Home

White Asian Skin Against Tanning (Part 1)

Dana Scripca

The paler the skin, the higher the class

Pale skin has had an exciting evolution. Greek and Roman women used to do anything possible to whiten their face skin; the whiter their face skin was, the more beautiful they were considered. Sun tanning was out of the question. By using lead paints and chalks women put themselves in great danger because that ancient beauty treatment could cause death by slow poisoning. It was only too late when this was discovered.

The obsesssion with white, “porcelain”- like skin evolved beyond cosmetic reasons, becoming more related to social classes. Skin color became that visible definer separating working classes from the ruling classes. A tanned skin disclosed a life of outdoor labor; those wishing to be accepted in high-life had to conform to this requirement: white, not tanned skin. The paler one’s skin, the higher the class. To achieve this, men and women had no limits; any method, safe or not, was used, as being pale was extremely important.

1 2 3 »