Why Tan Skin is Attractive

[pineappleorange]

I'm not going to be PC or write a take that makes you feel good and me look like a "social justice savior" on the internet. Pale skin is ugly and it's culturally and biologically rooted in us to see it that way.

Tan skin's attractiveness to humans has evolutionary roots. However, in modern society (mostly in Asia), cultural norms have flipped this preference 180.

Pale Skin vs Tan Skin

Why is tan skin attractive?

Let me explain. In Asia, pale skin is preferred because it was a "sign" of social status. If your skin was dark, that meant that you had a laborer job and spent hours outside toiling in the farming fields and sun. Hence, your skin became dark. Those with lighter skin were associated with nobility and wealth.

In the West, the cultural norm is the exact opposite. A big portion of the US is located latitudinally where the sun is weak for at least half of the year If your skin was dark, that meant that you were affluent and wealthy and could afford to spend time and money on vacations at warmer, more tropical places on the Earth and this showed in your skin color.

Pale vs Tanned

However, evolutionarily the West has it right. Dark skin is more attractive and the scientific reason behind this is quite simple:

Your skin is the most prominent sex organ on your body!

Tan Skin Couples

Foods high in Beta-Carotene and other Carotenoids are antioxidants. We all know that antioxidants are super healthy for the human body. They also help maintain healthy skin. When the most prominent sex organ on your body looks healthy, you are going to look more attractive to the opposite sex. It's that simple!

One side effect of Beta-Carotene and other Carotenoids is that they give your skin a "healthy glow" and darken your skin.

Tanned guys

Hence, that is why tans are sexy and pale is not. That's why pale skin "looks unhealthy" to people. It's biologically rooted in us to see pale skin this way.

Culturally, it also means that you are healthy and strong enough to do outdoor activities. When you spend time outdoors, you tan. So, not only is this biologically rooted in humans but it is culturally rooted as well (at least in the West). Yes, I know this is the opposite thinking of Asia's cultural norms but they have it wrong. We got it right.

tanned guy, tanned girl

Why do we prefer Tan Skin?

Of course, there are exceptions to everything. There are guys who prefer fat girls but most do not. There are people (Asian culture) who prefer pale skin but most people do not.

On the plus side, the biological reasons for this preference means you can eat foods high in Carotenoids to give your skin a "natural glow" and tan. It won't be as dark as a suntan but it will look better than your standard pale skin.

hot tan guys

Get off the internet and go play outdoors. It's healthier for you and your skin will show it. Of course, if you burn easily, use protection but don't overdo it.

* DON'T go out and tan, that is just stupid!

* DO go out and participate in outdoor activities and you'll naturally get darker.

Humans do need sun on our skin, it's how we make Vitamin D. Because most of us in the West work indoors for most of the day, there's actually a lot of people who don't get enough Vitamin D. Feel free to google that.

Tanned girl, before and after

However, don't overdo the sun either! As with all healthy things, do it in moderation! There is always such a thing as too much of a good thing! Just don't believe these anti-sun quacks. As long as you do everything in moderation, you'll be fine and it's actually good for you.

[COCOCHANEL]

it's not just Asian cultures that associated paleness with the middle and upper classes.

europeans and americans always had the exact same thinking. i mean have you ever seen portraits and old photos? have you seen the marie antoinette exhibit?
victoria? charlotte? elizabeth? rose? anne? mary?

this dumbass tan trend wasn't even a thing until the 1960s.

yes the standard of beauty was pale, rosy cheeks with a tiny dainty mouth

[COCOCHANEL]

why do westerners like to pretend that tanning was always a part of their culture?

why do they say it's only Asians who appreciate skin that isn't baked?

look at european and American history and how pale skin was the standard of beauty throughout the ages. i dare you.

[pineappleorange]

Yes, you're right. In earlier times, the same logic behind Asians worshipping pale skin was the same as Europeans. During that time in Europe, if you spent time outside, it meant that you were working and a laborer. Since then, the economy and industry of Western society has advanced and its culture has changed along with it.

