TAN IS NO LONGER THE BEAUTY IDEAL

iVillage and The Skin Cancer Foundation  Survey Reveals

Majority of People Say They Don't Need a Tan to Look Good

New York, NY  (January 16, 2008) -  Just in time for summer new survey results show that the appeal of tanned skin may finally be waning --63 percent say they are not more attracted to someone who is tan and  53 percent of people surveyed believe they don't look better with a tan.   Sixty-nine percent do not think a tan makes them look slimmer. The survey by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Media was conducted for iVillage in partnership with The Skin Cancer Foundation.

"These findings are encouraging," said Perry Robins, MD, President of The Skin Cancer Foundation.  "Once people stop linking their self esteem to tanned skin, we will really begin making headway in the fight against skin cancer. For now, there is still a lot of work to be done since an alarming number of people never use sunscreen."

Forty percent of people revealed that they never use sunscreen and only 11 percent use an SPF 15 or higher daily.  Forty-two percent of people are still getting sunburned at least once a year.  A person's risk for melanoma (the most serious form of skin cancer) doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns.

The small percentage of people applying sunscreen daily is surprising given that 58 percent of people say they are concerned about skin cancer. These findings demonstrate a lack of understanding that everyday incidental sun exposure, like intermittent, intense exposure (such as on beach vacations), seriously damages the skin over time. But, people are getting better about using sunscreen when outdoors- 59 percent of people use sunscreen at least occasionally - a 20 percent increase from a survey done in 2003.

Women still do a much better job than men when it comes to using sunscreen.  Forty-seven percent of men say they never wear sunscreen, compared to 34 percent of women.

"We have always made a point to communicate the dangers of overexposure to the sun, especially within our health and beauty channels," said Deborah Fine, President of iVillage.  "While these new results show that women are typically more responsible about using sunscreen, there are still 34 percent not wearing any at all.  We feel a sense of obligation to push the sun safety message to our millions of users and Memorial Day - the official start of beach-going season - is the perfect time to do that."

The survey also revealed that 74 percent of those who wear sunscreen reapply at least every 4-6 hours or after swimming or sweating. While only 28 percent of people comply with the Foundation's recommendation to reapply sunscreen every two hours, at least people are reapplying once during the day.

A surprising 57 percent of women and 53 percent of men think they can spend more time in the sun if they use sunscreen, but The Skin Cancer Foundation advises against this. Sunscreen does not allow you to spend hours in the sun without risking damage since no sunscreen blocks 100 percent of UV rays and most people do not apply it adequately or frequently enough.

There seems to be similar confusion about the protective ability of clothing.  Thirty-six percent of people think that clothing provides the same level of protection as sunscreen. A new academic review from Switzerland shows that clothing (hats, sunglasses and clothing made from certain fabrics) may be the more effective method of protection. However, it depends on the type of clothing. An untreated white cotton T-shirt only provides the equivalent of an SPF 5 to 7. Darker more densely woven fabrics provide a much higher SPF.

Fun in the sun

The sun gives us all warmth and a sense of wellbeing. In fact, the majority of people surveyed, 76 percent, say that being out in the sun makes them feel happy.  As the leaders in sun safety education, The Skin Cancer Foundation encourages people to enjoy the outdoors, as long as they do so safely.  Follow the Foundation's tips to reduce the risk of sunburn, skin damage and skin cancer:

• Seek the shade, especially between 10 A.M. and 4 P.M.
• Do not burn.
• Avoid tanning and UV tanning booths.
• Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day.
• Apply 1 ounce (2 tbsp) total of sunscreen to all exposed areas, 30 minutes before going outside.  Reapply every 2 hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.
• Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking      sunglasses.
• Keep newborns out of the sun.  Sunscreens should be used on babies over the age of 6 months.
• Examine your skin from head-to-toe every month.
• See your physician every year for a professional skin exam.

About this poll

This survey was conducted in telephone interviews from May 11-13, 2007. A total of 1,004 interviews were completed with 521 female adults and 483 male adults. The margin of error for this study is +/- 3 percentage points and is higher for subgroups.

Click here for the iVillage Sun Care Poll

Click here for the iVillage Survey Results