The Ultraviolet Tide

For decades, getting a tan meant getting UV exposure, but what if you could get the glow without the sun?

In this episode of Burnt Truths, we trace the rise of self-tanning, from a scientific accident in the 1950s to today's nearly $2 billion global beauty industry. We explore how DHA changed the way we tan, why self-tanning has become a mainstream alternative to tanning beds, and whether swapping UV rays for a bottle represents real progress.

Through our conversation with Krin Madsen, Chief Brand Officer at The Glow Lounge, we look at how the self-tanning industry has evolved, and what the shift away from UV tanning tells us about changing attitudes toward sun safety, beauty, and the desire to be bronzed.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why a scientific accident led to the discovery of sunless tanning
• How DHA creates the appearance of a tan without UV exposure
• The evolution from streaky, orange self-tanners to today's luxury glow
• Why more people are choosing self-tanning over tanning beds
• How tanning culture and beauty standards continue to influence us
• Whether we've changed the behavior or simply found a safer way to chase the same ideal

Because maybe we've stopped chasing the sun. But have we stopped chasing the glow?

This is Burnt Truths: Uncovering the shady side of getting sun-kissed.

Sources & Further Reading

• The Baby Historian — How Sick Babies Led to the Discovery of Sunless Tanner
• Fortune Business Insights — Self-Tanning Products Market
• The New York Times — Who Made That Spray Tan?
• Serious Eats — The Maillard Reaction
• L'Oréal — The History of Ambre Solaire
• TikTok — Coppertone Vintage Commercial

As scientific evidence mounted and public attitudes toward indoor tanning began to shift, the industry faced a problem: how do you keep selling a product when consumers are becoming increasingly aware of its risks?

In this episode of Burnt Truths, we follow the money behind the tanning industry and explore how it has adapted to a changing cultural and regulatory landscape.

In this episode:

• How the tanning industry responded as awareness of the risks of indoor tanning grew 
•  The marketing language used to reframe tanning as “wellness” 
•  How regulation and the federal tanning tax affected the industry 
•  The rise of hybrid tanning beds combining red light with UVA and UVB 
•  Why red light therapy does not cancel out UV exposure 
•  How the industry has adapted to keep consumers coming through the door 

This is Burnt Truths: Uncovering the shady side of getting sun-kissed.

Sources & Further Reading

• IBISWorld — Tanning Salons in the US Industry Data and Analysis
• BMJ Journals — Tobacco Control
• International Agency for Research on Cancer — Sunbeds and UV Radiation
• IRS — Affordable Care Act tax provisions
• AIM at Skin Cancer Foundation — Indoor Tanning
• eBay — Vintage Print Ad Klafsun Tanning Beds
• Stanford Medicine — Red light therapy: What the science says

For decades, science has warned us about the dangers of ultraviolet radiation. In 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified both UV radiation and indoor tanning devices as Group 1 carcinogens, the same category as tobacco smoke. Yet millions of people continue to tan every year.

In this episode of Burnt Truths, we explore why.

Through the powerful stories of melanoma survivors Leah Adams and Dawn Stringer (Mrs. Texas International), we examine how beauty standards, tanning culture, and the illusion of invincibility continue to shape our relationship with the sun.

In this episode:

•  Why tanning beds are classified as Group 1 carcinogens 
•  The parallels between the tanning and tobacco industries 
•  Leah and Dawn's melanoma journeys 
•  How beauty standards normalize tanning 
•  Why changing tanning culture is about more than simply knowing the risks 

Because when the tan fades, what's left behind?

This is Burnt Truths: Uncovering the shady side of getting sun-kissed.

Sources & Further Reading

• Ultraviolet Tide Podcast — Ep. 62 Growing Up Tanned: Using My Melanoma Story as a Cautionary Tale with Dawn Stringer
• NIH — The potential carcinogenic risk of tanning beds: clinical guidelines and patient safety advice
• Health Canada — Carcinogens in Tobacco Smoke
• BMJ Journals — The history of the discovery of the cigarette–lung cancer link
• Cancer Council NSW — A brief history of smoking
• American Lung Association — Overall Smoking Trends
• American Academy of Dermatology — Indoor tanning stats

Step into the glowing blue booths of the 2000s. From mall salons to reality TV, we explore the founding story of tanning beds, how they became a pop culture phenomenon, and why the glow was never just skin deep. 

Plus, hear firsthand from an ex–tanning bed user about how these habits form and how hard they can be to break. Featuring insights from Leah Adams (@theleahalexis), a melanoma survivor, skin cancer educator, and marathon runner. 

This is Burnt Truths: Uncovering the shady side of getting sun-kissed.