Nowadays, we have machines farming our foods and the "peasant" class mostly works indoors. It's the wealthy class who can afford to go on vacations to warm, tropical beaches.

Ironically, I think Asian culture *might* be following the same trend. Now that China (and other Asian countries) has become an economic superpower and its peasant class are working in factories instead of toiling outdoors, they (the younger generation) too are tanning while on vacation as much as Westerners.

To reiterate, don't let the anti-sun people scare you. Sun in moderation is completely healthy and the side effect is that gorgeous healthy glow that most people love.

[COCOCHANEL]

i understand that a bit of early morning sun exposure is beneficial for vitamin d production but photoaging is something that caucasians especially should be aware of.
if you have a genetic weakness or predisposition to something it's best to protect yourself as much as possible. at least to promote a healthy life.

[curiousnorway]

Here's another good example. She's Spanish and has dark genes, but she goes for a Spanish indoor look because it shows her wealth and that she can afford staying indoors.


So regardless if you're an European, American, Asian, African etc., light skin has been fashionable for a long time in most continents and isn't a thing only one "race" had.

Elizabeth 1 also had this look, but she was even lighter and much whiter than the Spanish queen:


So it's not an Asian thing only! :)

[erin_ireland]

You're talking about British and french cultures and climate with little to no sun. Don't forget tanbeds with UV lighting were only invented many years after. They promoted light pale skin because it was the only skin they could have

[xxmamichulaxx]

Really pale skin can be super attractive on some people , so can tanned skin. If you're skin is naturally very light and mostly just burns, don't make a big deal on getting a tan , a lot of people like pale skin, that's why articles like this don't make much sense , it all comes down to personal preference.

[pineappleorange]

Agree, don't go extreme in either direction. Moderation. Humans need sunlight, we evolved on this planet and given life by its star. The amount you need will depend on your melanin content, season, and latitude.

[LiveFreeorDieHard]

I'm really white with really dark hair and male to boot and I've dated a crap load of girls. White chicks, Hispanic, one Asian and two half white half black girls. I don't have a problem with girls. I had friends who are really pale do good, lots of white chucks get chased so what's up with that. Why do men chase after white chucks and why do you see unattractive pale guys with cute girls. Mmmmmm.

[pineappleorange]

It's probably because

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjSh_esW9W4

[NorthAfrican]

I find it hard to believe that Middle Eastern girls are top 1, we rarely ever date outside our nationality let alone ethnic group, but I could be wrong.

[John_Doesnt]

You can't prove that something is more attractive than another. Especially something like color and tone.

[pineappleorange]

That's incorrect. Wealth will always be more attractive than poverty (for almost everyone, yes, there's always exceptions). Therefore, attributes that symbolize wealth will be in good favor. How you dress, your hairstyle, your eyewear (if you wear glasses), the condition your body is in, how tall you are, etc. Is this shallow? Hell yes, but welcome to the real world. Just look at the media around us.

[John_Doesnt]

That's the most retarded thinking I've heard on this site today.

[pineappleorange]

Retarded? Where's your evidence besides your retarded thinking? Look at social media like Instagram, SnapChat, TV, magazines, movies, etc., wealth will always be viewed upon favorably by the opposite sex and esp. by women.

[Idonthaveausername]

I agree with John. There's a lot of pictures in the Take that don't necessarily look better than than pale, and some that look about the same (and some that are weight-loss photos with a fake tan to show off muscles). I think the blond girl looks better pale, the guy no difference, but the couple with the striped swimsuit look better tan. Beauty is subjective. Every country has a different standard of beauty, especially skin tone

I'm a redhead, so my skin doesn't tan nor does it look good tan. Except for kids picking on me in school, I've never had a man tell me "You're beautiful but too pale for me, so I'm going to have to go with your blond friend who has normal pigment in her skin". Some people look better with a glowing tan, but some of us look much better pale (especially later in life when sun exposure turns your skin into beef jerky)

[LostSecrets]

Honestly if you use evolution you can prove it. People find fit people more attractive on average because it's smarter to mate with those people from a evolutionary stand point but it comes natural after thousands of years. So you can prove something is attractive or more attractive by asking the question... Is this good for evolution or will this bring be a stronger healthier baby

[John_Doesnt]

@LostSecrets this is a year old, nobody cares anymore.

