Tanning history

THE HISTORY OF THE TAN
Up until the twentieth century, a tan was associated with the lowest rungs of society, because of the fact that workers, through the daily toils of strenuous outdoor activity, had the darkest tans. The wealthier class of society would do almost anything (including wearing sun hats, gloves and carrying parasols) to prevent sun exposure. Pale skin was the status quo of the elite. This situation prevailed until 1923, when the already prominent designer, Coco Chanel, created a scandal by disembarking her yacht in Cannes, tanned, from head to toe. At first, ridiculed, she herself admitted to not having taken precautions against sunburn while relaxing during the voyage. However, after the initial reaction 'cooled off', the tan became fashionable, with the help of Marta Davelli, a famous opera soprano of the time, who would bask in the sun of the French Riviera in Chanel's swimsuits. And the rest, as they say is history... The competition for the best tan had begun. Cosmetic manufacturers and beauty houses began looking for the best ingredients to create the most natural looking, golden complexion. In the beginning, the best (and also most costly) products were oil-based (specifically the scented variety), as they promised a faster tan. Amongst these, there were also less popular 'experiments' - such as rubbing one's skin with petroleum. However, at this time, the dangers of prolonged sun and UVA and UVB exposure were not known...the result was most important - the fastest and strongest tan! The next event to bring on the 'tan-revolution' was also born of the fashion industry - the bikini.This comfortable swimsuit was not only practical and comfortable, it was perfectly designed for tanning - by the French designer Louis Reard. The outfit, leaving very little to the imagination, caused a sensation - Louis Reard himself had difficulties finding a model brave enough to wear the design in public. In the end, the bikini was modeled by a nightclub dancer, Micheline Bernardini. Since then, women became far more comfortable showing off their bodies on the beach, and the tan became more and more desirable. However due to the time and cost involved in creating a long lasting natural tan, scientists began looking to develop new ways of achieving the desired effect - without the effort and fuss. In 1946 General Electric developed the first 'home-use' sunlamp - and a few years later the full effects of harmful UVB rays were discovered. In 1975 the German product engineer Friedrich Wolff created the first sunbed. He sold the patent in the USA in 1976. Since then, the USA has led the market in sunbed technology. During the 80's and 90's the use of sunbeds grew in popularity, and at the turn of the century, cosmetics developed specifically for sunbed-use became widely available. This in turn ensured the safety and also improved the quality of the tan achieved. The tanning process became much quicker and more efficient, thus exposing the skin to less sun damage and at the same time caring for the skin through the various active ingredients (for moisture etc.). This in turn, improved the quality of the tan achieved, while ensuring safety from harmful UVB rays. I would recommend this sentence replace the sentence above in green.