As much as we love spending time outside, most of us are fully aware of the damage the sun can do to our skin. Sunburns, premature aging and cancer are just some of the risks we face from not protecting ourselves from the UVA and UVB rays, but it seems knowing that isn’t enough for some people. A new survey reveals that many Americans aren’t taking proper care of their skin until they’re in their mid-20s.
According to the poll of 2-thousand U.S. adults:
- Americans don’t start taking their sun-related skincare seriously until age 26.
- As a result, they’re four times more likely to get sunburned than they are to use sunscreen, as 79% of respondents have had a sunburn, but only 20% wear sunscreen every day.
- Younger generations seem to be taking better care of their skin, as 34% of Gen Zers wear sunscreen daily, compared to 23% of Gen X.
- But it seems some folks only use sunscreen seasonally, with 20% of those surveyed admitting to dropping the use of sunscreen after Labor Day.
- While seven in 10 people consider sunscreen a “summer essential,” only three in 10 feel it’s a “winter essential.”
- More than half (54%) of those who’ve had a sunburn are worried about having irreversible damage to their skin.
- So what does it take to get people to actually apply SPF? The top reasons Americans decide to wear sunscreen are to avoid sunburns (58%), concerns about skin cancer (56%) and preventing premature aging (39%).
- Women are slightly more concerned about skin cancer risks than men, with 39% of men saying the risk of skin cancer would encourage them to wear sunscreen daily, compared to 42% of women.
Source: SWNS Digital