Enter the many beauty companies selling us fake tanners, makeup collections featuring lots of bronzers, and all-inclusive packages to tanning salons where we throw our skin's health to the wind and say hello to skin pigmentation spots, premature aging, wrinkles, or even cancer, all to be that enviable tanned beauty in a beautiful summer bikini.
Now some may call me a hypocrite as I once bought a package at a tanning salon myself when I lived in Montreal and the winter bleakness was getting to me. I can't deny that I got some sort of satisfaction being tan and feeling summery as I lay in the bed, roasting my skin. I have, however, learned from my mistakes, and after that one forray into tanning, I soon realized that having a tan wasn't worth the damage to my skin.
On the endless quest to be tan, I decided to broaden my horizons into self-tanners, and tried everything from low end to high end. The results varied, some better and some worse, but in the end I always ended up looking more orange or yellow than my natural tan color, because my base color was so white. I have seen some self-tanners look ok on those who already have darker or olive complexions, but on really white skin, I never had a good result. And then there's the smell too! No matter how much perfume there was in those things, they always had a horrible, faint undertone that just was disgusting.
And let's not forget the horrible oompa loompa syndrome!
Far from attractive.
A few years ago I decided enough was enough and just threw away all my self-tanners and decided natural was miles better than anything smelly out of a bottle could provide. I slather on the SPF now when I go to the pool, knowing that I'll still look years younger than my tanorexic counterparts when they hit 40. So what if my legs aren't baked bronze when I wear shorts? This is the skin I was born with - it's fair, sensitive to UV light, and doesn't tan easily nor hold a tan well. And you know what? That's ok. I'm content with using just a smidgen of bronzer on my cheeks when I feel like, making sure not to overdo it, and I'll get a tan naturally by spending time outdoors in the summer doing activities. I'm not going to ruin my skin by baking in the full sun for hours just so that I look "healthy". I'm not going to waste my money anymore on expensive self-tanners or tanning salons because other people expect it, or tell me I "need to get a tan." And yes, I have been told this frequently by ignorant gits! So go pale this summer; you'll be in good company! ;)
Bridget Regan, actress from Legend of the Seeker
Liv Tyler
Anne Hathaway
Dita Von Teese
Dakota Fanning
couldn't agree more, i am pale and LOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about that alot I am beginning to embrace my winter paleness but not sure how I would go about doing because I am way more pale in the winter than summer but as soon as the parts showing skin are touched by the sun I get lines because I tan within minutes and that doesn't look sexy when I am trying to wear something nice because of the awful tan lines because I tan very easily, I would totally have to avoid the sun and I don't know if I could do that lol...any ideas?
ReplyDeleteI am not exactly a pale girl but I for one hate the fact that so many people bake in the sun for hours to achieve a golden tan that is actually very toxic to them. I prefer the sun kissed look that I get naturally (with sunscreen on!) just from being active out doors. I find it to be a much more flattering glow than from the chemical bottles of tanner and tanning lotion! Thanks for this Julia!
ReplyDeleteVery Well said. I have never been in a tanning bed for fear that I will be cooked alive. Thank you Final Destination 3 Scene!
ReplyDeleteBut I know exactly how you feel. I have been asked by friends, and even perfect strangers if I was sick or depressed because of my fair skin during the hot days of summer. Even by my own family members who are of somewhat darker complexion would poke fun.
Alas I have my small victory when they ask me to apply cover-up on them to hide the sun spots on their tanned face. Muwahaha. I'm joining you in the Go Pale!
love it! fair skin is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful way of putting it, Julia! I've had people tell me things akin to, "You shouldn't be allowed to wear shorts; you'll blind someone." I can't help that I'm ghostly white, especially my legs!
ReplyDeleteI can't agree more with you. I'm quite white myself and people is always asking me why I won't get a tan, well, I don't want to look like a raisin!. I actually think that a fair skin looks healthier than a too tanned one. Just add a bit of blush to your cheeks and done!
ReplyDeletehttp://theyokofactor.blogspot.com/
Well, maybe also the image around tan is an image of a wealthy person, who has a lot of free time to be out and tan.
ReplyDeleteYou see, in the earlier centuries, when people were divided in higher and lower classes, the aristocrats despised the tan of the poor people, who were out all day and tanned. The aristocrasy adored pale skin.
