Sunless tanning timeline: how did tans become popular?

With self-tanning and spray tanning firmly in vogue, what is the phenomenon behind sunless tanning?

Follow the evolution of tanning with our sunless tanning timeline and discover how this staple has transformed our ideas of beauty.

The sun is the centre of our universe, but how has our attitude towards sunshine and tanning changed our perceptions of beauty and skincare? Take a glance at Sienna X’s tanning timeline to find out more about how our approach to bronzed skin has changed over the years.

Beauty is influenced by the rich and famous of their day and economic factors strongly affect our aesthetic values. In ancient Roman and Greek cultures, tanning was considered to be a mark of outdoor labour and to have paler skin was a sign of prosperity and privilege. Nowadays, the tanning tables have turned and golden skin reminds us of holidays and leisurely lifestyles in sun-drenched luxury. From Kate Middleton to Kate Moss, deep golden tans and light sun-kissed looks are in.

Style icon Coco Chanel sported a tan from a yachting holiday in Cannes and 1920s women soon brought tanned skin into fashion. Similarly, wardrobes began celebrating sunshine and covered-up styles were resigned to the past as daring designs bared more skin. The Seventies brought a boom time for sun tanning until the end of the decade when evidence concluded natural sun tans could lead to skin disease and skin cancers. Education into skincare led to the development of sunscreen protection and sun addicts turned to self-tan to get a desirable tanned look without the risks.

There’s no need for slavish sunbathing these days with sunless tanning businesses like Sienna X offering a professional spray tan in under ten minutes. Safe and sexy, spray tanning is a fast growing industry offering an instantly glamorous glow that is both pampering and affordable. Quality home self-tanning products have been also developed to make it easy to achieve professional looking results without heading to the salon. For moisturised sun-kissed skin, there’s no doubt that sunless tanning is here to stay.