‘1 in 3 young Australians (aged 18-30) think suntanning is fine for people of their age.’
Yet, 2 in 3 Australians will get skin cancer in their lifetime.
Our research highlights an alarming attitude to suntanning: most 18-30 year olds ‘desire a suntan’, and ‘almost 9 in 10 intentionally, or unintentionally suntan.’
The irony is that a suntan is a visible sign of damage to your skin; and sun damage can be responsible for premature ageing, sunspots, moles and skin cancer.
The End The Trend campaign addresses not only our unhelpful attitudes to suntanning, but the powerful forces driving them, such as brands, influencers and cultural norms. The result? We hope more and more Australians are sun safe, reject suntanning and embrace their natural skin tone.
Bronte CampbellPro-suntanning culture is something most of us have grown up with and never questioned - but with two in three of us getting skin cancer in our lifetime, it’s time to end the trend."
Influencer @bronte_cambell
What is stopping us from being SunSmart?
Fewer than 1 in 10 young Australians are consistently using all five forms of sun protection.
The biggest barrier is not a lack of knowledge about sun protection, but unhelpful attitudes towards suntanning.
You’ve probably heard friends say, ‘’I feel more attractive with a suntan’ or ‘I look slimmer with a suntan’, ‘this dress looks better with a tan’ and ‘I just feel more confident with a suntan’. Yet the reality is that a suntan is undoing all the hard work we put into our skincare routine, causing sunspots, premature ageing and leathery skin.
The powerful effect of influencers; social media trends and unhelpful attitudes to suntanning have all played a huge role in the false charm of having suntanned skin. There are close to a million #suntan posts on Instagram alone, which is why we worked with influencers to help drive healthier attitudes that stop the normalisation of a suntan. In this sense their powerful influence has been a huge part of the solution.
The real cost of a suntan
- Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world.
- Just 15 minutes in the sun can start to damage your skin
- Australia has some of the highest levels of UV radiation in the world
- The damage caused by UV radiation is the single biggest factor in your skin’s health and appearance. It can cause sun spots, premature ageing and leathery skin.
- Sun exposure causes 80% of visible ageing.
- 2 in 3 Australians will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
- One Australian dies every 6 hours from skin cancer
‘Tanning oil’ and other search terms continue to trend online...
Every month over ten thousand suntanning-related searches are made in Australia.
Online searches such as ‘how to tan’, ‘tanning oil’, ‘how long does it take to tan?’ and even, 'does sunscreen stop tanning?' indicate the persistence of unhealthy attitudes to suntanning. While most of us are aware of the dangers of the sun, these trending searches and pro-tanning hashtags, suggest that the short-term aesthetics of having a suntan still take priority over healthy skin. The truth is that exposure to UV radiation accounts for 80% of premature ageing.
But times are changing…
Attitudes are shifting, and influencers, celebrities and young Australians are jumping on board the movement to end the trend, and ultimately flip these harmful attitudes to suntanning.
Those at the forefront of the beauty and fashion worlds are embracing stylish fashion and accessories that are also sun safe. With mega fashion websites like The Iconic, high-profile beauty and fashion editors, and influencers curating sun safe edits, we’re starting to feel confident we can be protected and stylish too.
How sun protection can make you look and feel good
Just 15 minutes in the sun can undermine the hard work you put into your skincare.
Louise GongTrends come and go, but being sun-safe is the ultimate flex of timeless style."
Pop Sugar
Fake tan, false protection?
Our research has shown that fake tanning can contribute to these pro-suntanning attitudes.
Almost 1 in 5 young Australians believe that fake tan offers some protection against damage to the skin from UV rays.
Similar to the mistaken belief that a ‘base tan’ offers the skin a barrier of protection against UV (it doesn’t!), our research showed fake tan users are less inclined to protect their skin from the sun using all five forms of sun protection.
We get it. It can feel a little... scary to go fake-tan-free by embracing your natural skin tone... but you might surprise yourself.
Indy ClintonI wanted to show you guys that you don’t need a tan to look beautiful. I had to get out of my comfort zone to embrace it, and it was liberating."
Influencer @indyclinton
Real life cancer stories
Ending the trend
Together we can break the unhealthy trend of suntanning and shift these dangerous cultural norms.
Ultimately, it’s time to embrace the skin we are in. If we all felt more comfortable with our natural skin tone, we’d spend less time suntanning and that would mean less skin cancer in Australia.
Protect your skin by being SunSafe: slip on protective clothing, slop on broad-spectrum sunscreen (water resistant SPF30+), slap on a broad brimmed hat, slide on sunglasses and seek shade.
It’s time we stopped normalising a suntan. Skin cancer, let’s #EndTheTrend.