(WASHINGTON POST) — It’s a symbol of health — and wreaks havoc on your body. It yields a youthful glow — and wrinkles. It’s a marker of status — and also the subject of mockery. It covers flaws — and exacerbates them. And the desire for it generates billions of dollars.
We’re talking about the tan, of course, which continues to persist as a beauty ideal and is even seeing something of a resurgence.
At the Oscars on Sunday night, Matthew McConaughey and Bradley Cooper sported sun-baked hues reminiscent of cattle ranchers and professional surfers, while Jennifer Lawrence’s tan evoked the gold statuette being awarded. On TikTok, the ascending popularity of tanning beds has sparked backlash (some blame Gen Z, others proto-influencers such as Kim Kardashian, who recently showed off one in her office). On the platform, now the social media ground zero of beauty trends, #tanning has generated 4.1 billion views. This includes videos from young women who describe themselves as tanning “addicts.” (The caption of one such post: “It’s a problem but I’d rather die hot than live ugly I guess #yolo #lol #sun bed.”)
