Fake tan users are more sun savvy

Women who use fake tan are twice as likely to stay safe in the sun, and a worrying 36% of teens class themselves as sun worshippers. They may look like they would do anything for a perma-tan, but new research from iVillage.co.uk has found that women who use fake tan are twice as likely to use sun protection than those who don’t.

Despite their desire for a sun-kissed look, 44% of women who wear fake tan say they always use sunscreen, whereas just 21% of women who prefer pale actually protect their skin from the sun. That’s a whopping 79% who say they use little or no protection when out in the sun.

A staggering 32% of these women believe that their skin does not burn, despite 41% of them admitting they have “fair skin”. Just under half claim that they simply forget, alarming when 27% class themselves as sun worshippers.

Despite major health campaigns, a large percentage of the women who claimed never to use sun protection were under 30 with one quarter under 20-years-old.

A significant 37% of teenage girls surveyed by iVillage.co.uk classed themselves as sun worshippers, with 22% sunbathing at every possible moment. Almost half of the teens surveyed also said they had fair skin and 35% believe that their skin never burns. Fifteen percent of teenage girls admitted to using tanning beds, believing that it would make their skin more tolerant to the suns rays.

Ronita Dutta, Editor in Chief for iVillage.co.uk says “We are really surprised to see that women, in particularly young women, are not taking sun care seriously, happily using little or no protection at all on fair skin. But enjoying that sun-kissed look does not mean losing all sun sense. We were really pleased to see that the advent of fake tan also means a better awareness and understanding of the sun’s damaging long-term effect on the skin. Faking it means a healthier attitude to the sun as well as lovely looking skin.”

Despite fake tanning innovations like the spray tan, or the tanning booth, 84% of women say that their sun-kissed look was less than perfect. Biggest grumbles were turning orange (22%) and streaky legs (62%) which put everything else in the shade.

The study, conducted by the UK’s biggest website for women, iVillage.co.uk, was designed to reveal the tanning habits of women in the UK. Over 1,000 women were surveyed during June 2008.

For advice on how to keep you and your family safe in the sun this Summer, visit ivillage.co.uk/beauty/skincare.