Shark Tank's Vineeta Singh accepts negative feedback on her 'Tan Ban' sunscreen: 'Will be more thoughtful'

Vineeta Singh's "Tan Ban" sunscreen ad sparks backlash as users question why tanning and dark skin are being stigmatised in promotion. Here's how she reacted.

Vineeta Singh, Co-founder and CEO of Sugar Cosmetics and a judge on Shark Tank India, recently promoted a new sunscreen from her brand on Instagram, claiming it can "ban tan." However, the promotional video didn't sit well with the internet. Many users questioned the messaging, asking what's wrong with their natural skin tone and why tanning is being portrayed negatively.

Vineeta Singh's 'Tan Ban' sunscreen sparks debate on tanning and beauty standards. (Instagram/@vineetasng)

Vineeta Singh's sunscreen promotion sparks backlash

On May 5, Vineeta Singh took to Instagram to share a video promoting Sugar Cosmetics' new sunscreen, captioning it: "Sunscreen before Sunday Run, Sweat testing the new @trysugar Tan Ban 4% Niacinamide Sunscreen Light Gel!" While the post was meant to highlight the product's efficacy, it quickly drew criticism.

Influencer Ayesha Sanghi responded to the post, writing, “But sunscreens don't 'ban' tans... and why are we making tanned skin to be such a negative thing anyway, another generation of girls is being taught that dark skin is something to be 'banned' just through the product name.”

To her credit, Vineeta acknowledged the concern and replied, "That's a fair pushback. Will be more thoughtful about this."

Why 'Tan Ban' branding faces criticism

Further elaborating on the issue, Ayesha explained in the comments why the branding of "Tan Ban" is problematic. "Tanning is a byproduct of sun exposure, but even 100 SPF sunscreens can only protect from 99% of UV rays," she wrote. "This means that no matter how much sunscreen you use and reapply, that extra 1% will still result in a tan, especially with prolonged sun exposure. It will be less than without sunscreen, but a tan nonetheless."

She added that calling a sunscreen 'Tan Ban' not only sets false expectations but also reinforces harmful beauty standards. "People will feel disappointed when they still tan, and worse, may think there's something wrong with their skin for tanning. This, combined with the deep-rooted stigma that darker skin is 'less attractive,' can damage self-esteem," she said.

Ayesha also pointed out that most international sunscreen brands avoid using terms like "anti-tan" despite similar formulations because completely stopping tanning is scientifically inaccurate.