Bain de Soleil

Bain de Soleil was an American sunscreen and tanning brand associated with low-SPF sun products, tanning oils, self-tanning formulas, and after-sun care. The French name means “sun bathing,” and the brand built its identity around the idea that a deep, fashionable tan represented leisure, glamour, and travel. Its most recognizable advertising line was “Bain de Soleil, for the St. Tropez tan,” used particularly prominently in television advertising during the 1970s and 1980s. Another brand slogan was “Welcome to a place more colorful.” The brand’s commercial history was linked to the growth of recreational tanning as a beauty practice. According to the brand’s historical account, the concept originated in Europe after deeply bronzed skin became fashionable in the 1920s. In 1925, a Paris-based developer identified as Monsieur Antonine developed a dark tanning formula called Orange Gelée under the name Antoine de Paris. The formula later entered the United States through Lanvin and was marketed as Antoine’s Bain de Soleil, a phrase presented as meaning “Antoine’s bath of the sun.” Bain de Soleil became affiliated with Coppertone and passed through several consumer-products owners. It was transferred from Procter & Gamble to Pfizer in August 1995. During the Pfizer period, manufacturing and packaging operations moved from Procter & Gamble’s facility in Hatboro, Pennsylvania, to Pfizer Consumer Healthcare Group operations in Parsippany, New Jersey. From late 1995 through 1999, Pfizer expanded the range substantially beyond traditional tanning oils. The portfolio included low- and moderate-SPF tanning products, higher-SPF sun protection, children’s products, self-tanning creams and sprays, and after-sun lotions and mists. Canadian products included the Ecran Solaire line. The Pfizer period also involved formulation and packaging development. The brand’s product-development work included improvements relating to the stability of dihydroxyacetone, an ingredient used in sunless-tanning products. The development group listed in the brand’s historical material included John A. Scott, Alice Scheiner, Eric M. Stroud, Judy Meyer, Andrew Ortega, and Mary Williams. These details illustrate that Bain de Soleil was not limited to a single tanning gel: by the late 1990s, it had become a broader sun-care portfolio spanning protection, tanning, self-tanning, and post-sun moisturization. The brand was divested by Pfizer to Schering-Plough on October 7, 1999. Later corporate ownership and production were associated with Bayer, which produced Bain de Soleil as a sunscreen brand. By the end of its life, the range had narrowed considerably. The final lineup cited in reference material included Orange Gelée SPF 4, Spray Transpâre SPF 10, and Mega Tan SPF 4. Bain de Soleil was discontinued in December 2019. It is therefore a defunct brand rather than an active participant in the current sunscreen market. Its historical significance rests mainly on its role in popularizing cosmetic tanning and on the enduring recognition of its St. Tropez advertising positioning.

Bain de Soleil developed as a cosmetic sun-care brand during the period when tanning moved from an outdoor pastime to a deliberate beauty practice. Its historical account connects the brand concept to the fashion for deeply bronzed skin that emerged in the 1920s. In 1925, a Paris-based developer identified as Monsieur Antonine created a dark tanning formula called Orange Gelée under the Antoine de Paris name. The formula continued to circulate in Europe and was later introduced to the United States by Lanvin as Antoine’s Bain de Soleil, described as “Antoine’s bath of the sun.” The resulting brand became known for products intended to intensify or maintain a tan rather than primarily prevent exposure. Its low-SPF formulas reflected the market’s earlier tolerance for deliberate tanning and its association with glamour, travel, and resort culture. Bain de Soleil’s advertising reinforced this identity through the slogans “Welcome to a place more colorful” and, especially during the 1970s and 1980s, “Bain de Soleil, for the St. Tropez tan.” The latter linked the brand to the French Riviera and presented tanning as an aspirational lifestyle. Bain de Soleil was affiliated with Coppertone and changed corporate ownership during the development of the modern consumer sun-care industry. Procter & Gamble transferred the brand to Pfizer in August 1995. Around October of that year, formulas and selected manufacturing and packaging equipment moved from Procter & Gamble’s Hatboro, Pennsylvania, operations to Pfizer Consumer Healthcare Group in Parsippany, New Jersey. Products were manufactured and packaged at Pfizer’s 100 Jefferson Road site in Parsippany from November 1995 through 1999, with formulation work carried out at Pfizer laboratories on Webro Road. Under Pfizer, the brand experienced its broadest documented portfolio expansion. The range included Sandbuster Sand-Resistant Oil SPF 2, Tropical Deluxe SPF 4, Mega-Tan SPF 4, Mademoiselle products in several SPF levels, and the All Day line, which extended up to SPF 30 and included children’s and gentle-block variants. SPF + Color products were later described as Sunless Tanning Creme with Sunblock. The sunless range included light, dark, and deep-dark products, as well as dark and deep-dark tanning sprays. After-sun care was represented by Apres Soleil After Sun Revitalizing Aloe Mist and Apres Soleil After Sun Moisture Replenishing Lotion. Orange Gelée and Canadian Ecran Solaire products broadened the range further. The Pfizer period also involved technical development. Product-development scientists listed in the brand’s historical material included John A. Scott as group manager, Alice Scheiner for after-sun and high-SPF products, Eric M. Stroud for sunless products, Judy Meyer, Andrew Ortega, and Mary Williams for packaging. Two innovations concerning the stability of 1,3-dihydroxyacetone were developed during this period; that ingredient is associated with sunless-tanning formulations. On October 7, 1999, Pfizer divested Bain de Soleil to Schering-Plough. Later reference material identifies Bayer as the producer of the brand. By the final stage of its commercial life, the lineup had become much smaller than the extensive Pfizer-era portfolio. The cited final products were Orange Gelée SPF 4, Spray Transpâre SPF 10, and Mega Tan SPF 4. Bain de Soleil was discontinued in December 2019. The brand is consequently best understood as a discontinued historical sunscreen and tanning label whose legacy is tied to cosmetic tanning, low-SPF products, and the enduring St. Tropez advertising theme.