Nowadays the poor people work hard, but mainly indoors, so they don't have time to outdoor activities.
Personally i don't tan. I'm Polish-Norwegian and I have very fair skin. I getsunburned really easily, and I really don't think tanned skin is that pretty. I would choose my fair skin over a tan anytime. And I don't risk getting cancer :)
ReplyDeletegood blog! My husband loves pale skin and he would be horrified if i would get a tan, hahaha.
ReplyDeleteI have pale skin on my head and neck, but the rest has a more yellowy pigment. Which means that if i spend time in the sun unprotected like i did when i was a teenager, i get penaubutter brown allover, except for my head. Not a great look.
My grandfather had skincancer on his head due to work outdoors and later on he had a braintumor because of it.
Since then i ALWAYS have a cream with SPF with me in the summer and even use it when i go shopping for groceries. I also use it on the skin that shows through my hair, the part where its divided in two, because THAT can tan/burn aswell.
You know, i dont even like the tanned look, a lot of people don't really look good with it, and a lot of sunworshippers i know are a bit older now and their skin is BAD. I mean real bad, lots and lots of deep wrinkles, sunspots and some even had a tiny form of cancer.
*shakes her head*
Even if you like the tanlook, it's just not worth it...
Brilliant post.I totally agree! The oompa loompa photos cracked me up! Those pople look odd!
ReplyDeleteI do tan a bit but I started to really look after my skin especially now that we know more about sun damage!
XXX
Mercedes
http://mspurplemakeup.blogspot.com/
Pale ftw! I don't like a tan because I have red hair and it looks a bit silly - pale skin is more beautiful for me in general. I'm all for a bit of bronzer or fake tan but sheesh... Cancer, hellooo?! Anyone who uses a sunbed is an idiot, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteAwesome, Awesome Post!
ReplyDeleteI'll link it if u don't mind.
I HATE seen in the YT beauty community, all the girls sick when the summer arrives, sick of self tanners and all that shit. I'm mexican, my arms are sunburned by the sun, but my real color is pretty pale and i don't mind. I love fair skin, and i find is more healthy and more beauty than a fake tanned skin.
Most of the northamerican and european girls love fake tans, as well as they watch in tv the artist, what a shame!
You have the most beautiful skin color Julia, and i really appreciate that you don't get mind sick of that tan revolution, of the most of the YT gurus.
You are very unique, and i love it.
P. D. Sorry for my bad english :(
Thanks for this great article Julia! I've always admired your beautifully pale, healthy skin and hope mine will be as radiant as yours someday.
ReplyDeleteI posted a link and a few comments about the issue of tanning and fake-baking over on my personal blog: fairervn.tumblr.com. Thanks so much for the inspiration!
I've learned to embrace my pale skin as well! I'm from San Diego and it was hard always being surrounded by super tan (and blonde) people, but now that I live in Utah it's not as bad. (Really tan people look funny during the winter. lol)
ReplyDeleteYou are so absolutely right! This had do be said once!
ReplyDeleteI'm Pale myself and my friends keep calling me the "great white", but I don't care. I'm born that way and pale skin looks better anyways :P
wow, what a great point that it is a marketing gimmick. i have always thought it was weird to have natural looking makeup one day and the next using full on bronzer. I choose to use bronzer when I want to, and early june is not the right time for me!
ReplyDeleteI agree! I'm very pale myself, and that's actually one of the things about appearence that i like the most.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I'm not even sure if I can get a tan... I can't rememer having one, even as a child.
I am as pale as you and I love it. I live in Greece where people are more tanned and spend hours in the sun and solarium.
ReplyDeleteI wear shorts and I really like to see my white legs!
I always get compliments for the quality of my skin and I don't want to destroy it!
I do a bit of sunbathing and get a bit tanned just for the sake of change.
I love my pale skin.SO delicate!
While I am actually going to a tanning salon myself, I did enjoy reading this article. Your point of view is on target in the sense that no matter what, bottom line is that you should always be happy with yourself, regardless of others. This year is the first time I've been doing tanning. I've heard of the effects and the warnings, but there are some good side effects to it. However, I have been very wary and extremely paranoid about my skin looking older. I'll slather on the moisturizers and body lotions at night and constantly "poisitve think" myself young. lol. But in the end, I've noticed that I'm happier being tanned. But that's just me and is just a personal preference. Either way, I stand behind you ladies making a stand to go pale this summer. I think pale is just as beautiful as tanned, no matter what the season! Don't buy into the whole stigma that fashion industries advertise and the pressures of how you're supposed to look in society's eyes. Buy into the stigma of yourself, and do what makes YOU feel good about you!! Excellent post, Julia!
