This Spray Tan Company Is Getting Called Out for Apparent Racism
Anyone who's seen a fully crisped Florida snowbird knows that when it comes to tanning, some say the darker the better. But that conventional wisdom might have limits.
Swedish self-tanner company Emmaatan, which hawks products with such names as "Dark Ash Onyx," "Caramel" and "Dark Chocolate," is facing accusations that it sells racist goods.
The ultra-dark colors have been accused by some for promoting something akin to blackface.
"Can we just talk about this for a second please?!?" wrote one Tumblr user. "What is this?!? Why is this?!? HOW is this a product?!? Who gave the OK for this [to] be sold?!?"
The product rankled many across social media, with one Instagrammer calling it "basically full blackface." Others blasted Emmaatan on Twitter:
The spray tan basically makes you black. It's real Funny how white people want to be black, but we can't be black pic.twitter.com/T05Ofj8qtS
Swedish spray tan companies offer "black in a can" a dark chocolate spray tan pic.twitter.com/JdgJTHbzxq
Some swede basically made a spray tan so white people can look black. #L pic.twitter.com/3LsxdfwjWR
A Swedish company is selling spray tan that's as dark as my knees?! Nope, nope, nope! You can't get to be black without the burden.
We live in a world where Black Girls aren't allowed to be proud of their colour but white girls can spray tan themselves to be black smh
Oh goodness Black Face and its New Form....Everybody wanna be Black ehh....now Spray Tan to get even darker pic.twitter.com/K58LK38RbX
Want To Look Black? There's A Spray Tan For That https://shar.es/1CLsGq via @Madamenoire
Emmaatan founder Emma Patissier Alm defended her products on Instagram.
"I've got a lot of feedback and mostly been called 'blackface' and racist," she said. "People looks at my picture I've posted and without a blink assume we desire to look black, I understand why it might seem that way and I apologize for the misunderstanding my picture may have created. I love all skin types and that's why I think people should be able to choose for what they feel good in, as long as you respect people around you."
Alm added that roughly 20% to 30% of the tanning effect typically will wash off, making the overall lighter than it might appear at first.
But water won't put out this fire.
