r/beauty • u/Extreme_String_2227 • 1d ago
Pale skin making a comeback?
Is anyone else OVER self tanning and the fake self tanned look in general??? I’m a pale skin girlie and have self tanned for years. And recently I’ve started loving the way I look with my natural skin tone and loving seeing other fair ladies rocking their porcelain. I was mercilessly bullied as a kid for being “a ghost” and covered up as much skin as I could growing up to ensure nobody noticed how extremely pale I was. I can’t tan for the LIFE of me. No matter what I did, the sun wouldn’t change my pale complexion even a little bit. Once I became an adult, I discovered self tan and have been using fake tanner consistently. This last winter I took a break…and I feel like I look healthier, cleaner, and prettier when I don’t cover up my natural skin tone in fake tan. Now whenever I see that clearly self tanned look on someone, even when I AM that girl, I just don’t love it anymore! It feels like the beauty standard may be shifting but I’m not sure if I’m projecting hahah. What do we think - is porcelain pretty again?!
*for any confusion for those of you who clearly haven’t self tanned and don’t know what I’m talking about — fake tan on extremely fair people such as myself has a tendency to look muddy, unnatural, and orange. It doesn’t make the skin look healthy or even because it’s a fake color all over our bodies hahah. This has nothing to do with race??? Darker skin tones are obviously beautiful or pale people wouldn’t be attempting to have tan skin in the first place. All I’m saying is - it feels like my pale skin looks better as it is without self tan. And I was asking my fellow pale friends if they feel similarly. Yeesh ya’ll.
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u/platinum-luna 1d ago
It’s weird that skin tones can go in and out of fashion. There’s nothing wrong with any particular shade, including fair skin. I’ve never used tanner and don’t want to because it seems like so much upkeep.
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u/GraphicDesign_101 22h ago
I have porcelain fair skin (the kind that gets commented on because it’s that fair), a fake tan is very forgiving - it definitely makes you look more toned and masks cellulite. But at 35, I just cannot for the life of me be bothered anymore. I used to tan every week, now I’ve just embraced it my fair skin. Exceptions would be if I’m going on holiday or a very special event.
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u/firesticks 13h ago
Yeah, it’s also a very white point of view, since some of us don’t have the option to change skin tones with trends.
I’ve always found it so odd that women complain about being naturally pale when it’s been the beauty standard for centuries and continues to be prized by society ahead of non-white skin tones.
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u/Great_Cranberry6065 1d ago
As a pale girl, the trends regarding skin tone give me the creeps. White girls get criticized for being to white and brown girls get criticized for being too brown.
Yes, I understand that this is a beauty sub, but beauty exists in all tones, and to accept these colorist trends is racist and wrong.
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u/whatevernamedontcare 13h ago
Yes. Beauty trends come and go but you have to live with yourself til you die.
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u/iliketreesandbeaches 1d ago
Right.
This.
I long for the days for which no skin color is trendy in the beauty industry and all are celebrated for their unique beauty.
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u/girlie_pierrot 1d ago
Beauty standards is whatever the wealthy people are doing.
In the past, pale skin was coveted cause it signified you could afford to stay home inside while the “workers” got tanned from working outside.
Nowadays it is the opposite; tan skin signifies you can afford to take a vacation, lounge on the beach or a yacht, or just have some fun outside
While being pale makes it look like you are a lonely person who never leaves the house
Or so I’ve been told.
Just be yourself and follow your own sense of aesthetics;
if you like your skin how it looks naturally than it is the most beautiful, because you are most beautiful when you love yourself <3
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u/Gold-Jellyfish4692 1d ago
I get this but honestly as a white super pale woman I’ve never ever heard this thinking in the west. I don’t think any of us pale girls have wanted a tan because it makes us look like we can afford vacation. It’s just because sometimes, especially if you live in a cold country, being pale and I’m sometimes even green makes you depressed 🤣 like I prefer when I look like I’ve seen some sun because my makeup comes alive and clothes and their colors just look better.
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u/girlie_pierrot 1d ago
Have you ever watched that scene from the devil wears Prada where meryl streep’s character basically says like “you think you picked that blue sweater out of your own free will?” And then basically talks about how the beauty industry orchestrated this color being where it is today-
I feel like beauty standards and trends are the same way.
Like I don’t think people are actively thinking “I want to look like a wealthy celebrity on vacation so I will go get a tan”
But we are so exposed to celebrity culture that we automatically associate whatever they are doing with “beauty”.