ReplyDeleteIn filipino culture, being tan or dark is considered unattractive, and everyone tries to lighten their skin. I'm tan and filipina and have ALWAYS been mocked for it.
ReplyDeleteMy dad made me use this product called Eskinol to try to lighten my naturally olive skin, and my sister was always considered prettier because she has more of a white/chinese complexion whereas I look very hispanic. I feel left out in the winter when it's all about fair skin, porcelain skin, etc.!
yay pale I never step out of the house without my spf even if the sun is not out, being from california its hard not to get wrapped up in the whole tanning craze, but I do my best to love the light skin I was born with. EMBRACE IT LADIES <3
ReplyDeletei agree. the opposite is try too. many girls here in asia try to do the reverse - they slather on whitening products just to turn themselves paler and whiter. they avoid the sun as much as possible, whether its summer or winter.
ReplyDeletei think it does not matter if you are pale or you have natural olive skin. as long as your skin is healthy then everything is ok. there is no need to go to great lengths to achieve a look that is neither natural nor good for your body / skin.
Like you, I gave up tanning a couple of years ago and now whenever anyone comments about my tan, or lack thereof, I simply laugh and say "I'm bringing the pale look back into style!"
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more. But please show us how to enhance pale skin! I have pale skin, dark circles under my eyes, and legs that are beyond pale. I hate tanning because I never really get tan (even in a salon) and bronzing products are horrible. Please, please, please help us with alternatives so be can be "pale and proud"!
ReplyDeleteYay for a healthy summer.
ReplyDeleteWell spoken Julia. (I'm also one of those with pale skin.)
I agree I've always been pale and I like it and I think miss Bridget Regan aka kahlan amnell is beautiful and I'd rather look like a vampire with my paleness and eternal looking white skin than baked and wrinkly years later. I always get told that I dont look my age and its because I take care of my skin and I drink lots of water keep hydrated. Good blog Julia
ReplyDeleteGreat post!!
ReplyDeleteI'm an extremely pale gal, and I burn so easily. It's funny though, when I was a kid, I would get so tanned, and never burn. The tan would last all year. This was before the days of skin cancer warnings, and high SPF. Back then, a Tan was "healthy", and "A little burn will turn into a tan".
In the summertime, all I hear from friends and acquaintances is "OMG Your legs are so white!!!". My reply is usually along the lines of "It doesn't bother me.. If it bothers you what MY legs look like, then don't look".
I made the mistake of going to a tanning salon one summer. My skin felt like roast chicken. It also made me aware of the damage that a couple of bad burns in my past had caused. There was an area along the top of my chest (where a camisole hits), that had no pigment, and wouldn't tan. I had worn SPF the day of that burn, but I must have missed that area. After seeing that, I vowed to myself "NEVER AGAIN".
I've embraced my milky pale skin, and instead of trying to look like a bronze goddess in the summertime, I play up my whiteness, by wearing more cool toned colours (bright blue, hot pink, black). Those colours look better against my pale skin than they do on someone who is tanned. I also wear bright colours in my makeup, which I normally wouldn't wear all winter.
I don't wear spf every day. If I'm going to be outside a lot, then I definitely do. My facial moisturizer has spf in it, so my face is always protected. I feel that a little sun is a good thing (Vitamin D!), but no more than 15 minutes. If your skin is changing colour, it's too much.
I think what a lot of people forget, is that any tan, caused by UV, is damage to the skin. Your skin has literally been cooked.
I might be pale, but at least I won't look like an old leather shoe in a few years. ;-)
I love this! I have fair skin ,similar as you yourself. One of my best friend she owns her own beauty saloon and spray tans people everyday. And her self as well. She also dies her hair even blonder than she naturally is. I sometimes call her Boomba-Loompa. For her name starts with a B. =)
ReplyDeleteI love having fair/pale skin. Im Icelandic and we here should be like that =) , at least i think so , and so sadly so many people disagree with me on that.
But yeah, GO FAIR SKIN! !