[DJB72]

Culturally, tanning became popular in the mid 1920s when Coco Chanel popularised it.

That would be in Europe. Where Europeans come from and where most pale-skinned Americans are ancestrally routed.

In the USA it became popular later than Europe simply because the country was less culturally advanced in the west than the east coast and it took time for things to change across the backwoods of the country as it was still recovering from the effects of the American Civil War.

Pale skin has, since the old testament was written around 4000 years ago, been the standard of beauty. It was seen as a sign of affluence - even people working outdoors in the northern part of Europe were a darker complexion than their relative aristocracies. In particular, women of pale complexion have for 39 of the last 40 centuries been considered more attractive.

Even in Africa, tribal leaders who have spent their lives in the shelter of their homes while they sent others out to farm or hunt historically had paler skin than their lower classes, so paler-skinned individuals were considered more attractive because they were considered a higher social standing.

That covers cultural issues.

Genetically we're programmed to choose the most viable mate for procreation. For thousands of years as a species we have sought the best. The best, historically, was for men a body fat percentage of around 15%, for women around 20% and paler complexion.

Since tanned skin has been shown to be a high risk of melanoma, which untreated will kill you, our genetic instinct was to seek out paler skinned mates to bond with.

So basically for around 90 years western society has sought to try and overturn literally millenia of both genetic and societal development. Aside from roughly 50 years from the 1950s to the early 2000s when groups like the Beach Boys managed to popularise the look and science hadn't caught up enough to really get the message across that looking like overdone chicken skin isn't actually that attractive to most of the 7 billion people on the planet.

[molonski2]

Im in Asia so as you say its quite the opposite..
How much of that white facial cream do you see on bank / office worker females on BTS skytrain? In Thailand , its all about class , perception of class anyhow , its very rare to see a female ( in particular ) not be concerned about having darker skin , for this represents Issan , and more often than not farm work. They may not make any more money rubbing all that cream , perfectly on their face but its been instilled to them since day 1 . For me , I used to really tan , as it was constant , days in the surf in Australia , or on the golf course. I still swim a lot , but forgetting any form of vanity , here when that really strong sun comes out , it just becomes common sense NOT to embrace it , because man you fry ! and quickly.
I think its become an unusual , but maybe dieing quest from the West , older Europe still seems to embrace the tan , the young people? hmm , not so much.
For me , the blonde girl in your example looks better white , it just matches her somehow. Still like a tinge of tan for myself , but dont actively pursue.

[Claraaa]

I don't understand the point of this post? Like really?
If the point is to say that tan skin is healthy, it's a really wrong thing to say. If you're Caucasian, a healthy skin is a skin that you don't over expose to the sun as it is directly linked to skin cancers. So how is being tanned healthy?
If you're only talking about attractiveness, well... I understand what you mean, but again it's wrong: you say most people prefer tan skin. But what part of the world do you live in? Are you talking about the entire world? Because if so, using "most" is again, wrong.
In India and Africa, people whiten their skin even though it's dangerous. Why do that if they don't find it attractive?
And come on in terms of number: china+japan+india+some parts of Africa (let's just talk about countries which I know about! ) clearly make "most" of earth population. And they have a thing for pale skin. So again, what do you mean most people prefer tan skin? Most in your country?
Finally I was just thinking about all the racism that takes place in "pale" countries towards people of black or even brown skin. If it is that good looking, why are so many people eager to say they are ugly, look bad and so on?

(Don't get me wrong though, I'm not anti dark skin, my boyfriend isn't caucasian at all and has brown skin so you can imagine that I have nothing against it. Just saying that this post doesn't make sense to me! And my boyfriend's skin colour wasn't even what I found attractive (I mean I didn't care) so it still doesn't agree with the post...)

[TheSpaceGnome]

I'm an artist and a scientist, so first, an artist's perspective on aesthetics:


First 2 guys look better with tan, third guy looks better without a tan, and also the dehydrated body builder look is gross on anyone, both women look better without a tan, but the second one more so than the first.