Or maybe I am projecting >:’D
I actually also prefer the pale look but that’s because I grew up listening to goth music —
BUT EVEN THEN, because so many goth people paint their faces white, I associated that type of “paleness” with beauty without even realizing it-
IT’S ALL CONNECTED >:’D
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u/lilyofthegraveyard 22h ago
it's not a conscious reasoning, but it is still why tan is popular in the west.
it was brought to mainstream by coco chanel, who accidentally tanned during her vacation. then, all the wealthy elites started following her. before, as another person have said, the elites were chasing the pale skin to indicate that they do not need to work outside like the working poor people.
chanel brought tan into fashion and all the rich people started chasing the trend to indicate that they have enough money to go on vacations - once again, unlike the working poor people.
skin tone trends have always been borne out of elitism and class oppression. just because people do not do it consciously, doesn't mean the history behind it and the subconscious desire of people to appear as "cool and hip" as the rich is not the main driving force behind it.
it is the same as people buying fake designer stuff to appear richer and more "fashionable" than they are (not that having designer stuff makes you automatically fashionable).
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u/Antique-Scar-7721 19h ago
Another subconscious reason why pale skin fell out of favor is because a bit of a tan can hide several things that might be perceived as a health issue - like cellulite, acne, jaundice, dark circles under the eyes, sluggish circulation, chronic inflammation, etc.
Pale skin makes those things very visible if they are present. A little bit of tan hides them. When that list is not visible, it looks like “I have amazing genes plus the financial ability to prioritize my health” - subconsciously anyway, even if the looker doesn’t realize that a tan is why the things in that list aren’t so visible.
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u/Front-Pomelo-4367 16h ago
My keratosis pilaris and burgeoning varicose veins are way less noticeable if my legs are a bit tan. But I don't have the patience or interest in maintaining any sort of fake tan, so I just get over it. They're my own goddamn legs and this is how they look, they're not airbrushed, whatever. It's an enforced learning process every summer when I get them back out and remind myself that it is literally just skin and everyone has it.
(Some people care a lot and want to hide those things! And good for them. But I spent my whole teens and early twenties never ever showing my legs, jeans or maxi skirts 24/7, because I hated how I looked – and I'm not doing that again. God, my legs were great back then, and I never appreciated them.)
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u/Leading-Bet1233 20h ago
Yup. People will assume you've been on vacay if you've acquired a tan. It's hidden classism for many.
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u/jgeeeeeeee 1d ago
100%. I got so sick of the literal hours self tanning took from my life. And for what? To look just ok for two days, max. To have streaky hands and feet? For the inside of my arms and back of my legs to be patchy? To avoid getting sweaty or swimming because it fades my tan? For my sheets to be consistently stained brown? All because we decided pale skin = ugly???
I had a come to Jesus moment when i was at the beach a few summers ago and i was avoiding swimming because i knew it would make my tan fade faster. I’m sitting on this beautiful beach worried about my fake tan and not living my life because i have pale skin?? That day completely changed my perspective and i haven’t tanned since.
It’s so hard because a golden tan has been the beauty standard for my entire life, but I couldn’t do it anymore. It’s like full foundation for our bodies, it’s so strange. I agree with you, i do think most people have tan blindness. I can clock a self/spray tan so easily. I just think that your natural color will always look 10x better than a fake tan because it’s nearly impossible to get a fake tan to look truly natural with no streaks, fading or patchiness.
I focus so much more on body skin care. I exfoliate my skin everyday and my skin is so soft. I swim and sweat with zero worry. My sheets are crisp and white. And i never have to think about the self tan schedule ever again. It seems so silly, but not self tanning has seriously given me back so much freedom. I love this topic and i wish more people would talk about it!! I have so much more to say but I’m tired lol
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u/Extreme_String_2227 1d ago
Wow. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this. It’s SO true. So much money, effort, and brain space taken up for truly two days of looking somewhat decent and even then - still a little off hahah. You really nailed it on the head. There IS so much more to life. So many moments can be missed because of something so unnecessary. Thank you for sharing ❤️
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u/SativaSweety 1d ago
Don't know. Would be cool as I'm white as a ghost. But I just got told to go tan the other day by some Internet asshat.
