Why do Whites prefer to tan and Asians prefer to lighten?

[JohnSmith]

I think this is interesting, no doubt tanning is popular in the USA. Of-course we can debate the health issue but I am referring to a natural tan. I am always getting comments in summer about how jealous people are of my tan. In the USA getting a nice tan is not something that is looked at negatively. The only people in the USA that kind of have a hard time tanning tend to be British descended people. I have Italian,German, and Scandinavian relatives that all can tan very well and look really good with a nice golden tone in the summer. Only the Irish relative tend to have issues it seems tanning. I think people do not realize how hot and sunny the USA gets in the summer.

However, in India and East Asia skin bleaching/lightening is common. I just think it is interesting how culturally different everyone is.

I assume there is a medium skin tone that most people acquire to be, not too dark and not too light.

[rajputprincess]

Well cultural reason in india most rich people are light skinned so people.prefer it while in USA or europe rich people are able to afford vacation in different countries and it is also associated with beach lifestyle and it look exotic to Europeans.

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[Ayetooey]

It isn't the best comparison, big difference is tanning a normal process that happens if a person walks in the sun, where as skin bleaching clearly isn't. If I walk around in the sun during August I'll just tan due to my skin type, it's rare for me to burn; an Asian or OWD person buying a product and bleaching their skin isn't comparable.

Obviously some people take tanning too far, but they are in a small minority and as you said in the OP you're referring to a natural tan. Also since you mentioned people of "British descent" always burning, most people in UK are skin type 2 and will tan eventually, the idea that everyone in UK burns instantly is a stereotype, freckled type 1's aren't as common as people like to act.

[JohnSmith]

It isn't the best comparison, big difference is tanning a normal process that happens if a person walks in the sun, where as skin bleaching clearly isn't. If I walk around in the sun during August I'll just tan due to my skin type, it's rare for me to burn; an Asian or OWD person buying a product and bleaching their skin isn't comparable.

Obviously some people take tanning too far, but they are in a small minority and as you said in the OP you're referring to a natural tan.

My tan is always natural and I do burn but not for too long. I never use sun block as some studies have said it could be more damaging than the sun itself.

[JohnSmith]

It isn't the best comparison, big difference is tanning a normal process that happens if a person walks in the sun, where as skin bleaching clearly isn't. If I walk around in the sun during August I'll just tan due to my skin type, it's rare for me to burn; an Asian or OWD person buying a product and bleaching their skin isn't comparable.

Obviously some people take tanning too far, but they are in a small minority and as you said in the OP you're referring to a natural tan. Also since you mentioned people of "British descent" always burning, most people in UK are skin type 2 and will tan eventually, the idea that everyone in UK burns instantly is a stereotype, freckled type 1's aren't as common as people like to act.

Brits do some to have trouble tanning from what I have seen. I do not necessarily see anything wrong with people lightening their skin I suppose but they usually have to do that in a unnatural way which could be damaging.

[JohnSmith]

Well cultural reason in india most rich people are light skinned so people.prefer it while in USA or europe rich people are able to afford vacation in different countries and it is also associated with beach lifestyle and it look exotic to Europeans.

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The USA I suppose is different than Europe. The climate in the USA is generally much hotter and sunnier in the summer months. Americans can naturally tan better than Europeans I would think. The Mediterranean dry climate is not really comparable to the humid hot summers in the USA.

[Ayetooey]

Brits do some to have trouble tanning from what I have seen. I do not necessarily see anything wrong with people lightening their skin I suppose but they usually have to do that in a unnatural way which could be damaging.

No more than any other Northern European nation. England in particular is darker in terms of skin/hair/eyes than the rest of Northern Europe on pretty much every statistical map and chart I've seen, most people are pale here but not to the extent people act like on this forum. Most people I know are skin type 2 with brown hair, I don't know many freckled skin type 1s. Though granted I live in the south-east, which is more Germanic and less celtic.

Skin lightening is pretty weird, it's an unnatural process, though I also find people who obsess over fake tan and sunbeds equally weird.

[Khamzat]

It isn't the best comparison, big difference is tanning a normal process that happens if a person walks in the sun, where as skin bleaching clearly isn't. If I walk around in the sun during August I'll just tan due to my skin type, it's rare for me to burn; an Asian or OWD person buying a product and bleaching their skin isn't comparable.

Obviously some people take tanning too far, but they are in a small minority and as you said in the OP you're referring to a natural tan. Also since you mentioned people of "British descent" always burning, most people in UK are skin type 2 and will tan eventually, the idea that everyone in UK burns instantly is a stereotype, freckled type 1's aren't as common as people like to act.

Most white people here don’t tan naturally though, they use fake tan which isn’t much different to skin bleaching.

[JohnSmith]

No more than any other Northern European nation. England in particular is darker in terms of skin/hair/eyes than the rest of Northern Europe on pretty much every statistical map and chart I've seen, most people are pale here but not to the extent people act like on this forum.

Skin lightening is pretty weird, it's an unnatural process, though I also find people who obsess over fake tan and sunbeds equally weird.

I disagree. I have Danish relatives and they can get darker than me in the summer. They obviously have light hair and eyes but their skin tans very well compared to Brits.

[Ayetooey]

Most white people here don’t tan naturally though, they use fake tan which isn’t much different to skin bleaching.

I agree but in the OP he mentioned "natural tanning" which is what I was referring to. Fake tanning is just as weird as skin bleaching.