Fair Skin For The WIN =) hahaha
( wipes away the black eyeliner due to crying of happiness)
ReplyDeleteYou nailed it sweetheart! The very same here!I friggin hate when the summer comes and automatically, one must get tanned and stuff like that and for me is a huge NO! Even when I might be latina ( specifically, Mexican )my skin is stupidly sensitive to sunlight ( 5 minutes under the sun and voila.. red as a shrimp and the worst, I already have little sun freckles) not to mention that heat gets into my nerves by depressing me, lowering my blood pressure and giving horrible headaches ( and well, what the fuck I wanted... 40C+ anyone!?!? ) so let´s give an applause for all of us that go against the trend and celebrate the natural paleness in us !
Funny, how in some cultures where people are naturally dark (or even in Japan where they aren't i.e.the powdered Geisha girls) women are dying to look PALE with the porcelain white look being the ideal.
ReplyDeleteI don't really understand everyone's obsession with being tan though a lot of people say they do it to make themselves appear slimmer. I've always wished I had lighter skin but I actually tan easily so it is difficult to keep my natural light-ish yellow skin color.
ReplyDeleteWell said, very well said.
ReplyDeleteI'm REALLY glad that somebody else shares my thoughts on tans! It seems like all of my friends and family seem to have no problem with baking in the sun. I'm really pale right now (NC15), and even though my skin does tan, I never subject myself to it. I always slather on my sunscreen, because I know it will pay off when I'm 50. I also haven't used self tanner in at least a couple of years. I've kinda accepted that my skin is just pale and I shouldn't go crazy trying to change it. I think more people need to look at tanning this way!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't care about having a tan! I'm naturally pale and although sometimes I've hated it especially when friends come back from holiday with gorgeous tans and I'm still pale old me, I think it's way too damaging and a waste of money! Great blog Julia, thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteYeah white pride! Woo! Oh wait...Cant say that. OK OK...PALE PRIDE!! WOO! lol. Im pale too and I think its disgusting that some people think we should 'get a tan'. I was BORN in this skin and I cant and WONT change it. You wouldnt tell someone with dark skin to bleach it light would you?? Tsk tsk. Of course not. So leave us pasties alone!
ReplyDeleteI'm very proud of my NC15 skin! viva la pale face!
ReplyDeleteright on! I just did a week of posts on skin cancer (May was Skin Cancer Awareness month) and re-realized how silly all of this tanning hubbub is. I love being fair- I can pull of red lips better than anyone I know, and even when my skin is in a bad mood, the paleness of it all seems to trick people into seeing flawless, porcelain skin.
ReplyDeleteYet, somehow when summer comes along, I feel the need to betray my skin and bake it to as close to golden as I can. Oddly, as soon as fall creeps up, I'm using all of the exfoliating products I can just to get back my pale glow!
This year, I decided I'm done. I'm with you- SPF all over my body (even my legs!) I may even get one of those huge, floppy hats. With my pale skin, big sunglasses and retro swimsuit, I'll just pretend I'm a glamour queen circa 1940!
I am so glad you posted this! I am so sick of people saying "Oh, I can't wear shorts because my legs are white"...
ReplyDeleteEvery summer I hear: You are so white!
People, get over it! Some people are white and it's nothing wrong with it.
Thanks for posting this!
ReplyDeleteI've been annoyed by the "tanorexia" topic aswell because I have very pale skin myself and it's hard to find the right color when I'm looking for an inexpensive foundation. It seems that you have to be really tanned to find a foundation shade in a drugstore that matches your skin (at least in my town).
I'm also sick of all the people who think they're looking great with a dark orange skin - it just looks silly and disgusting to me.
I love to be pale since I know that it's healthier and it even prevents wrinkles.
right on!!! any shade is beautiful :D i'm the most pale in my family & i couldn't be more happier. Bring on the pale summer!!:D
ReplyDeletepale is the new tan!
ReplyDeleteliebes, ha grad di blog entdeckt. Was mir do entgange isch :)
Yey, finally someone has said it! Couldn't have been put in a better way either.
