Does Responsible Tanning Still Exist? This Is What the Glow-Up Discussion Ignores

Despite years of hard-won public health messages, SPF commercials, and dermatological horror stories, tanning, that sun-drenched relic of the early 2000s, is making an unlikely comeback. However, the glow-up now appears quite different.

For example, the spokesperson for the Make America Healthy Again campaign and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was recently seen exiting a Palm Beach Tan salon in Washington, D.C. His spokeswoman remained silent about whether it was a spray tan, a UV treatment using a "deep black intensifier," or just a stray digression on official business.

The image persisted, though. It coincides with the resurgence of bronzed skin on the fashion mood board. As though they had just returned from a week in Ibiza, models at Chloé's Spring/Summer 2025 show strutted down the runway with purposeful tan lines. In the meantime, TikTok influencers are wearing "sunburn blush," which is meant to replicate the flush that appears across the nose after a long day at the beach without the aloe aftermath.

At the same time, we are seeing an increase in SPF skepticism, a perplexing trend that combines DIY irresponsibility with wellness misunderstanding. Despite providing little to no protection, homemade sunscreens, frequently created with coconut oil and blind optimism, are making the rounds among influencers. Furthermore, a more somber figure serves as the backdrop for all of this: skin cancer is still one of the most common and avoidable types of cancer in the US.

What gives, then? Is tanning the latest insurrection?

The Tan's Allure, Rebranded

A tan's cultural appeal has not diminished; it has simply been remarketed. Today's tan is promoted as "wellness adjacent"—a healthy glow, a sign of outdoorsiness, a subtle flex of time, leisure, and even vitality—rather than just being associated with beach trips or Jersey Shore looks. It makes sense that a small piece of bronze may seem like evidence of something genuine in a world where everything is filtered and face-tuned.

However, the dangers remain the same. 

Whether from the sun or a tanning bed, dermatologists continue to caution that there is no such thing as a "safe" UV tan. By definition, tanning causes damage to the skin. Melanin rushes to the surface to safeguard your DNA when your body signals trauma, even if it is that desired golden tone.

"A tan is a scar," says dermatologist Dr. Shadi Kourosh of Massachusetts General Hospital.

People continue to pursue it, nevertheless, maybe because the alternatives seem insufficient, finicky, or phony.

Is It Possible to Tan "Responsibly"?

Depending on your definition of "tan." The answer is definitely no if you are referring to UV beds or tanning in the midday sun without sunscreen. For people who want color without attracting cancer, the emergence of contemporary sunless tanners think featherlight mousses, buildable drips, and sophisticated airbrush systems offers an alternative.

While self-tanners and spray tans both require some work (and a good exfoliating regimen), they do not pose the same concerns. Additionally, they are becoming more and more adaptable, with formulae and undertones made to accommodate a greater variety of skin tones.

However, even these have limitations. Although DHA, the active component of the majority of self-tanners, is usually regarded as safe, it may increase skin sensitivity to sunlight in the hours following application. Furthermore, the question of why we continue to value tanned skin in the first place remains a persistent cultural concern.

The Bottom Line

Tanning is a cultural signal as well as a personal decision. And those messages are confusing at the moment. On the one hand, we now know more about the health of our skin than ever before. 

However, we continue to confuse "healthy" with "glowing," and glow is frequently misinterpreted as tan.

What about Kennedy Jr., Robert F. His salon appearance served as a reminder that the discussion about tans is still going strong, regardless of whether he was pursuing a bronzed appearance or simply picking up a policy brief. It is simply changing—in a messy, fashionable, and occasionally risky way.

"Can you tan responsibly?" is not the only question at hand. "Why are we still trying?" could be the question.