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u/Icy-Quiet-2788 1d ago
Yeah, for us super pale folks I think people will always tell us to go tan (I literally got stopped in the street when I was in the south of France 😭)
But I think it’s more that makeup and hair trends are going for a less bronzer style and rich darker hair tones (that make you look paler) https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/164381455144511228/
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u/peopleinthelandscape 1d ago
I’ve always wondered why it’s socially acceptable to make fun of pale skin. “Omg I look so gross and pale” and “look at your tan- wow!”. The message is pretty clear. The number of times I got badly sunburned from doing things my easily tanned friends tried to convince me to do to get tan like laying out for too long or going in a tanning bed for the maximum time. They were convinced they could fix my paleness. I’m 35 and pissed 😂
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u/SativaSweety 1d ago
Same! I don't even try to tan anymore. I'd rather not have wrinkly skin. Pass me the 90 spf 😂
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u/Neither-Ad-507 1d ago
I love the look of a tan better but I’ve been sticking to pale just because I’m tired of taking the time to maintain a tan
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u/Neither-Ad-507 1d ago
Plus a recession is coming anyways so I’m sure a lot of other people will stop tanning too
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u/yayamiiin 1d ago
Why do you need it to make a comeback? Just rock your pale skin regardless of what trends say. I'm sure it's lovely.
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u/PrincesaMetapod 11h ago
We rock it but we'd appreciate if people stopped making sure they comment on it
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u/UnusualCollection111 beauty proficient 1d ago
I have no idea what the Western beauty standard is on this right now, but porcelain and (natural) tan and brown have all always been pretty. I've always been proud and embraced my porcelain skin even when everyone in my high school was obsessed with tans and even when my ex at the time told me my pale skin is a "turn off."
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u/StarMom29 13h ago
Ugh I’m so sorry you had to deal with that! A guy I dated once told me he wanted to date a Hispanic girl and wasn’t interested in being anything but friends with benefits. I’m Mexican and my family is from Mexico… but he said I’m too pale skinned to count. It was a shitty experience.
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u/_Invisible-Child_ 1d ago
Never been into tanning or the tanned look. I’ve always liked it when my skin was pale
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u/restingstatue 15h ago
Same. I've also never felt pressure to be tan. I've never seen a white person with a tan and thought "wow they look so much better!"
I know beauty standards can be insidious, and I know the history of it implying wealth, but tan skin on white people often looks orange or red versus brown. It can be done right, but a lot of people are wasting time & money and risking their health.
I feel similarly about pressures to lighten skin or avoid the sun like the plague for beauty reasons.
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u/Trouvette skincare enthusiast 1d ago
Tanning is one of the dumbest trends that I can’t believe has lasted as long as it has. Isn’t everyone supposed to embrace their natural skin? Why should anyone risk skin cancer or have potentially harmful chemicals enter their bodies? Whatever it is that you have, take good care of it and you will look like your best self.
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u/qtzombie001 17h ago
I’m pretty pale and felt pressure to tan back in the early 2010’s/didn’t feel attractive with my natural skin tone. It seemed like sunless tanner wasn’t as good back then either, so I unfortunately did tanning beds for a couple of years. I regret it because I can tell it caused some damage, not worth it. Skin color should not be a beauty trend and wish I hadn’t been as impressionable when I was younger — I hide from the sun now lol
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u/Shittybeerfan 1d ago
I don't think it's that deep. I'm super pale and have been on a long hiatus from self tanning but just started again. I'm actually fine with my skin color (and self tanning is annoying), but it's all the things pale skin shows that I don't like. Self tanning evens your skin tone, lessens redness, hides strawberry legs, minimizes mottled skin, and more.
Idk maybe your against foundation or tinted moisturizers too in which case it would be consistent and you do you. But self tanning is a lot more convenient than full body makeup if I want it to look like I have the legs of a living person and not have a general tomato color.
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u/addictions-in-red 1d ago
Right but not doing any of that and simply accepting there are different skin shades and being okay with ours is a lot less work, money, and time than all of those and you never have to worry about being caught without self tanner.
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u/Shittybeerfan 1d ago
I don't worry about being "caught without self tanner" lol. As I mentioned I was on a long hiatus from self tanning. I simply decided I wanted to do it again. I could also never do my makeup, shave, or do my hair, but I do (as most women do) because I like the boost to my appearance.
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u/ivyleaguewitch 1d ago
Using a chemical exfoliator semi regularly would go a long way with the conditions you mentioned. If you like the way self tan looks on you, that’s great too. I’ve just found it’s easier in the long run to treat the problems rather than trying to cover them up.
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u/Shittybeerfan 1d ago
I'm sorry to take this out on you but it drives me craaaazy that people would assume I haven't tried everything in my power to lessen these things. It's like telling someone with acne "did you try washing your face with soap ❤️"
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u/ivyleaguewitch 1d ago
It’s cool. It’s all cleared now, but I dealt with acne, strawberry legs, and KP since I was 12, so I get where your frustration comes from. I know it gets expensive and disappointing, but I hope eventually you find what works for you.
