If we know melanoma is deadly, why do we still chase the bronze dream?

Whilst some brands are leading a social push to incorporate SPF as a non-negotiable part of our daily routines, numerous brands continue to sell tanning oils with limited SPF protection, and some without any at all.

The ongoing sale of tanning oils plays into our corrupt beauty standards and targets insecurities, especially those of young women. TikTok and Instagram are awash with influencers using filters and careful make-up techniques to sell the ‘oh I woke up like this!’ ideal. Tanning, naturally or otherwise, is often sold as part of the soft, glowy paragon we’ve been moulded to chase.

There’s something truly predatory about brands that knowingly sell potentially harmful products. Whilst the standard rebuttal to this would be an argument centred around free-will, no matter our age, we’re all fallible to the pull of culturally-embedded ideals. Our regulations need to recognise the impressionable market that tanning oils typically target, and the amount of damage they could be inflicting.

Whilst the products remind consumers to wear protective clothing, a hat and sunglasses, this seems wildly contradictory. Realistically, who is going to apply tanning oil to then don full body coverage, a wide hat and opt for a spot in the shade?

In 2015, solariums were outlawed in Australia following a dogged campaign by dermatologists and outspoken melanoma sufferer Clare Oliver who ultimately died from the condition. The ban signalled a cultural turning point against our sun-loving ways. But, we have more work to do.

“There is a need, I think, to reassess how we regulate tanning oils and to treat them more in line with tobacco products,” says Professor Grant McArthur, the Head of Peter MacCallum’s Molecular Oncology Laboratory.

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“For example, tanning oils with low (below SPF 15) or no SPF could be required through regulation to display prominent warnings about skin cancer risks on their packaging. If the lack of UV protection and potential for harm was highlighted to people who use these products, I would sincerely hope they may opt for alternatives with the recommended higher SPF rating.”

It’s time for brands which leverage that desire for a classic “Aussie” tan to recognise the harm they present to an impressionable audience and make a major effort to fight against, not exacerbate, melanoma.