass market - the ultraviolet sunless sunbed. It was actually invented 86 years previously in 1891 by John Harvey Kellogg - of Kellogg Corn Flakes fame. His "Incandescent Light Bath" was almost an instant success with the likes of Keiser Wilhem II and King Edward VII reputedly using them for therapeutic purposes. It is said, King Edward VII installed a machine in both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Palace in order to relieve his gout.
With the rise of Jet travel holidays aboard and not forgetting colour television being introduced into many houses, the general public began to see 'healthy, wealthy and prosporous' people on television. Naturally people wanted to emulate what they saw as glamourous and fashionable. |
| Into the 21st century |
A survey in 2000 revealed that for 50% of Britons, coming home from a hoiliday abroard with a tan was the single most important reason for actually going on holiday in the first place.
For those that could not afford a sun, sea and sand holiday abroad, the next best thing was to pop into the local Sunbed salon. It is estimated there are 7,000+ tanning salons throughout the country - from regulated (by responsible people) to the unmanned, unregulated 50p booth variety salons.
It has been known for sometime the rays from a sunbed can cause skin cancer. It is the 15-30 age group that have the greatest risk of contracting malignant melanoma. ONE sunbed session can increase the chances of skin cancer by 50%. Over 170,000 youngsters under the age of 18 regularly use a sunbed once ot twice a week. |
| The Future |
Most industries move forward and devleop new ideas and products. This may be a result of what the general public want or demand. The sunless tanning industry is no different.
For safety and of course health reasons sunbeds are in the lime light for their inherent dangers. The way forward is now Spray Tans. There are many, many reasons why. If you have any qustions that you need answering, then please do not hesitate to contact us either by email or by telephone - 0845 2300 337. |
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