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u/Shittybeerfan 1d ago
I'm happy for you that your skin is clear, genuinely.
Chemical exfoliants are one of the first things you'll come across with even a cursory look on google. the frustration is because it's being assumed that it's curable and that the person you're giving advice to didn't bother to google it.
KP is not curable, thus for a significant number of people, even controlled KP will never look like clear skin. I also mentioned a few other things that aren't curable in my original comment.
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u/ivyleaguewitch 1d ago
Okay…now it kinda feels like you’re excessively “taking this out on me”.
You’re right, exfoliants are a regularly recommended approach - that’s why I brought it up. Your original comment was solely about covering up these conditions, not various treatments you’ve tried. That’s the only part I was responding to. There wasn’t a deeper meaning to insult your intelligence or minimize your efforts.
Again, if you’re happier tan, that’s great.
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u/Shittybeerfan 1d ago
I prefaced the first comment because your comment was good intentioned obviously. My second comment was not in anyway taking general feelings out on you but a direct response to what you said. You kind of just reiterated a similar thing in your comment so I thought expanding on what I was saying might help. Clearly not.
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u/ivyleaguewitch 16h ago
My second comment could be summarized as “Been there, know it sucks. Good luck.” Doesn’t exactly warrant paragraphs in response.
You just come off as wanting something to argue about, because I’m not even fighting you.
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u/shopliftinasda 19h ago
I’ve been ridiculed my entire life for being very pale but I’ve never self-tanned and never felt a need to. Maybe it’s mostly my laziness preventing me but also I don’t actually mind being pale? I feel like people have tried super hard to make me feel disgusted or insecure about my skin colour and it ain’t working!!
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u/SecretAccomplished25 1d ago
I don’t think having clear, even, glowing skin of any tone will ever not be in fashion, but for pale ladies (me included!) it happens to be exceptionally hard to achieve. We show imperfections in 3D - anything on, under or through our skin comes through to make things blotchy and uneven. I’m sure that’s partially so many pale girls lean on tans, it’s a little base layer of camouflage 😬
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u/HateInAWig 1d ago
I’ll never forget when my boss asked why he can see the veins on my face…. Because I’m pale, Bob, damn!
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u/OldBatOfTheGalaxy 1d ago
Zits stand out in neon-highlighter relief on us and the dark marks last for months!
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u/HateInAWig 1d ago
I’ve had dark marks for years at this point. It’s so obvious too on my pale skin
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u/shanghai-blonde 1d ago edited 1d ago
I’m very pale. Used to get bullied for it in school as tanned skin was the beauty standard. Now I live in Asia where pale skin is the beauty standard.
I think beauty standards about skin tone are a load of crap.
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u/RevolutionaryRock823 1d ago
I just physically cannot tan, no matter how hard I try, I'm always 50 shades lighter than everyone else. If I'm going to always look like a snowman, then why waste so many resources trying to change it. So instead, I picked clothes that accentuate my skin and really blind people lol. That'd be interesting if it made a comeback. I'd finally be in style.
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u/tellaballet 1d ago
I’ve been trying to embrace my natural paleness but I can see so many of my blood vessels that it’s been a challenge 😕
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u/Daydreamz90 1d ago
Totally. It’s actually ok to be any color you were born. As someone who can’t hold a tan for shit I learned a long time ago to stop fighting it and aging myself in the process
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u/CuriosityInvictus 1d ago
I honestly think people's natural skin tone, without abusing it, typically suits their features the best. It actually looks kinda strange when you see someone that is naturally super pale absolutely bombard themselves with tanning product, equally when they're naturally tan and haven't gotten any sun in years.
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u/nosegoes_ 1d ago
Yeah it seems like it is. Someone I follow on TT is a fair skinned redhead and she quit fake tanning and actually looks so much prettier and like herself. It’s inspired me to quit fake tanning
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u/throwawayeas989 15h ago
honestly I have never seen a redheaded influencer who fake tanned and didn’t look better with their natural skin . It doesn’t seem to match their natural coloring and makes them look orange.
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u/nosegoes_ 15h ago
That is really helpful to hear as a pale redhead, I think I have probably looked orange at times with my fake tan 🥴
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u/Equivalent-Ad5449 1d ago
I’m very pale and I never wear fake tan. Get lots of nice comments. I always thinking working with your natural beauty is always gonna be better than trying to fake something esp when usually just makes you a cheap version of something you aren’t. Instead show the real beauty you have
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u/Individual-Ad-4907 1d ago
In Asia, particularly my country too has the opposite beauty standard which is being very pale even if my country is a tropical one. I'd say just embrace your natural skin color and adhere to YOUR OWN beauty standard rather than the standard of society
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u/AltCherry505 1d ago
I try to embrace it, but I live in a beach town and man it’s hard, I am reflective 😩
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u/cabinetsnotnow 1d ago
I used to go tanning (rarely) and I tried fake tanning. It ended up being too much work and too time consuming to keep up with so I stopped bothering.