To me skin shade has no bearing on aesthetics outside having what feels like a matching facial structure shape.


imagine an orc in world of warcraft, but pink instead if green, feels off right?


Now for a scientific perspective on attractiveness:


Assuming the woman was even capable of even being pale, it wouldn't be an unattractive feature to me, because it meant she is inside most of the day, and I'm only attracted to nerds/geeks/artists/gamers.


Secondly, for a mix of the two views, tanning beds cause cancer and cook your internal organs, and tans from those or from spray tans look weird because they create a more orange color than a natural tan does, and humans aren't typically orange (looked ok on Ahsoka Tano in star wars because of the white and blue mixed in)

[TheSpaceGnome]

Also, the split woman's face in the first thumbnail looks good on both sides.

[TheSpaceGnome]

Also, on top of shapes having color associations , both have functional associations. for example, you could changed pickachu to blue, give it blue lightning and still have it seem like an electric type, but if you made it green, the initial thought would be it's a grass type, and for anyone not knowing anything about pokemon, it wiuld still seem like a "nature" pokemon if green.

[TheSpaceGnome]

But, because blue is used in water a lot, yellow is more aesthetically pleasing for a pickachu.

[SmartButBroke]

People in the West/US prefer tanned skin? Huh. News to me.

It must mainly be attractive on "tanned" white people... especially since those are most of your pics. Those of us born with darker skin don't too often get told it's attractive or preferable, except maybe nowadays black guys. Usually, we hear the opposite, even if we look more tan (which I do, for example). Anyway, some people thinking tan skin is attractive in mainly one race in the West is not the same as "tan skin is attractive in the West."

[pineappleorange]

I am pointing out that scientifically and biologically, humans have a preference towards darker skin. Yet, "no good deed goes unpunished."

[Sarahr123]

I think they’re meaning people like who are born with complexion like Salma Hayek. The medium complexions with olive undertones.

[Seinna]

I'm very pale and I like it though people sometimes complained about it and suggested I get tan.

The body does look better with a bit of tan, not as flat, more dimensional. It creates shadows that can make you look more skinny or have better defined muscles. That's why women contour their faces. It doesn't need to be as much tan as on those pictures though...

But for face I like paleness, light eyes, light hair and light skin :) And of course rosy cheeks are very charming, especially on women :)

[Explorer91]

I totally agree with you, I love a pale face almost vampire pale. But a tanned body looks much better naked.

[JuliaStyles]

It's attractive to the dermatologist who will be treating your skin cancer 20 years from now when your skin looks like a tanned pig skin.

Solar keratosis - A condition which causes scaly patches on the skin from exposure to the sun over the years.

What lies under the skin under a UV lamp

Sun damaged skin before cover makeup applied

[CarpetDenim]

Except skin color is a personal preference, not an “this is objectively ugly and this is objectively beautiful” thing. You proved that yourself by explaining the difference in cultural preferences (in the West tan is more attractive, in Asia pale is more attractive.) I’m not even from an Asian culture but I find pale skin a thousand times more attractive than tan skin. It’s not biologically rooted in me to find pale skin “unhealthy” and unattractive, nor is it in anybody else. It’s a personal preference. And just to clear things up, preference for pale skin is not as rare as you’re making it seem. I would bet the majority of people don’t actually care at all, and for those that do care the ones that prefer pale and the ones that prefer tan are probably pretty even.

[Claraaa]

I'd say there actually are more people on earth preferring pale skin, because many people in Africa and India make their skin whiter with products. Why would they do that if they didn't find it attractive? And those countries added to china, South Korea and Japan (where they clearly widely prefer pale white af skin), it clearly makes the majority of people in my opinion...

[Sarahr123]

@Claraaa that is because of social conditioning from British colonisation that caused the division of India. Indians had always preferred dusky skin. In fact poetry and music is still written on dusky skin. Plus when Indians try to “lighten” they don’t want to go pasty. They prefer “light” as in like Aishwarya Rai which is universally considered a medium complexion as opposed to pale. Indians don’t want to be pale they just prefer to be a lighter shade of yellow.