ReplyDeleteI have been embracing the pale for a few years now and it doesn't really bother me what people think. I have pale skin, and what? At least I wont have sun spots or skin cancer at 35 - 40.
x
i wish i was pale XD i am actually kinda medium tan but i loveeeeeee pale skin ... all sorts of makeup and products look better or stand out more on pale skin ... so when i put on makeup i look weird cause of my skin tone ... i wish i had pale skin then a smoky eye would stand out so much better and i would feel prettier lol kekeke
ReplyDeleteFellow pale girl here!
ReplyDeleteHuzzah!
People always wants what they don' have... I'm Mexican, my skin is not fair but it isn't tan, I'm fair to be Mexican... but I tan easily under the sun. I don't care about skin color, but I don't like sunburns, so I use FPS 30 or 50 on my face and FPS 15-30 on exposed skin of my body. My arms are darker than the rest of my body and I don't care.
ReplyDeleteI have friends who are darker than me and they don't want to be tan, they want to be lighter!!! They use FPS 75 hoping that will avoid them getting darker(they waste their money)... They use creams, serums, "bleaching" treatments.... lemon juice...because they want to dye their hair blonde or red and it looks odd if you have dark skin(they also wear blue contacts ¬¬)...I laugh...
And in other countries, with less sun, people want to be tanned!!!
Nobody seems to be happy with what they have...
I think people should accept themselves as they were born... and stop wasting money. I think using FPS is more a need nowadays. Here in Mexico you tan even using FPS, but fair skinned (really fair, not me)may have a bad time here, they always look red!!!!! You recognize a tourist because of that.
Good for you Julia!! Enjoy your fair skin...
I'm quite pale in comparison to other Greeks and every summer I get the same question from friends and family "When will you tan?". I usually just answer back "Never".
ReplyDeleteI actually like being pale with dark hair, I stand out from the crowd of tanned people in the summer and will show off by wearing black to emphasise my paleness.
Sunscreen is my friend and being pale is 1 more characteristic for me to stand out.
Very well said, I wish that more people around where I live would listen to your words. It looks nasty anyways, my skin is very pale as well and I love it atleast I have alot of freckles on my arms and on my face as well.
ReplyDeleteDid you know before the late 1960s pale was considered beautiful for centuries? Yes, people used lead based products to get even whiter in earlier centuries (and some countries still have bleaching products containing lead), but pale was beautiful. Enter the late 1960s and early 1970s when companies essentially told ladies, "Tan is healthy and beautiful, pale is sickly and ugly" and pale went out faster than the blink of an eye.
ReplyDeleteIt's 2010 and we need to learn to love the skin we're in, whether we're naturally dark or naturally pale. Having a tan doesn't equal "beautiful," pale, dark and everything in between is beautiful.
I'm glad you decided to speak out, Julia. The tanning craze doesn't really make all that much sense really. I bought my first tanning lotion this year because I'm just so tired of all the crap I get for being so pale.
ReplyDeleteFake tan is same dangerous like the SUN. Im lucky to be tanned already since i live in the Caribbean, but fake tanning - just wrong.
ReplyDeleteWell said! I am pale and totally agree with you!! My only problem is that I live in South Africa and because we have such a warm climate, it is assumed skin tones here are darker than normal, so trying to find a pale enough foundation is impossible!!! But I am proud to be pale and wouldnt have it any other way!!! Thanks Julia, you are an inspiration!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. What a great post.
ReplyDeleteAlabaster women of the world unite!
I'm from Australia where we have one of the worse skin ages in the world. Lots of Bronzed girls on the beach in summer. But I have pale skin that hardly tans. I decided a while ago to embrace my white skin and since doing it my friends have started telling me they always liked my pale skin anyway (which is the opposite of my boss who always tell me I'm to pale, even though she's had skin cancer).
ReplyDeleteI love pale skin but I to would like it if you had any tips to make my skin look like it's glowing, my dark circles are very annoying and I would love my legs to look more creamy white than blue!
I always point out the tanned girls on the beach to my hubby and ask him if he would like me to look like them. He always tell me they just look like walking cancer ads and are way to brown(which is very nice, even if he's just saying to make me feel better, LOL)
I may not be a tween currently obsessed with the twilight series but hopefully their pale skin trend keeps going long after the movies end.
so refreshing! I recently have given up tanning and have been using SPF 45 daily to avoid sun damage. I'm not fair skinned. I have olive skin, but sun damage rears it's ugly head as splotchy brown spots for me. viva la revolución!
