From sun safety to sex appeal: what sunscreen ads reveal about beauty ideals and power

By Lauren Alex O'Hagan, Research Fellow, School of Languages and Applied Linguistics, The Open University
Lame M. Kenalemang-Palm, Associate Professor, Gender and Advertising, Shanghai University

In the depths of winter, sunscreen might not be top of many people’s shopping lists. Yet it remains a staple in most households, and many of us are encouraged to use it year-round. But sunscreen’s history reveals more than just protection from the sun.

For decades, sunscreen advertising has shaped beauty ideals, dictated how women’s bodies should look and reinforced social norms.

Our recent study analyses historical and contemporary…

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