The sun became associated with health when Arnold Rikli, the“sun doctor,” first used light therapy to treat consumption (tuberculosis) in Slovenia in 1855. Sunlight was also used to treat, depression and even madness. concerned about the long-term effects of harmful mercury and lead-based cosmetics, successfully campaigned for the outlawing of these toxic ingredients. As use of cosmetics spread throughout France, the upper classes sought to differentiate themselves with more subtle, natural-looking makeup. During the Victorian era, female beauty was closely associated with notions of purity and innocence. Makeup suggested artfulness and coquetry, and its use was considered inappropriate for proper 19th century girls. Of course, women still used cosmetics, but the alabaster face of the 18th century was abandoned in favor of a more subtle, natural-looking visage. Nineteenth century women also continued to avoid the sun, carrying parasols outdoors and wearing large straw hats to keep their complexions pale. The sun became associated with health when Arnold Rikli, the “sun doctor,” first used light therapy to treat consumption (tuberculosis) in Slovenia in 1855. Sunlight was also used to treat depression and even madness. In the 1920s, pioneering designer and fashion icon Coco Chanel popularized the idea of tanning and the sun started to represent pleasure and relaxation as well as health. Once tans became popular, sunburn was inevitable, and soon the search was on for a product that would allow burn-free tanning. The tanning oil Huile de Chaldée, created by perfumer Jean Patou and introduced in 1927, promised to “put an end to sunburn, soften and tan the skin.” Eugène Schueller (the founder of the company that would later become L’Oréal) enlisted his research team to develop a product that could prevent the sunburns he received while sailing “without forgoing the tan factor:” Ambre Solaire was the result. With benzyl salicylate as a UV absorber, Ambre Solaire appeared in April, 1935, just a year before the introduction of annual paid leave in 82 GASPARILLA ISLAND May/June 2017 France. Paid leave would encourage more people to travel — often to warm, sunny climes where it was easy to obtain a tan. Just as in the past pale skin had been a mark of privilege, from the 1960s on, a tan announced that you had the leisure to bronze your skin and the money to travel to places where one could be acquired. A tan also suggested enthusiasm for outdoor activities, and, by implication, physical fitness and good health. Of course, not everyone had the time or money to take a tropical vacation, but with the development and growth of the artificial tanning market, more and more people were able to give that impression. The first self-tanner, Man-Tan, was introduced in 1959, and UV tanning beds started to appear in the US in 1978. By the 1980s and 1990s both practices were firmly established in the US. However, recently the appeal of the tan has been fading. Today we know that 90 percent of all skin cancers are associated with exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which is also linked to eye damage, immune system suppression, and up to 90 percent of the changes commonly attributed to aging, including wrinkles, leathery skin and brown spots. As the public has become aware of the longterm risks and results of sun tanning and using artificial UV tanning beds, truly health-conscious, style-savvy individuals have abandoned tanning to embrace sun protection and their own natural skin tones. As Sarah Brown, Vogue’s Beauty Director, commented: “A healthy glow does not mean a tan, and I think that’s what we have to clear up. A healthy glow is your skin tone, glowing.” In the future, perhaps skin that is neither artificially whitened nor UV-damaged will become the new standard for beauty and health. G M
20029BB
To see the actual publication please follow the link above