If you are interested in 18th and 19th century art, then you have probably noticed that a woman's aristocratic appearance had to do with the whiteness and perfection of her skin. It was thought that only those who worked hard for long hours under the sun should have a tan.
It was not just a tan that aristocratic women were trying to prevent against – they wanted to also make sure their skin did not freckle. Well, these women might not been aware of it, but they could have also been born with more than just one freckle. That did not stop them from wearing long gloves, hats, and parasols, however.
In order to understand what a freckle is, it is important to first understand why certain ethnicities have darker skin than others. Generally, ethnicities that are from areas with frequent amounts of sun end up with darker skin because of melanin that is produced to protect their skin from the sun.
That is exactly what a freckle is – a small amount of melanin. Usually, this is just a small irregularity that is more of a cosmetic worry than anything else. However, the longer people stay out in the sun, the more of these they will get, all because it is their skin's way of protecting itself. In order to prevent against these skin irregularities, the best thing to do is to always wear an SPF of some kind when you know that you will be out in the sun for extended periods of time.
