I’ve made no secret about my sun aversion or my near Victorian pallor. Once, in Spain, my host mother looked at me, wringing her hands and said “Estás blanquita … como el papel,” which means “You’re a little white, like paper.” I’m happy to trade in being tan now for a lower cancer risk and less wrinkled skin later, however. Nonetheless, in the U.S., cowering from UV rays under parasols and beneath shady trees has fallen precipitously out of fashion, while bronzed bodies seem to reign supreme.
Being pale hasn’t seemed to hamper my ability to make friends or to find dates (what up, fellas?), but I wondered, nonetheless, if “getting a little color” was the kind of thing that made someone more attractive. (Think I look better in the top right image?) Turns out that, like most things, the answer differs a lot from person to person and place to place. And that whether “tan” is attractive depends on what your definition of “tan” is.
Basking in Wealth: Being Rich and Being Tan
There are a lot of socio-political reasons for why pale was and continues to be considered beautiful in many places, chief among them is a division of the upper and lower echelons of society.
At one point in time, those in the lower classes tended to work outside under the blaze of the sun, where they’d eventually develop a tan; those who were rich tended to avoid the sun’s rays and had the luxury of staying indoors throughout the day. That trend has been the dominant one as far back as the Minoans 4000 years ago.
This was until around the 1920s. The explanations differ a little, but the bottom line is that what’s attractive has to do with what rich people are doing. And around the 20th century, a few things happened. First, the industrial revolution meant that the poorer classes tended to work indoors and the rich increasingly used their leisure time to travel. Another reason? Around this time, doctors started prescribing the sun’s rays as therapeutic and those with money were more able to go to respite facilities.
The bottom line is that the popularity of tan has a lot to do with affording to be tan. In today’s society, people of European descent tend to favor a nice bronze color, which likely has to do with a combination of wealth and robustness — rich people can afford to be healthier and to venture to sun-soaked locales (ABC News; Slate).
But It’s More Complicated than You Think
There’s some research suggesting that tan tends to be more attractive, such as this 2010 study that used photos on a “Hot or Not” site have found that tanner tends to be favored as more attractive (Dermatologic Surgery).
But don’t let one “hot or not” study make you think that’s the whole answer. As it turns out, it might be less about “tan” and more about one particular skin tone. Another study where women — 45 Caucasian and 34 African American — were asked to pick models for an ad campaign tended to pick a light brown skin tone as the most attractive, regardless of race (Phys Org).
And it gets even more complicated when you consider how closely culture and attractiveness are tied. Despite that having a sun-kissed look is considered to be cool in the U.S., it’s definitely not popular everywhere.
In societies where tan is associated with lower class jobs, the idea of pale is still what’s fashionable (Psychology & Marketing). For example, Asian countries like India, Japan, and China consider “whiteness” to be attractive and skin lightening products tend to be more popular (Advances in Consumer Research). Researchers contribute this to a combination of traditional perceptions that lower class workers have darker complexions and the post-colonial popularity of European looks.
How “Tan” Could Actually Show Health
Article after article mentions that people believe that “tan” is healthier looking and the phrase “a healthy tan” has been thrown around more than once or twice. But if tanning raises cancer risk and is responsible for a host of immunological damage, how can it also be a marker of health?
There’s a reason I put “tan” in quotes here and that’s because the sun isn’t the only way to get color in your skin. Studies have shown that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can actually give you something of a glow. That’s because the carotenoids that color fruits and vegetables can actually impart some color in your skin, because some, like vitamins E and C, are actually part of the skin’s natural sun protection (PLOS One).
Consider that you’ve probably seen a friend become pale when she’s sick. Though there are a few reasons for that, having some color in your skin such as a yellow glow from produce or a natural flush to your cheeks can make you look healthier.
Bottom Line
So, is “tan” more attractive? Technically, if you consider “tan” to be a medium brown shade and not a color that’s darker than one’s typical skin tone, then yes, tan is more attractive in the U.S. But there’s actually a lot tied into what’s considered attractive, such as wealth distribution and politics. That means that in many places, paler skin is actually more attractive.
But tan isn’t always solely about the amount of time one spends in the sun. While our idea that “tan is attractive” might come from the idea that people who have the leisure time to spend outdoors are better looking, it could also be (in part) that those who eat more healthfully and exercise tend to have a yellowish glow and natural flush, signifying health.
Personally, I’ll stick from shying away from the sun. Regardless of what’s in style, I’m not willing to put my health at risk.