1. 2019Bain de Soleil is discontinued

   The brand was discontinued in December 2019.

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2. 1999Brand is divested to Schering-Plough

   Pfizer divested Bain de Soleil to Schering-Plough on October 7, 1999.

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3. 1995Brand transfers to Pfizer

   Bain de Soleil transitioned from Procter & Gamble to Pfizer in August 1995, followed by the relocation of manufacturing and packaging operations to New Jersey.

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4. 1970St. Tropez advertising positioning becomes prominent

   During the 1970s and 1980s, Bain de Soleil prominently used the slogan “for the St. Tropez tan” in television advertising.

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5. 1925Orange Gelée tanning formula is developed

   According to the brand’s historical account, Monsieur Antonine of Paris developed the dark tanning formula Orange Gelée under the Antoine de Paris name.

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A glamour-oriented sun-care brand centered on bronzed skin, cosmetic tanning, and the aspirational image of a St. Tropez tan. Historically, it emphasized low-SPF tanning products while later extending into higher-SPF protection, self-tanning, and after-sun care.

• Orange GeléeTanning gel and sunscreen1925

  Orange Gelée was the brand’s signature tanning formula and the product associated with its early Antoine de Paris lineage. The documented Pfizer-era range included SPF 4, SPF 8, SPF 15, and SPF 30 versions. The final cited lineup retained Orange Gelée SPF 4, reflecting the brand’s historical emphasis on cosmetic tanning and relatively low sun-protection levels.

• Mega TanTanning oil

  Mega Tan was a low-SPF tanning product positioned for consumers seeking a deeper tan. The documented product range identifies an SPF 4 version during the Pfizer period, and Mega Tan SPF 4 was also among the final products listed before the brand was discontinued.

• SunlessSelf-tanning

  The Sunless range extended Bain de Soleil beyond exposure-based tanning. It included light, dark, and deep-dark formulas, along with dark and deep-dark tanning sprays. These products were part of the brand’s expanded Pfizer-era portfolio and used the self-tanning approach associated with dihydroxyacetone-based formulations.

• All DaySun protection

  All Day was a broader sun-protection line offered in SPF 4, SPF 8, SPF 15, and SPF 30 versions. The documented range also included a Kids SPF 30 product and a Gentle Block SPF 30 variant, showing how the brand expanded from tanning-oriented products into more conventional protective sun care.

• Apres SoleilAfter-sun care

  Apres Soleil was Bain de Soleil’s after-sun care range. Documented products included an aloe mist intended to revitalize skin after sun exposure and a moisture-replenishing lotion. The line formed part of the portfolio expansion carried out under Pfizer between 1995 and 1999.

• Spray TranspâreSunscreen spray

  Spray Transpâre SPF 10 was one of the products identified in the brand’s final lineup. It represented a spray-format sun-care offering within a brand otherwise strongly associated with tanning gels and oils.

• 2019Discontinuation of the brandStrategy

  Bain de Soleil remained a historically recognizable tanning and sunscreen brand, but its commercial product range had narrowed by the end of its life.

  What changed. The brand was discontinued in December 2019.

  Aftermath. Bain de Soleil ceased to be an active sunscreen and tanning brand.

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• 1999Divestiture to Schering-PloughM&A

  After several years of Pfizer ownership and product development, Bain de Soleil was divested as part of Pfizer’s consumer-brand portfolio activity.

  What changed. Pfizer transferred the brand to Schering-Plough on October 7, 1999.

  Aftermath. The brand subsequently continued under later production associated with Bayer before its eventual discontinuation in 2019.

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• 1995Transfer from Procter & Gamble to PfizerM&A

  Bain de Soleil changed ownership in August 1995 as part of the movement of consumer sun-care brands between large consumer-healthcare companies.

  What changed. Pfizer acquired the brand and relocated formulas, selected equipment, and manufacturing and packaging activity to its Parsippany, New Jersey, operations.

  Aftermath. The Pfizer period was associated with the brand’s most extensive documented portfolio expansion, including self-tanning and after-sun products.

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• 2019Bain de Soleil is discontinued

  The Bain de Soleil brand was discontinued in December 2019, ending the commercial life of the sunscreen and tanning label.

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• 1999Bain de Soleil is divested to Schering-Plough

  Pfizer divested the Bain de Soleil brand to Schering-Plough on October 7, 1999, following several years of portfolio expansion under Pfizer Consumer Healthcare.

  M&A
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• 1995Bain de Soleil transitions from Procter & Gamble to Pfizer

  The brand moved from Procter & Gamble to Pfizer in August 1995. Manufacturing and packaging were subsequently relocated to Pfizer Consumer Healthcare operations in Parsippany, New Jersey.

  M&A
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1. Bain de Soleil