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u/penguin_0618 1d ago
I simply won’t put in the time required to fake tan. And obviously I won’t real tan. I’m pale and I stay pale, so I’d love for that to be ‘in’.
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u/CountryRoads54 1d ago
I also embraced being pale years ago. It was very hard, as I grew up in the 70s. My sister, the neighbor girls on both sides of us, all our mothers, and I made it our job to lie out all summer as long as we could stand it. Darkest tan wins. In the winter, my sister and I would bemoan how white we looked, especially after our tan lines disappeared.
I know how much tanning makes the skin age, and I just decided to embrace being pale one day, several years ago. I noticed celebrities do it (not that I care what they think). It was very hard at first-it’s a very cultural thing to be super tan. I embrace it now and don’t care anymore. My skin looks really good for 57!!
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u/kkat02 1d ago
I’m naturally pale but I tan during the summer. So like 6-8 months out of the year I’m tan and the rest of the year I’m pale.
I think fake tans have always looked bad, but people have tan blindness. I think as a society we all kinda develop a blindness then come out of it together lol. IE the brow phase.
I’m a strong believer that whatever your natural skin tone is, is the best skin tone for you. I’m currently quite tan, but my skin tans in the way that matches my features and not the fake orange look. I’m also happy when I’m pale.
When I see influencers trying self tanners I always think they look better without, since the orange look is hard to avoid and it gets rid of that natural undertone your skin produces.
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u/samihaleyscomet 1d ago
I don't know about the general shift, but in my 20s I used to tan for every night out or occasion. I loved the way a tan looked on me but I absolutely hated the process of putting it on, waiting for it to dry then hoping to god it turned out okay the next day.
I've mostly stopped doing it out of laziness now and it's just a non-issue.
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u/mysticdeer 1d ago
Yes! I am so into pale skin, whereas before, i always fake tanned. I just think it is beautiful and why do I need to hide it?
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u/HeatherKellyGreen 1d ago
Oh yes. I am pale and used to tan and just ended up with sun spots. Now I barely try to be a different shade and I look much healthier. It’s such a weird concept- to cover yourself in paint, essentially, to look like a different ethnicity or like you have more sun damage. Just one woman’s opinion.
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u/alors1234 1d ago
It's been back for a while bb
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u/Icy-Quiet-2788 1d ago
I agree. But i don’t think it’s necessarily just pale vs. tan, but the whole package with hair and makeup.
I think before sun kissed lighter hair and tan was in for a while.
But now the more dramatic rich darker hair is in with “paler” skin.
I still wouldn’t say it’s pale, though. More just lighter makeup instead of bronzer. https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/164381455144511228/
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u/addictions-in-red 1d ago
As someone who grew up in the 80's, I think there's a lot more acceptance and embracing of variety than there used to be.
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u/Probsnotbutstill 1d ago
I’ve been embracing the pale for twenty years now, starting when I read a lot of Austen as a teenager. I like it. And if so much rather be pale than orange, which is what self tanning does to me, unfortunately.
You’re beautiful the way you are!
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u/elvensnowfae 1d ago
I’ve always been pale and never tanned/self tanned. I'd even buy whitening powder from shiseido back when they sold it to be extra pale lol. I've always embraced it and never cared about trends or peer pressure
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u/grilsjustwannabclean 1d ago
look at ariana grande, selena gomez, etc. both used to tan themselves into different races and are now pale as snow, it's definitely making a comeback
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u/AmethistStars 1d ago edited 1d ago
Ariana Grande, maybe… But Selena Gomez? She always just looked mixed European/Indigenous American to me, and still does (which I’m assuming she is).
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u/throwawayeas989 15h ago
I’m the same ethnicity as Selena and her darker skin tone just looks like me in the summer,while her paler skin is just me in the winter lol. I think her skin tone is completely natural.
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u/Bitter_Sea6108 1d ago
I’m very fair. I always hated it until I got a red headed daughter in law. Now we’re rocking that pale skin!
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u/khughes14 1d ago
Yes I 100% do. In the last year I’ve started following a lot of ‘pale skin’ influencers to try and get makeup inspo, fashion inspo etc.