Sources & Further Reading

• Refinery29 — These 2007 Beauty Trends Are Back & Better Than Before
• NIH — Lifetime History of Indoor Tanning in Young People
• IMDb — Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
• Cosmedico — Sunbed Inventor Friedrich Wolff Deceased
• Wolff System — History
• YouTube — Official Throwback Clip | Jersey Shore | MTV
• Tropical Sunsations Tanning — What is High-Pressure Tanning

Before there was the “Hot Girl Summer,” there was Coco Chanel's accidental tan that changed beauty forever.

In this first episode of Burnt Truths: Uncovering the Shady Side of Getting Sun-Kissed, we trace the cultural evolution of tanning, from a symbol of labor and lower status to the ultimate marker of leisure, wealth, and desirability.

Featuring insights from Nana Regueiro, author of “A Short Cultural History of the Tan Line,” we explore how beauty standards flipped and why they stuck.

This is Burnt Truths: Uncovering the shady side of getting sun-kissed.

Sources & Further Reading

• NIH —  Timeline of the Development of Skin-Lightening Active Ingredients in Japan
• ScienceDirect — Cerussite
• Refinery29 — The Sexist History Behind Our Obsession With Tanning
• Britannica — Victorian era
• L’Oréal — Garnier Ambre Solaire
• Vogue — A Short Cultural History of the Tan Line
• Refinery29 — Tanned Skin & Beauty Standards
• Science Museum — The Story of Sun Cream
• Smithsonian Channel — Sunbathing Craze
• The New York Times — Skin Deep History

Welcome to Burnt Truths — a spin-off series of The Ultraviolet Tide podcast, presented by Low Ultraviolet. I’m Erica Feggeler, and for the next 7 episodes, we’re uncovering the shady side of getting sun-kissed. Coming June 1st, 2026.

Our most listened-to episode ever, The History of Tanning (ep.13), sparked thousands of listeners to ask the same question: Why do we still do this?

Why, in 2025, do tanning beds still exist?
Why is “looking tan” still such a beauty standard — even when we know the risks?

That curiosity turned into this, Burnt Truths, a pop-culture-meets-public-health dive into how tanning became an obsession, an identity, and, for some, an addiction.

In this limited series, we’ll peel back a different layer of the glow.

Burnt Truths will make you laugh, cringe, rethink your bronzing habits, and maybe even text your old tanning salon to cancel that membership.

Join us as we unpack seven decades of beauty culture, bad advice, and billion-dollar marketing, and uncover the truth hiding beneath the tan lines.

This is Burnt Truths: Uncovering the shady side of getting sun-kissed.

Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome back to the Ultraviolet Tide! In today's episode, Stage III Melanoma Survivor (2007) & triple-negative Breast Cancer Thriver (2022), Jenna Garcia, joins Erica Feggeler and Leah Adams to share the top stories for October.

TOP 5 STORIES FOR SEPTEMBER:
1. Elle Macpherson says she was diagnosed with breast cancer 7 years ago and refused chemotherapy (NBC News)

• The Guardian: Instagram post on crucial information missing in Elle Macpherson’s breast cancer story, experts warn

2. AI model identifies certain breast tumor stages likely to progress to invasive cancer  (MIT News and Breast Cancer Research Foundation)

3. Mammograms will better explain what it means to have dense breasts (NPR)

4.  Healthier Together: Getting closer to a breast cancer vaccine (KIRO 7, local news source)

CONNECT WITH LOW ULTRAVIOLET:
Website: https://www.lowultraviolet.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lowultraviolet/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LowUltraviolet
TikTok: @lowultraviolet

CONNECT WITH JENNA GARCIA:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinglikeajenna/

CONNECT WITH LEAH ADAMS:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/theleahalexis
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leah.a.adams.3

BUZZSPROUT:
Podcasting isn’t hard when you have the right partners! The team at Buzzsprout is passionate about helping you succeed. Join over a hundred thousand podcasters already using Buzzsprout to get their message out to the world.

Ready to start your own podcast? Sign up now for a paid plan and you'll receive a $20 Buzzsprout Credit: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=2074401

Welcome back to the Ultraviolet Tide podcast. Today, we are joined by Valerie Schimel, the founder of JOJU. Since 2022, JOJU has provided buttery-soft, ultra-lightweight UPF 50+ sun shirts for men, women, and teens. JOJU UV sun shirts protect against 98% of UVA & UVB rays.