[Frangipaniandlotus]

First, you are wrong. When I see a toned guy, it is not attractive. Second, its a personal preference. Third, all of these people you showed on photos didn't get that tan from sun or fromfood but fromhorrible solarium. If you want to destroy your skin go ahead. For me, I want to stay pale. There is enough sun in my country (touristic oasis) that I get lightly changed colozr during summer by just walking to store and back and I dont see it as super attractive. Its unimportant. I'd rather be very pale in winter and lightly pale in summer like I am, then ever go to 'prestige for stupid', solarium.

[tøp1996]

Lol totally bashing against someone’s skin color that’s classy.
Here’s why I’m against your theory/opinion: from my own person experience
I have pretty pale skin. But I can confirm that a lot of guys of all different races are attracted to me. You pretty much said that no pale people participate in outdoor activities 💁🏼‍♀️ I went to Israel for several weeks and hiked mountains for 10 hours a day, in 115F weather. And I went to Florida the same month as well. I was still pale after that, so being pale doesn’t mean you’re indoors 24/7😏 but yeah, I still hike every year, workout 5-6 days a week.
I’m also a lot more athletic than majority of people, I’ve play 7+ sports throughout my life, plus playing college level.

[tøp1996]

I genuinely find all skin tones attractive

[gothgirl997]

I really disagreed with what you said.

First of all, lots of beautiful women in Hollywood are pale (if anything the tanning trend starts to go away now) : Nicole Kidman, Emma Stone, Christina Hendricks, Emma Watson, Anne Hathaway, Taylor Swift. Porcelain skin will always be considered beautiful

Secondly, the sun is dangerous. You can get melanoma from its toxic rays. It also ages your skin. If you want to look as young wrinkle-free, avoid the sun as much possible or wear a sunscreen with a very high SPF.

Personally I dislike tanned skin (although I have light hair and eye color, I easily tan) so I avoid the sun from 11-4, wear a sunscreen with a 50SPF (even in the winter) and a hat (in the summer)

[Brokenheartedx]

Tanned skin is attractive but at what cost? You have white people as examples to say they are attractive but that is not true, the sun ages and also can kill, so that lovely sun tanned brown colour you think is attractive will look leathery in 15vyears time. Fake tan looks orange but those examples you have used are clearly sun worshippers.
The rest of the world for example hotter countries, they either cover up or stay out the sun, not because they want to avoid being seen as poor/rich but because no matter your skin colour nobody on this planet is exempt from heatstroke
I'm pale skin and proud, I cannot tolerate the sun for long, I look younger than my age due to staying out the sun. I hate the smell of fake tan, but you've told me I'm unattractive because I value my health over a tan?

[Bella9191]

I think this post was just the opinion owner saying he likes tanned skin. And trying to make it seem like his opinion is the main stream opinion. People can’t vocalise liking pale skin without sounding racist. Like how racist does it sound to say I prefer white skin. You can't say that. So people just say “I like tanned skin” even if they don’t mean it. A lot of people love pale skin. So don’t feel bad about yourself. I’m guessing the owner actually is the one who feels bad.

[Explorer91]

I don’t find it more attractive. I like very pale. This might be because I look in the mirror and see a pale body and face everyday so I am familiar with that look. So to me, a pale body is not ghastly because I see it everyday. When I was a child I do remember thinking my goodness I look like a ghost. But now I genuinely love it. And get a lot of external validation for being so pale. The girls I lived with for years were tanned and constantly complained they wanted to be more pale. So I think it’s personal preference. And what is familiar to you. And what you are used to. If you are naturally tanned yourself you wouldn’t be familiar with looking at pale skin everyday in the mirror. So I don’t blame you if you find it less attractive, as your not used to it,

[Lliam]

I'm American with Irish lineage. I'm lucky to have skin that browns nicely. For many years, I surfed and spent hours and hours at the beach. I can get really dark.

But I have to admit a preference for women with light-colored skin. White skin with an underlying rosy glow looks healthy. It looks delicate. I also like the fact that women with light skin have soft pink-colored parts, such as areolas. All pink and white and glabrous is my preference.
A bit of light golden tan is fine as long as her tits are milky white. But a heavy tan makes a woman's skin look leathery and will cause sun damage later in life.