ReplyDeletei agree totally with your story. i'm also very pale, like a milky white kind off pale and sometimes you feel that people are watching you, especially the 'bronzed' people. Well i don't give a shit. grts xx
ReplyDeletePaleness is all well and good for those ladies with flawless porcelain skin-however most people don't have completely even skin. Keratosis Pilaris, Acne, Rosaciea, hyper pigmentation, stretch marks the list goes on and on.
ReplyDeleteSummer is advertised as the time for tan because the sun is hotter during those months and people wear less clothes. No great conspiracy theory there-your skin gets darker with sun exposure.
For my own skin, I know that I look better with a hint of tan. And I don't feel that I've been coerced by the beauty industry into feeling that way it's just simply the truth.
fair skin rulez! I don't sunbathe from 2001 and my skin say thanks to me. on my site i have a section dedicated to fair skin with home-made mask, creams and brightes foundations and powders. unfortunately the page is in italian.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. I had really pale skin as a young adult and as I grew older it changed to a more medium tone. I never spent time "in the sun getting a tan" because I always loved my paler skin. My sister did though and her skin looks like it. She has more wrinkles than I do and I'm 8 years older than her. Sun is good for you but not too excess and all the self tanners are just a way to make money and make us feel like our bodies are not good enough. Poo! Learn to love your pale loveliness!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I've always had that "problem" of having really fair skin. What can I say? I was born in the Ukraine, and the majority of us is pretty fair. I've been living in Italy for the past three years, going to the university here, and it's a true madness! The Italian men and women are mad about tanning! They spend their time and fortune bathing in the UV lights of tanning salons, until they look so orange, it's ridiculous, but somehow I always get the "you need to get a tan" comments! Have you ever seen what some of the Italian women look like in their 40s? My 70 year old grandma looks younger! I'm all for going pale! Besides, in Japan it's considered true beauty to be pale. "I don't look sick because I'm pale, but you might get sick because you burn your skin tanning!" This is what I think every time I hear someone commenting me about being so "pale".
ReplyDeleteWay to go for finally expressing it out loud for all of us fair-skinned! :-)
I have facial erythrosis so I´m forced to get just a bit of tan. I either don´t like this darkbrown unnatural tan, but a bit of a bronzy glowing is fine. Especially because I´m tired of looking for a very good fair foundation. Don´t want to spent so many bugs on the MAC or Bobbi Brown ones.
ReplyDeleteYes!!! One for us pale girls! My husband's family is all Italian and they are always telling me to get a tan.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. I am a pale girl with dark hair and eyes. I use to tan when I was younger but not anymore. I have friends who still tan and they look really old...like leather now.
ReplyDeleteI live in a country where paleness is a gift. Fortunatly for me I have white skin. Many people tend to go to the beach and have a natural tan, using coconut oil and sometimes even beer. You can imagine what kind of damage they do to their skins right? My grandmother used to get very VERY taned, really nice to be honest, but the only thing I get from exposing my body to the sun is a very red skin and pain. When I was younger I used tanning lotion instead of SPF sunblock, and I found I didn't like tanned skin on me. So now, I just avoid tanning at all, when I go to the beach or a park I always wear a hat and sunglasses.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, people look their best when their skin is the color that it's supposed to be.
ReplyDeleteI mean, people with pale skin don't look good to me when they're tanned, you can just tell that it's not their natural color and somehow it doesn't work. However when you are, like me, naturally slightly darker, getting pale looks awful! I look really sick in winter and my skin even gets like a greenish tone; however when I'm a little tanned I look healthier and much better.
And I must say that I love really pale skin, but I know I look awful when I lose all my color...
My point is that people should try to work with the skin they've got and not try to make it paler or darker than it naturally should be, because it's gonna turn out weird and ugly. Pale people, stay pale; dark people, stay dark!
I don't understand why people only ever think in terms of polar opposites. You're either in the oompa loompa camp or your a vampire. Too much at either end is bad for you. Too much sun increases your risk of skin cancer. Too little sun increases your risk of breast, bowel, colon and pancreatic cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and asthma. How about promoting a good balance for once? Between 5 and 10 minutes of incidental sun exposure every day is sufficient for fair skinned people and between 10 and 15 minutes for dark skinned people.
ReplyDeleteLOL VERY Oompa Loompa!!!!
ReplyDeleteSoooooooooooooo true !!!!!
