Opinion by AlenaKehm

As summer winds down, the worries about maintaining a summer tan plague many girls. To curb these concerns, some girls decide to embark on the tedious journey of self tanning. Some will spend their hard earned time and money on a spray tan. Others will ignore the threat of melanoma and book an appointment at a tanning bed. 

No matter which route a girl chooses, there are a few guarantees. One: The process will be time-consuming. Two: the process will be expensive. Three: you’ll have to rinse and repeat this formula in a few days in order to maintain your tan. After considering these facts, you might come to the same conclusion that I have. It’s. Not. Worth. It.

The current trends and beauty standards have found a way to keep girls consuming products and services at the expense of their time and self-confidence. It’s addicting. Once your spray tan wears off, you will constantly think your reflection looks bad until you repeat the process.

A girl who preaches self-love and acceptance but finds herself in the tanning beds once a week is a hypocrite. But it’s not her fault. She’s been brainwashed by hundreds of commercials, online product reviews and popular culture which have preached that she needs to value her self-worth based on her appearance.

Some might say that it’s okay to want to improve your appearance. We wear makeup to look good, right? I have to argue that tanning is a different beast altogether.

 Tanning changes something so fundamental to your outward identity. It is too invasive. The color of your skin is just who you are, you need to embrace it. Additionally, it shows that you are buying into this beauty standard and unintentionally throwing people who don’t fit in under the bus. This includes people who are both more fair skinned and darker than the current tanned standard. The quest for uniformity that comes with tanning is so toxic. 

So, reject the standard of being tan. Embrace the fact that in the winter you might look different than you do in the summer. That’s the beauty of where you live! You get to experience all seasons and all that comes with each of them. Look in the mirror and tell yourself that you look beautiful both inside and out. Because you do. You are. You don’t need to look sun-kissed to be absolutely stunning.

ANOTHER VIEWPOINT…..

Tanning Queen. Camryn Veldhuis ’26 works at the reception desk at Palm Beach Tan. She has been there for three months. Photo courtesy of CamrynVeldhuis.

Some people are pro self-bronzing, like senior Camryn Veldhuis. She is one of many girls that feel they look better with a nice glow. “Tanning helps people boost their confidence and feel their best whether it’s spray tanning or tanning beds. I talk to many clients and a lot of them say it’s their favorite part of their day and makes them feel like themselves.” Veldhuis also defended the process of tanning, “It is a way of making my getting ready process more low maintenance.” There are many pros and cons to tanning and sacrificing the health of the skin. “For me, the pros kind of outweigh the cons because I like when I look tan, and I am someone who makes sure to protect my skin the most I can while tanning safely.” Although the dangers of radiation are apparent, some girls are willing to make the sacrifice. 

Do you have an opinion? Feel free to share it in the comments!