Can a fake tan protect you from getting sunburnt?

Fake tans are fun – there’s nothing wrong with giving your skin a glow through something like a spray-on tan. But while most fake tans gained through sprays or other methods can be harmless, they may also give you a false sense of protection.

Reality check: a fake tan isn’t going to protect you from UV rays

Fake tans have been around for decades but the industry is still growing, even after commercial solariums were banned in a bunch of Australian states in 2015 (New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia).

Most people use mousses, sprays or other products to get their tan on. They usually come with cool fragrances too, like coconut or different types of extracts. And that’s all good.

But here’s the issue: fake tans don’t give you any more protection from the sun. In fact, they tend to lure people into a false sense of security...

Fake tans can’t protect you from the sun

Because so many people have the misconception that a real tan can protect you from the sun, they might think that a fake tan does the same thing. And that’s wrong.

Sure, fake tans aren’t going to damage your skin as sun rays will. But many don’t offer any protection either.

Fake tans can give a false sense of sun protection

Back in 2011, the University of Wollongong conducted a study: do fake tan users protect themselves better, or worse, than non-fake tan users?

The answer is that if you’re a fake tan user, there’s a correlation between that and worse sun protection behaviour. Just take a look at what they said:

“Fake tan users were significantly more likely to experience repeated sunburns, after controlling for skin type.”

That is definitely something to think about. It seems like a lot of people are luring themselves into believing that a fake tan will protect them, then end up getting a sunburn.

Don’t be one of them.

Does having a fake tan mean I can skip using sun protective clothing or sunscreen?

Absolutely not. You always need sunscreen if you are going to expose your skin directly to the sun. Even if your sunless tanning product contains sunscreen, you need a highly rated SPF sunscreen that will protect you – and your glow – from dangerous UV rays.

UPF 50+ sun protective clothing is the best way to prevent sun burn, skin ageing and skin cancer.

Dermatologists agree that specialist UPF 50+ sun protective clothing is the best way to protect yourself from sunburn, skin ageing and skin cancer.

Solbari is the leading sun protective clothing brand in Australia. Solbari offers a range of UPF50+ sun protective clothing, sun umbrellas, UV arm sleeves and broad brim sun hats.