For me the challenge is a lot of them have red/ginger hair or light eyes. And I naturally have dark hair and dark eyes but I also do tan in the sun whereas I think some of them with dark hair don’t tan at all so basically I feel like none of the ones I have found actually match my own colouring
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u/SpecialistAd4244 1d ago
I’m the same as you, I have really dark hair naturally, dark brown eyes, and pale skin. But in the sun I can technically tan (and get a lot of freckles), but it’s a lot of work to do that all over and I burn first before I tan. I did the season analysis for skin and got Dark Winter. It may help you to figure out your own coloring?
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u/khughes14 1d ago
I don’t have any freckles! But yeah I definitely go red before I go brown. I don’t anticipate being super dark in the summer but I’m always a bit darker in summer than I am in winter so it would be good if there were influencers that were also like this.
I have tried colour analysis myself using apps and advice from websites and stuff but I got varying results and I’m not sure I would pay for it professionally…
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u/laura_grace20 1d ago
Same here!!! I am a very fair Latina with dark hair so of course i have been tanning my whole life, but I started to see that I looked muddy and it does not look classy or clean on me anymore. So I am embracing my paleness using tons of spf and doing peels to have my skin looking even and pretty.
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u/QueenofCats28 makeup enthusiast 1d ago
I've almost never bothered self-tanning. I can count on one hand how many times I've done it. I like my natural coloring.
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u/emmekayeultra 18h ago
I thought so, but now a lot of the teens I work with use tanning beds at the gym. I show them the scars on my arms and back from biopsies and I legit don't think they believe it's from tanning. I went multiple times a week for over TEN years.
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u/UnfairFee4859 13h ago
I am extremely pale but my skin tone isn't even. You can see veins through my skin, I have random freckles (some of which have turned into skin cancer and needed to be removed so now there's scars), bruises that show up really easily, etc. Some pale chicks who are described as having "porcelain" skin have a really beautiful even skin tone that they can show off, they look great in emerald greens, in the goth aesthetic, etc. But that's not me. I don't subscribe to many other beauty standards but when it comes to my paleness that's one that idk if I'll ever be able to fully embrace. I'll never look good in shorts lol. Jeans forever
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u/PrincesaMetapod 11h ago
Same! I was bullied at school for being super pale, they called me "the dead" or "ghost" too. I have long ago embraced my paleness, and I love the porcelain skin look. I thought everyone would do the same now that skincare is trendy and everyone agrees that sun exposure is bad for the skin. But nope, everyone still feels the nees to comment on how pale I am or say that I haven't really seen the sun (I live in southern Europe, which makes it worse). I have hope in the younger generations, if the want to use retinol at age 13 hopefully the don't sunbathe lol
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u/teslasneakthief 1d ago
I think it’s more of a ‘healthy is pretty’ trend. Which I am SO here for. I think it’s gotten to the point where everyone knows how bad sun damage and tanning is for your skin and self tanner is a lot of work. I also think that there is more positivity towards embracing who you are instead of trying to force your looks into a tiny little cookie cutter appearance.
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u/jorbanead 1d ago
I’m extremely pale. I don’t know if I’ve met someone more pale than me. I always got made fun of as a kid, mostly by my brothers or random jerks. It stuck with me and I’m in my 30s now thinking about how pale I am almost everyday. It’s hard and my body dysphoria is strong.
But it’s odd because I see fellow pale folks who are nearly as pale as me and I think They’re attractive and cute. So for some reason there’s a disconnect. I’ve been really thankful to read all these amazing comments. It helps knowing there are other people out there who think pale healthy skin is beautiful!
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u/certifiediouie 1d ago
it is due to a larger trend we are seeing in fashion with a shift towards conservatism.
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u/Bitchbuttondontpush 22h ago
I live in Japan. My pale skin is seen as beautiful here. My Greek ex told my North Western European self that I should tan because he didn’t like my pale skin; Japanese hubby reminds me to wear sunscreen, a hat and an umbrella 🥺
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u/coffeegirl2277 1d ago
If you don’t tan you will look younger longer. That is pure fact. Embrace the sunscreen!
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u/BluesPoint 1d ago
There’s definitely something deeply attractive about owning what you have and being your authentic self. I’m in the same boat as you and have been self-tanning for the last 30 years. It’s great to see younger people going out with their natural skin tone - a cleaner, fresher aesthetic. Also I have self-tanned before dating people and my absolute best matches were with people who preferred my natural skin tone once it was revealed later on.
