Reality TV stars and influencers have copped major backlash after promoting dangerous tanning practices on Instagram.
Love Island Australia’s Tayla Damir joined numerous social media stars in promoting “tanning culture”, which often includes problematic practices like sunbaking oil and potentially even skipping sunscreen altogether.
Australian influencers are promoting problematic tanning culture
As first reported by the Outspoken Podcast and social media watch-dog Influencer Updates AU, nepotism baby Mia Fevola and TikTok stars like Rozalia Russian, Hope Kelesis, Sophia Begg and Gabby Epstein were called out for promoting dangerous tanning practices.
“We’re not trying to solely put the blame on these young women because they really are just a cog in the machine that is tanning culture,” Outspoken hosts Sophie, Kate and Amy Taeuber explained.
They added: “Tanning culture has been so deeply ingrained in the Australian psyche for decades now that it’s not surprising that some people aren’t hearing the message.”
Other reality stars like Kiki Morris and Abbie Chatfield have also recently posted pics where they appear to be tanning, but haven’t received backlash (likely because they’re not actively referencing their tans).
The dangerous glamourisation of tanning seems to coincide with the continuing rise of the y2K aesthetic, with fashionable items like low-rise jeans being a popular way to show off tan lines. And yeah, we are aware of how painfully millennial we sound right now.
But tanning culture is so dangerous (especially in Australia, where UV levels are extremely high), and we’re certainly not the only ones who are majorly concerned!
“This is so upsetting. Not a good example to set at all,” one fan said on Instagram Updates AU’s private post.
“Would rather not look 65 at 30,” gossip page DutchMinty wrote. Another follower replied: “And rather be alive at 30 and 65 👏.”
A third Instagram user commented: “Jesus, in our hemisphere? Under our ozone hole??”
Tayla Damir
Tayla Broad (née Damir) received backlash after suggesting she only went to the beach to get a tan.
She wrote on her Instagram Story: “10/10 would not swim in the sewage bay they call a beach in Melb but nice to tan at [sic].”
Sophia Begg
Sophia (best known as sophadophaa) was similarly called out for admitting in a since-deleted post that she had been going to the beach with tanning oil for several days on end to build her tan.
‘I’ve laid in the sun of no joke every single day for two to three hours with tanning oil. Why am I not a bronze goddess?’ Sophia wrote in December.
Outspoken’s Sophie found her statement especially bizarre as the 19-year-old social media sensation has previously shared with fans that she uses sunscreen as a primer every day. Mixed messages, much?!
“For her to promote herself tanning just seemed really left field and in the photo, it’s also quite concerning because her cheeks are really bright red colour,” Sophie said.
She continued: “There’s this new trend on TikTok where young people are using sunscreen on their face, but not the places that you would contour.
“So that’s in order to try and get a natural-looking contour. It’s actually disturbing that the sun safety message isn’t getting through.”
However, Sophie’s fans have argued that she promotes sunscreen as well, so calling her out was “unfair”.
“Soph literally dedicates so many posts, stories and TikToks about how important sunscreen is she’s always taking care of her skin with the sun???? Think this post is a bit of a reach we live in Australia c’mon,” one user wrote on Instagram Updates AU’s post.
Hope Kelesis
Seventeen-year-old Hope Kelesis recently made headlines after concerning rumours that she’s been dating 26-year-old Love Island Australia 2022’s Al Perkins.
Across the 17-year-old’s social media, fans (who are often significantly older than her, but that’s another story for another day!) compliment her on her tan.
However, others have shared their concerns that her dark tan was due to staying out in the sun for too long.
Hope has also previously promoted tanning oil products.
Gabby Epstein
Australian model Gabrielle Epstein has also promoted tanning culture.
The 27-year-old revealed she got a painful sunburn while on the Gold Coast because she “forgot” to put sunscreen on the back of her legs.
In a since-deleted Instagram post, Gabby wrote: “Oh for f*ck’s sake. I forgot to put sunscreen on the back of my legs. My pasty-a** legs haven’t seen the Australian summer since 2019.”
A separate black-and-white photo appeared to emphasise her significant tan line.
Mia Fevola
Brendan Fevola’s step-daughter Mia was similarly called out for showing off her intense tan lines.
The Outspoken hosts claimed Mia deliberately showed off her tan lines but acknowledged that she didn’t actively promote going out in the sun without protection.
Outspoken also pointed out that Mia was deliberately showing off and “glamorising” her tan lines in what they described as a throwback to the toxic tanning culture of the early noughties.
“It really reminded me of being back in the early 2000s when everyone wore their tan lines like a badge of honour,” they said.
“I don’t think we should hold one person individually responsible for this tanning culture, but I think it was a little bit worrying because what she’s putting out there is sort of subliminal, so lots of young girls will see that and be like, “hey, that looks cool”.
“But she’s got those tan lines where she’s sitting on a yacht, directly in the sunlight.”
Amy, Kate and Sophie also said that whilst Mia might not have chosen to be “an influence go young girls”, whether she likes it or not, she is, given her large following.
They went on to say there was “nothing incidental” about Mia’s tan because she’s a “young rich influencer” and “glamorising the saturation by being on a yacht”.
Rozalia Russian
Saving what we’d consider the worst. for last, influencer Rozalia Russian shared an image of her severely burned and peeling skin at the beach.
“Still here and still reading this book,” she wrote on her Instagram Story.
That burn just looks painful AF!
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