A Golden Tan is the Index of Chic

With the early arrival of a bit of spring sunshine and Missy Vintage's post on vintage sunglasses this post is a bit more timely than I had expected.

From ancient times a true lady, one that didn't go out to work, was expected to be fair with none of those nasty freckles that marred a beautiful clear pale skin. Tans (and freckles) were skin conditions that were to be battled against and there are some fantastic adverts for products to help combat these twin menaces.

But things changed in the early years of the twentieth century and instead of being associated with manual work tans became the end result of the growing interest in outdoor leisure pursuits - such as skiing, tennis or sunning yourself on the beach. At first adverts tried to balance "The Pleasures of Summer" with the need to preserve a pale complexion and to protect your skin from "tan, sunburn or irritation." 

Creme Elcaya, 1911

But once it became acceptable, or even desirably fashionable, to get a tan then manufacturers began to make products for those who wanted an instant tan as well as products that allowed sun bathing without the risk of burn.

1929

Coty, 1929 

Looking through magazines, especially in the US, there is a marked explosion of adverts for these types of products in 1929 although a lotion for darkening your tan was introduced as early as 1924.

Jean Patou, 1924 

In 1928 Dorothy Gray introduced their Sunburn Cream containing benzyl salicylate and benzyl cinnamate as a sunscreen.

Dorothy Gray, 1929 

Kathleen Mary Quinlan, 1929 

Helena Rubinstein, 1938

Dorothy Gray, 1941

Elizabeth Arden, 1943

Helena Rubinstein, 1944

Helena Rubinstein, 1946

Revlon, 1961

Max Factor, 1963

Coty, 1970

Elizabeth Arden, 1972