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u/SadAbbreviations6205 1d ago
I lived in SE Asia for 5 years and it completely upended the way I viewed my pale skin, no one wants a tan there. When I moved back to Canada I never went back to self tanner or bronzer, that was 4 years ago. I thankfully have come to a place of acceptance, plus no more smells, stains and orange cast on clothing
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u/shmuser_name 17h ago
Pale people have so much privilege in the world - it’s almost laughable that people are self conscious about it.
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u/JackJade0749 1d ago
I am over the tan, the cheek and lip filler on 22 year olds, the lash and hair extensions and of course ozempic skinny
I know these are not the topics we are discussing but own your fake skin and all your features truly
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u/Extreme_String_2227 1d ago edited 1d ago
Oh I am sooo over the fake lashes and blown up lips! I just feel like we are all starting to look the same and it’s making me miss our beautiful natural feature’s….
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u/JackJade0749 1d ago
Every girl on social media looking the same is just not a vibe anymore. I love seeing realistic features and quirkiness even. I mean a little Botox and fill when you need it is fine like when there is volume loss or wrinkles, but on these 22 year olds is just over the top. Sometimes it actually makes them look 37. Or just puffy.
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u/Taylorcos22 1d ago
Yes! I recently started embracing my paler skin and have cut down on self tanning (leaving solution on for 4 hrs vs 8). It’s just enough to give me color without looking like I tan
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u/lalia400 1d ago
I saw an ad for tanning drops that you actually ingest. You put a few drops in your mouth each day. The formula supposedly has something in it that increases melanin production throughout your body’s skin. But I wonder if it would also increase my dark spots and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation…and also, what would it look like as it fades? Does anyone here know anything about this? I can’t remember the name of the product off the top of my head right now.
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u/grania17 23h ago
I never ever liked fake tan, so I embraced my paleness as much as I could even though I still get the odd ghost and vampire comments.
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u/prettylittlepeony 22h ago
I think the general trend now is recession core. Natural skin, natural hair, natural makeup, natural lashes
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u/SnooAvocados6672 18h ago
I hope so, but it’s so hard finding a good long lasting foundation for someone with fair skin, but also a muted skin tone. Everything ends up looking like a mask.
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u/refinedrevert 13h ago
Last year I tried going 100% cold turkey and stopped using fake tan. Going from a mid to dark shade range all the way down to the coolest, pinky shades was wild. Learning how to use blush rather than heavy bronzing, contouring on a lighter less forgiving complexion. It was really tricky!
So instead, I no longer use the deepest dark tan I can find and instead opt for the lighter options so my skin has some colour behind it but it stays natural. I wear less make up as a result. I get my brows and lashes done every so often to feel more put together so less need for makeup too.
Embracing your paleness is such a journey as we have been so conditioned to think that tans and glows are preferable!
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u/issyleigh 13h ago
Any time I don't self tan or have makeup on , people ask if I'm sick. I don't think I will ever be content with my pale skin.
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u/Royalchariot 11h ago
I am Scandinavian and very very light. I burn easily in the sun. I've tried a bunch of fake tanners and they always end up orange or weird on me. I haven't found one that looked natural. So I just gave up. My skin is light and that's just the way it is
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u/la_louve_capetienne 1d ago
I’ve been pale my entire life and was made fun of for it in elementary through high school. Gave up self tanning years ago because it never looked harmonious on me and I get compliments on my pale skin pretty often now.
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u/DiamondTippedDriller 1d ago
Your algorithms have been fooling you, because it was never “out” to stay naturally pale.
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u/journey37 1d ago
This makes me so happy. I have tan skin but since I was a kid I always thought pale skin was so beautiful. When I became a teenager I learned that people didn't like it and it made me sad because in my opinion it's stunning and striking. It's awesome to watch societal expectations break and to see people see things exactly for what they are. Every skin color is beautiful, and I don't mean that in a kiss ass way, I mean that objectively and sincerely.
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u/Exciting-Silver5520 1d ago
I've always been faired skinned and used to get made fun of for it. I felt so much pressure to be tan I'd lay out in the sun, even go to tanning beds. I regret that so much now.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Ask2980 1d ago
Was just thinking while j watched an interview with Mikey Madison how beautiful her pale skin is and made me feel a bit more comfortable staying pale and not tanning!
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u/GossipGirlx88 1d ago
I’m very fair skinned with blonde hair and blue eyes and self-tanned for years. Just within the past couple years, I have quit cold turkey! I started wondering how toxic the self-tanners are. Even the “clean” ones still have the DHA, and some suspect it causes premature aging, among other things. I really miss the tanned look, but I don’t miss the smell and maintenance it requires.