ReplyDeleteI just adore white, milky pale skin!! and I have somewhat darker skin. I tan really easy... So I always look a lot darker than I am no matter how much sunblock I wear... Well at least I take good care of my skin. But I would definetely love to have that pale milky look. Many of those girls above are my "beaty role models" Dita, Anne...
ReplyDeletei agree with you - im from Ireland and the amount of people i see with fake tan is unreal - if it is done right (- ok for a do) thats ok - but seeing people that look so fake.
ReplyDeleteI am not fair skinned, but I couldn't agree with you more. I love to see someone with very fair pale skin as it is very unusual since everyone is tanned. I love seeing very dark skin with that deep velvet chocolate look. I am in between you and the chocolate, but you should absolutely celebrate the natural color of your skin.
ReplyDeleteI am really pale as well, and I'm all about using SPF every single day of the year. Even in the winter is really important to protect your skin against the weather conditions.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think pale skin is so much more beautiful and sexier than those fake tans.
Unfortunately for me, I get tanned kinda easily, even with SPF 50, so I always use a hat and sit on the shadow most of the time. And the shadow is really important, because I always fall asleep when I’m on the beach.
Oh, I wish I could be as pale as Dita...
I'm pale too and hate the horrible smell of all the fake tan products (I thought I was the only one with that problem -smelling like grilled meat!). Yuk! But I have to admit that I think I look healthier with a little colour on my skin, not too much off course. I still haven't found the right way to achieve that. (I would never go to a tanning salon, it's way too bad for the skin). Well I guess I will be pale this summer too :))))
ReplyDeleteI agree Julia I much prefer how I look when i am my normal pale self and actually avoid trying to get tan by wearing SPF 50 sunscreen. I just feel that when I have that tan look to me it isn't as special or beautiful as when I'm pale!
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile... naturally darker complexioned people are obsessed with being white! I guess it's a typical case of grass is greener on the other side.
ReplyDeleteI like being pale and feel no pressure to tan. There are so many freaky orange people walking around and I have no desire to be one of them.
ReplyDeleteI was watching an awards show recently and one of the commentators quipped, after seeing Kristen Stewart walk down the red carpet, "Girlfriend could use some bronzer!" I was completely annoyed, and felt validated when the other commentator turned to the first one and said "I think she's beautiful just as she is."
Thank you for that very interesting post!
ReplyDeleteI don't care to be (very) fair and searching to be tanned is not more a healthy sign. I like your point of view and share it but I don't feel the pressure because of this.
I've been tanned a few year ago and see how dry was my skin and the damages that it does.
Fair, medium or dark skin, firstly is important to care, to protect and we never enought prevent against Sun or UV.
Fair skinned ladies of the world unite!
ReplyDeleteMy dad, grandfather and Uncle have all had skin cancer. Sorry but I don't want to have big chunks of flesh taken out of my face! I'll stick with the sunscreen.
And yes I have been told to get a tan, or that it looked like I was wearing "white pantyhose"
Gee thanks! (that was from my Aunt BTW!)
I don't get why people think they can make comments like that; What would happen if I told someone they were too dark and they should lighten their skin? That would not go down well!
I also think fake tanners stink!
I'm much more comfortable with my fairness now but I'm still hesitant to show too much leg..
BUT I have good skin and look years younger than most people my age. I dig my fairness now!
Still, I hope the Oompa Loompa look goes away soon!
Anyways, good post!
I released myself from the "tanning-operations-stress" a couple of years ago, when I finally gave up any plan concerning the mutation of my pale, rich-in-freckles skin. Since then, I've noticed that it looks a lot smoother, and matches better my hair/eyes colour, which is golden light brown. I even convinced my mother to stop going to salons to get fake tanning, suggesting her to use that money for a good mosturized instead. I'm glad to hear that we share the same point of view!
ReplyDeletei love to tan in the tanning bed and layout in the sun...but everything you said is completely true....if u have pale skn and love it go with it. and as for fake tan or spray tan that stuff is awful
ReplyDeleteThanks for sticking up for us paler folk. I have Scotch-Irish/German genes and have always preferred my natural light skintone. :)
ReplyDeleteNothing against those with more pigment but I also find even cheaper makeup colors look more true against my plain pale background. ;]
(Yet my mother still pretends to be blinded are the sight of my legs, haha)
Pale has been and still is the greater standard of beauty in the world. In every country the fairer people are considered high class, etc. Everyone doesn't want something that is naturally theirs anyway. Beauty comes in all different shades, textures, shapes and sizes. But, no matter where you go, in the real world not in advertisements, even if every other ideal of beauty is flipped lighter is more preferred and held as the standard of beauty.
