St. Tropez SkinSmart Campaign

A new report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has placed sunbed usage in the highest cancer risk category, alongside cigarettes and asbestos.

The report comments that: "a comprehensive meta-analysis concluded that the risk of skin melanoma is increased by 75% when use of tanning devices starts before 30 years of age."*

Three million people use sun beds in the UK every year** and a survey from Cancer Research UK has confirmed that almost a fifth of sunbed users are planning to increase their sunbed usage this summer due to recession.***

The intensity of some UV rays from sunbeds can be up to fifteen times higher than that of the midday sun.***

Consumers who use a sunbed once a month or more can increase their risk of skin cancer by more than half.***

Skin cancer is now the number one form of cancer amongst young women, and exposure to rays increases the risk of melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer.***

And that's why we need your help. St. Tropez is announcing the launch of a new beauty industry lobbying group, which is campaigning for stricter regulations on sunbeds in the UK and promoting responsible tanning. This is designed to ensure all tanning outlets operate to good practice. We are proposing a ban on all unmanned coin-operated sunbeds in the UK and wish to prevent under-18s from using sunbeds.

If you'd like to play your part in this important initiative, we'd love to have you on-board. Join our campaign to lobby for change by simply registering your details here and we'll add you to the petition. The petition requires 10,000 signatures and will then be presented to parliament, alongside a mandate for change.

* report by Dr Fatiha El Ghissassi for the IARC
** The Sunbed Association
*** Cancer Research UK 2009