For what feels like centuries, people around the globe have been fed the idea that there is no such thing as obtaining "a responsible tan". The last time I checked (and I check often), the following advice was the only advice:
1) Too much sun causes cancer
2) UV light increases my odds of getting cancer
3) Daring to expose myself to a tanning bed was overrated, and again, a "Cancer Causer".
Yes, there was a time when the very same individuals (who are now dubbing the exposure to UV light as a health risk), claimed that this same exposure was in fact very healthy. Like everything in life, taking a concept to the extreme is always undeniably a bad thing. However, like many multi-billion dollar industries, the terms "cause" and "effect" have brought people to wonder whether or not certain brands/companies are stuffing foundations and dermatology "professionals" full of money in order to sell their latest and greatest. In this case, we call it "Bronzer". Oh, if walls could talk.
Many argue that a healthy, responsible tan shows no significant risks of damaging your skin (burning your skin is a completely different story). In fact, your skin naturally produces vitamin D when exposed to UV light. The National Academy of Sciences reveals that people with higher levels of vitamin D are more likely to survive colon, breast, and lung cancer. Meanwhile, researchers from Harvard Medical School estimate that 57% of Americans are vitamin D deficient! For those of you who are diligently following up with the fact that there are other ways of obtaining vitamin D, you are completely right. However, one has to drink more than eight cups of milk every day just to match the benefit of a simple twenty minutes in the sun.
After researching into what many qualified dermatologists are now referring to as the "Sunlight Scam", I was often referred to a site dedicated to "exposing the deceptive campaign to keep you out of the sun".
Take a look: http://www.sunlightscam.com
While some argue that this lovely little haven among tanning salons and dermatologists everywhere is merely a setup by some public relations firm, an overwhelming amount of research sources are lending their hands to help spread the message. The National Academy of Sciences study determined that the risks associated with not getting enough sun far outweighed any "hypothetical" damage that might occur from being out and about on the beach.
On the other side, I took a click over to the Skin Cancer Foundation website:
http://www.skincancer.org
The first thing that I noticed (and that many other dermatologists are noticing frequently), is that they are sponsored by a number of cosmetics brands. The Skin Care Foundation claims that, "Many teens and twenty-somethings want that bronzed glow all year 'round, and when they can't tan outdoors, millions use sunbeds to get it. The dangerous consequence is a significantly increased risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer". If that's not enough, they also claim that "Across all age groups, males and females who have ever used tanning beds have a 15 percent higher risk of developing melanoma."
I found this all to be perfectly legitimate, until I scrolled down the main page a bit more and found a section entitled, "Purchases That Make a Difference". Countless known brands are seen blatantly advertising their latest and greatest on a site supporting the "tan ban". Really, I wasn't under the impression that they were trying to sell me anything until I read "Fashion and beauty industry insiders have spoken. Now it’s time for you to listen. The tanned look is no longer fashionable. The tides have turned." In fact, the image at the top of the page currently shows an obscenely over-sized bus baring an "Aveeno" ad. If that doesn't do it for you, the foundation is sponsored by a number of sunscreen & cosmetics companies:
http://www.skincancer.org/content/view/131/62/
To make myself perfectly clear, I'm not saying that the sun has absolutely nothing to do with cancer. However, one has to wonder. For decades, man is content to spend his days plowing through fields and working the farm in broad daylight (sunlight, actually), and skin cancer was never the epidemic for them that it is today. Granted, the ozone layer was probably a lot thicker than it is now (go green, everyone), but avoiding the sun as many suggest, simply put, is outrageous.
On a grand scheme, the sun gives every living organism on this planet life. Taking it out of Earth's most advanced species natural diet just doesn't seem plausible. Sorry.
As this is a highly disputed subject amongst individuals and companies everywhere, as always, I'd love to hear what you think.
Brittany Law
Founder & Editorial Director
contact@stylerepublicmagazine.com
Subject: "Sunlight Scam"?
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