That being said, women with naturally Mediterranean-colored or even ebony skin can look outstanding. There are beautiful women all over the world.

[hannahjo022]

Some people look good tan while other's look better with no tan. I notice the pictures you post up some of the people who are "tan" look orange. I work at a tanning salon and notice pale people look orange when they tried to get tan. I always recommend tanning lotions that will cancel out the orange tone when they tan, but it sometimes work depending on the person's skin tone. I'm white with medium skin tone and tan very easily. I get super dark when I'm out in the sun. Sometimes I don't like being too tan because it makes me look unhealthy and old. It gets irritating when people tell me I am too tan. My Asian and Hispanic friends who get tan easily will put their skin against mine and tell me I'm darker than them lol. I don't really think tan skin is attractive makes you look unhealthy and old. I know tan skin helps your body to look more tone and define since body builders get spray tans to help define their muscles for competitions.

[LeeannaDD]

I worked at a salon before too. It's usually the spray tan people who look orange, or people who use cheap lotions

[Daniela1982]

What the stink? I can make the girl on the left look tanned by just using filters. Of course it makes the girl on the right looks like she came out of a toaster oven. They say tan skin makes a girl look healthier. But tanning is not healthy for your skin in the long run. It just ages you before your years. If you had a twin sister and you got tanned all the time and she stayed polar bear, when you reached 55 she would look 15 years younger and have less skin problems.

[Sunnybabe23]

RESPONSIBLE amounts of sun exposure are SAFE. VITAMIN D improves MOOD, and HAIR HEALTH. Find how much sun YOU NEED:

Albinos, people with extremely pale skin, and people with freckles need 4-16 minutes of exposure on sunny days and 16-37 minutes on cloudy days.

People with fair skin, with Northern European or Scandinavian ancestry need 4-20 minutes on sunny days and 20-46 minutes on cloudy days.

If you have darker white skin, and you turn brown when you tan, you need 5-25 minutes on sunny days and 25-55 minutes on cloudy days.

If your skin is light brown, and you tan to a medium brown, you need 8-37 minutes on sunny days and 37-84 minutes on cloudy days.

If your skin is medium brown, and you tan to a dark brown, you need 11-50 minutes on sunny days, and 50-115 minutes on cloudy days.

If your skin is very dark, you need 19-84 minutes on sunny days, and 84-219 minutes on cloudy days.

[Anonymous]

I have to disagree. I Think every skin color is beautiful and for me personally it doesn't matter. And when you look at the social stuff in society yes tan is in now. But that doesn't mean everyone will prefer that. I mean have you seen models when it comes to society? Most of them are pale tall and flat and most guys don't prefer that type. And that's okay. Some will like it some won't. So you can't tell someone what they are attracted to. And you have every right to have your perference but you don't need to hate on pale people. There are more important things than skin color.

[kaewk]

Melanin is beneficial yes, but your pigment does not determine your beauty. I used to tan because my family picked on me a lot for being so pale, I also contracted skin cancer sooo... Just be happy as you are, don't try to change it. My dermatologist told me "A tan is a pre-cancerous glow" needless to say, I went from being a kid who never took precautions to wearing sunscreen at night LMAO

[Brokenheartedx]

I'm paler than pale being a redhead, my oldest daughter is olive skinned and my youngest is auburn, every summer out playing I'd shout them over and lather than in sunscreen, along with their little friends. 2 being of Arab descent.. I don't care what colour someone is, how naturally dark they go, I've grown up with red raw blistered because of the sun and kno every time I burn my chances of getting skin cancer increases, my job as an adult is to ensure my children or their little friends are protected by the sun.

[Brokenheartedx]

A tan is sunburn anyway

[softrosie]

You can't argue that a preference is biologically universal if other cultures have different views on it. You said so yourself, different cultures have different ideas of beauty, so it can't be a biological impulse, but a social one. A biologically universal preference would be like not dating someone with the Black Plague or something.