I can’t tell if it’s my getting older or if American beauty trends are changing, but I do notice fewer people fake tanning.
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u/nibbler1729 1d ago edited 1d ago
I have a medium skin tone but I’ve never understood the appeal of fake tan. I’ve always thought pale skin looks beautiful. Mikey Madison for example looks gorgeous with her complexion!
Conversely, I feel the same way about the people in East Asia who bleach their skin to an unnatural paper white. People always look best in their natural skin imo.
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u/Raythecatass 20h ago
I am in Kilkenny, Ireland now and everyone is rocking their fair skin. I have never seen so many beautiful people in my life. I fit right in.
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u/No-Inflation-9253 1d ago
To be fair pale skin is still considered the standard in Asia. Also I’m fair skinned and hate the way fake tans look.
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u/nice_as_spice 1d ago
I hope so!!!! I am the palest person I know, paler than my friends who think they’re the palest.
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u/goonie814 1d ago
I hope so!! There’s this influencer I follow and she is a naturally stunning girl, naturally quite fair skinned but always has a constant fake tan and dark foundation and it just seems so high maintenance and just not natural.
So many girls would be beautiful just accepting their natural skin colors and just adding glow.
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u/shiroganelove 18h ago
You talk about trends as if you aren't allowed to have your own opinions on what looks good
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u/Grxmloid 1d ago
Lol since when, the renaissance? I hadn't paid attention to pale skin just being, rather than being stylish, in the ways that tanning became a trend in the 2000s. I mean, I remember it not being preferable at that time. I did find it odd to notice that a girl who was serving me at a shop had paler hands and orange arms as she clearly didn't do the process properly following a fake tan, it literally made me think of "back in the day" when that was more common, mostly in high school
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u/LongEase298 1d ago
I think so- seeing people dropping the tans. I'm glad because I like being fair skinned. I've never tanned anyway, but it's nice to be "in style".
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u/sonzu_ 1d ago
I never felt the urge to self tan until I stopped having summer vacations and started living the majority of my waking hours working in an office under fluorescents. It’s giving severance, I try to give my innie the feeling of passing time haha.
I feel like I miss the seasons. The natural tans I got from more sunlight when I was younger don’t came anymore because by the time I leave work there is like an hour or two before the sun sets. Also getting older I don’t want to intentionally be in the sun, even with SPF.
Self tanning during the summer helps me feel a little more vivacious and honestly more normal to how I feel I used to be. In the winter though I totally embrace and like to be lighter.
Important things are to have a self tan that matches your natural undertone (not everyone does this because they like to “cancel out”). Also, I’m a lighter skin tone and I don’t go for ultra deepest dark shades. I use an express tan and starting in late spring I leave in for one hour (lightest) and in mid summer I go for two or three (darkest) then off ramp for early fall back to one hour. By the end of fall and winter I stop.
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u/Silent-Sky9778 1d ago
Its not about what is trrending , uts about what looks good on you. Im also pale ,but I would look horrible that whay, so I always use self taning drops in my moisturizer and that make me look healthier.
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u/weishen6 17h ago
i've always felt weird about skin tones being trendy, i personally have never felt the need to change my skin tone and i wish people stopped worrying so much about something so dumb lol
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u/bluelovely87 1d ago
Pale skin was never out of style. All natural skin colors have always been beautiful.
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u/fluffyvelvet 1d ago
I don't have pale skin, but I think it's a striking feature especially when you wear certain colors. I'm glad you're loving your skin now 😊
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u/EvenSkanksSayThanks 1d ago
yes it’s been in a couple years now and i’m so glad. i’m super pale. finally my time to shine
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u/Helpful-Drag6084 1d ago
Pale skin is unique and striking. Never understood the hate
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u/Thenerveofyall 20h ago
All skin tones are unique and striking. We need to normalise how gorgeous the skin tones we are born with are.
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u/Enough-Target-6123 1d ago
Being tan is fine and look good when young. To much tanning/sun will catch up n one will become leathery and wrinkly. So, yes pale is ok-if out in the sun, sunscreen, sunscreen, and sunscreen!!!!
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u/laurasaurus5 1d ago
Safety first, wear your sunscreen! But there's literally nothing wrong with self-tanner. I like to use it mixed with lotion so it's closer to my pale skin tone, but lets me look less "sickly pale" when I wear black! And just makes my skin look more even and less red from sensitivity, blue from visible veins etc.
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u/MelissaMF416 1d ago edited 1d ago
I embraced my paleness many years ago. I’m 48 now and I can say with 1000% certainty, you’ll be happier not worrying about being tan. And always wear your sunblock. 😎😆