SHOP JOJU: https://livejoju.com/
CONNECT WITH JOJU: https://www.instagram.com/livejoju/

CONNECT WITH LOW ULTRAVIOLET:
Website: https://www.lowultraviolet.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lowultraviolet/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LowUltraviolet

BUZZSPROUT:
Podcasting isn’t hard when you have the right partners! The team at Buzzsprout is passionate about helping you succeed. Join over a hundred thousand podcasters already using Buzzsprout to get their message out to the world.

Ready to start your own podcast? Sign up now for a paid plan and you'll receive a $20 Buzzsprout Credit: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=2074401

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and in this episode, Erica and Leah take a deep dive into why this month matters and what the latest research reveals about pediatric cancers and their long-term impact. From global disparities in care to the overlooked risks of melanoma in children and survivors, this is a must-listen for anyone invested in the health and future of our youngest fighters. Plus—a big giveaway alert you won’t want to miss.

Follow us on Instagram for giveaways, updates, and sun-smart tips all summer long. Questions or feedback? DM us—we love hearing from you.

GIVEAWAY TIME:

We're running a weekly giveaway through the end of Season 5 (October)
Here’s how to enter:

1. Rate & review the show on Apple or Spotify
2. Screenshot your review
3. Either: DM us the screenshot OR share it to your IG Stories and tag us
4. One winner announced each week!

THIS MONTH'S TOP STORIES: 

1. Overview: Why is September Childhood Cancer Awareness Month?

• Global Stats: Childhood cancer affects ~400,000 kids (0–19 yrs) globally each year.
  Survival Rates: Increased from 58-68% in the 1970s to 83-88% today in high-income countries.
  Global Disparities: Only 30% survival in low/middle-income countries.
  WHO & St. Jude Partnership: The 2018 Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer aims to boost global survival to 60% by 2030.

2. Study Reveals New Clues Into Childhood Cancer Survivors’ Increased Risk of Melanoma 

• Childhood cancer survivors are 2x more likely to develop melanoma.
• Their risk of dying from melanoma is also doubled.
• Study looked at 25,000+ survivors across the U.S. and Canada.
• Risk Factors:
  • High-dose radiation
  • Alkylating agents
  • Bleomycin (increases sun sensitivity)

3. Pediatric Melanoma

• Pediatric melanoma cases rose ~1.7% yearly (1975–1994), then declined.
• Sharpest rise in girls 15–19, possibly due to tanning habits.
• ~400 pediatric melanoma cases diagnosed in the U.S. annually.
• 🔗 Listen to Episode 37 for our conversation with her mother, Marianne Banister, founder of the Claire Marie Foundation.

4. Parents warned of skin cancer risk in children

• Emphasizes that children’s skin is more vulnerable than adults’.
• Sunburns in childhood = higher risk of skin cancer later.

Join us for our upcoming Yoga Event with the Claire Marie Foundation! Sign up & learn more here.

CONNECT WITH LOW ULTRAVIOLET:
Website: https://www.lowultraviolet.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lowultraviolet/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LowUltraviolet
TikTok: @lowultraviolet

CONNECT WITH LEAH ADAMS:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theleahalexis/

This month on The Skin Check with Jenn, we’re taking things global with our very first international guest! Jenn is joined by Michelle, a Stage III and IV melanoma survivor from Australia, a country with one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world.

If Michelle’s name sounds familiar, you might recognize her from the viral “Dear Melanoma” reel she shared during Melanoma Awareness Month last year. That post sparked a movement of others writing their own open letters to melanoma, and Michelle has continued using her platform to raise awareness and build connections ever since.

In this deeply personal and eye-opening conversation, Michelle opens up about:

• The differences between nodular and cutaneous melanoma
• The moment everything changed with her Stage IV diagnosis
• How she manages medical trauma and long-term survivorship anxiety
• What it was like to start sharing her story publicly
• The cultural contrast between sun safety attitudes in Australia vs. the U.S.

From navigating surgeries that never happened to feeling unseen in traditional beauty standards, Michelle shares with honesty, clarity, and a refreshing openness that makes you feel less alone — whether you’re a fellow patient, survivor, or someone who loves one.

CONNECT WITH JENN:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenn_patrice/
Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/thenextchapterwithjenn/

CONNECT WITH MICHELLE:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mish.melanoma/

CONNECT WITH LOW ULTRAVIOLET:
Website: https://www.lowultraviolet.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lowultraviolet/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LowUltraviolet

BUZZSPROUT:
Podcasting isn’t hard when you have the right partners! The team at Buzzsprout is passionate about helping you succeed. Join over a hundred thousand podcasters already using Buzzsprout to get their message out to the world.

Ready to start your own podcast? Sign up now for a paid plan and you'll receive a $20 Buzzsprout Credit: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=2074401