When it comes to tanning — especially self-tan — Black skin has often been excluded. The first self-tanning product, Coppertone’s Quick Tan Lotion, was introduced in the 1960s, and its commercial featured only white people using the product. The lack of diversity in that advert reflected the tanning industry as a whole. In fact, in February, it was reported that only 22 percent of Black consumers use self-tanning products according to a report by Mitel.
But Gen Z and millennials are changing the narrative. The hashtag #blackgirltanning is gaining traction on social media, challenging the idea that self-tanning is only for one skin tone. On TikTok, the hashtag has garnered over 70,000 views, with many Black women now sharing their experiences with fake tan.
Tanning brands such as Clarins, James Read, Isle of Paradise, Tan-Luxe, and Vita Liberata are beginning to create self-tanning products that cater to Black skin — filling a gap in the industry that has existed for far too long.
Enter Caribé, a Black-owned self-tanning brand made specifically for Black skin, which is taking the nation by storm. Black consumers have taken to social media to praise and recommend the brand for finally offering a product tailored to darker complexions.
Co-founder of Caribé, Phoebe Ellis, 26, spoke to The Mirror about creating the self-tanning products with her sister, Leah Ellis, 30. The sisters first noticed the gap in the market in 2020 after trying a tanning product from Tesco. Coming from a Caribbean background, they found the product left them looking ashy.
“It was quite streaky, it was orange, and it didn’t give us that glow we were looking for. I feel like during COVID, everyone kind of decided, I want to do something a little more interesting for myself. So that’s where we decided — yeah, let’s make Caribé,” she tells The Mirror.
On why Caribé was created, she says: “A big misconception is that tan is just for people with white skin. When you think of a spray tan, some people picture orange skin — but we’re steering away from that and trying to educate people as much as possible. Other tanning brands say ‘the industry needs to do better’, but they’re not doing it. So there’s a lot of chatter, but not much action.”
Phoebe continues: “We’re just trying to disrupt the industry and be like, Look, this is available for everyone, and that’s what we try to do with our content. Tanning shouldn’t be just for a specific demographic of people, because, realistically, our skin also needs protection.”
“Every time we told people we were making Caribé, we’d often get the response, ‘Black people don’t need to tan — you’ve already got a tan’, and that’s something we hear constantly,” she adds. “I grew up being told you didn’t need SPF. So even the boundaries around what Black women need to do for their skin are changing. Our mission is to break the boundaries of beauty and lifestyle for people of colour.
“We’ve got so much more we want to do to keep pushing those boundaries — because there’s still so much work to be done. Caribé is speaking up for a whole community that has never had that voice — not just in the beauty industry, but across many industries. We don’t want to be just a beauty or tanning company. We want to be a brand that stands for more,” Phoebe concludes.
Other than being formulated for darker skin tones, Caribé different stands out amongst other tanning brands because of it’s three key ingredients: Aloe vera, shea butter extract, and hyaluronic acid. “We’re made sure to include ingredients that are extra hydrating, because melanated skin — especially Black skin — is typically drier. Aloe vera, shea butter extract, and hyaluronic acid are all in our products to ensure a nourishing, moisturizing feel in the tanning formula.”
Caribé tan can be bought from their website in the shades C60 or C94, at £25 for the tanning mousse alone. For an extra treat you can buy a a glove and mousse bundle for priced at £28.00.
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