As we approach the summer months, we encourage everyone to be more aware of sun safety, ensuring that you apply sunscreen regularly if you are outdoors, enjoying the sunshine.

Macmillan Cancer Support states that skin cancer is caused by overexposure to the sun, as the UV light from the sun damages the DNA in our skin cells, causing them to mutate and divide, resulting in skin cancer. Macmillan says “Regularly using sunlamps and sunbeds can increase the risk of developing some skin cancers. The more you use a sunbed or sunlamp, and the earlier in life you begin using them, the greater your risk.”

Over in the US, the government have campaigned in emphasising high cancer risks and they have seen a reduction in the use of indoor tanning. Reports say that the US government is also calling out to mothers to keep their daughters away from tanning salons and thanks to a grant from the National Institutes of Health, the government is spending of $600,000 on a project to create awareness and target mums over social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram.

At Aura, we investigated further into the statistics of skin cancer around the world and we discovered that more people die from skin cancer (melanoma) than in car accidents, in well developed countries, such as Australia, UK, New Zealand, Spain, Germany and Switzerland. In Australia, sunbeds have been banned, however there has now been reports of a sunbed black market emerging, where Australians are seeking sunbeds for sale on gumtree.

This is very shocking news and statistics to hear, however we feel it is our duty, as a manufacturer of spray tanning machines, to help guide people to choosing the safest option for a beautiful tan, without risking your health.

Your health is the most important asset you have, so be good to your body and protect it against the sun and UV light.