ReplyDeleteI was pale BEFORE twilight made it cool!
ReplyDelete:) Right! I think so too.
ReplyDeletei totally love and appreciate you posting on this issue. i say STAY in the natural skin God gave you; there is NOTHING wrong with it! years ago when i went into my phase of wanting to look a bit darker (like my half Middle Eastern family members), i played with my look and ventured into the self-tanners. it did not work as expected and i felt it made me look silly. also when it would fade it would almost look like there was a rash or something on the area where the lotion was applied. of course i tried the more natural way of sitting in the sun, but all it led to was more painful sunburns. i never tried a salon and i never plan to. i am all for experimenting with the look thing, but i have decided, in terms of my skin tone, if i can't beat it, i accept it!!! my skin is pale and it needs NO alteration and definitely NO tan!!!
ReplyDeleteMe too, me too! =) I've gone through the same things and now I stick to my natural fair color as hard as I can. Beauty is not a color. I love your videos and must say your natural color suits you a lot. And you're so right. All those rays take a toll on one's skin. And it does give one a continental chic air to flaunt beautiful and youthful fair skin.
ReplyDeleteit's really strange tat u caucasians are cravin for tanned look while in asia here, some people even had their skin injected with whitening chemicals, to have fair skin..and we dun like dark skin..tat's why u can see lotsa whitening products from head to toes in the market..
ReplyDeleteLOL> tat just explains humans' dissatisfaction with what they already have..
wooo yay good cause im super pale!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! I've tried to "tan" before, and I just ended up with red skin (even with sunscreen). I also don't really like the way my skin looks when it's tan - I'm pretty pale, but because I am Asian, my skin has a yellow undertone to it. I've found that when I develop a tan, my skin literally looks mustard yellow! I don't think that's attractive at all. haha.
ReplyDeleteso I'll just stay pale/tan unintentionally (sandal tan-lines, anyone?) :)
Thank you Julia!
ReplyDeleteI too am extremely pale. In fact, as a child I was always asked if I was okay because people thought I was ill because of how pale I am. I don't mind putting on a little bit of gold bronze shimmer on....but I'm not into that whole tanned look. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being pale! I'd much rather be pale than end up with leathery skin and skin cancer down the road. Thank you for getting the word out!
It is so nice to see people with beauty influence like you support more healthy looks. I get the impression that fashin gurus everywhere go for tan. I myself am dark-haired with medium-fair skin and I love it and would love it to be even paler, because the combination is just so good. I always buy my foundations in a shade lighter than my natural skin tone and this makes the blush work so well and my eyes stand out better. Apart from all the damage tanning does, it sure looks crazy ugly.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm paler than everyone else in town (I'm not all that pale naturally) because everyone tans waaaay too much! However, just from the normal sun exposure I get from the sun during the summer, it's helped my skin condition a lot.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you though. Why damage your skin? The color of your butt is your true skin color haha. (unless some people tan that too!)
my own two cents: my sis LOVES to tan. she gets a wonderful color( she´s got my dad´s skin). I, on the other hand, hate roasting like a lizzard in the desert.I´m pale as a victorian lady. and U know what?.she´s 26 and looks about 30. Im pushing 30... and look like im 23( according to my make up teacher). i´m sorry, english is not my mother tongue and i haven´t used it in a while. I guess it does get a little bit rusty
ReplyDeletePale skin is so ridiculously gorgeous. My grandma has been trying to make me get a tan for years and I can't bear the thought of it. If anything, I want it whiter!
ReplyDeleteMy mother went through two surgeries to remove tumors in her arm and a year of chemotherapy with another year to go. She feels horrible, has no energy, is nauseous all the time, gets sores in her mouth, her taste buds are screwed up, and her eyebrows have fallen out. After all of this, she may only have 8-10 years of living until the cancer comes back and kills her. Melanoma is not a good trade-off for tanned skin. Be happy with your coloring, whatever it may be. Tanned skin is damaged skin.
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