Growing up in Australia meant learning to swim, being obsessed with chicken salt and of course knowing the classic "Slip, Slop, Slap" off by heart — but I don't think I was ever really paying attention to just how damaging unprotected sun exposure could be.
Let's face it — pop-culture isn't exactly a reliable source when it comes to pushing trends, so I don't know why we're all surprised that suntanning is terrible for you when it comes to your health — and it's actually making you less attractive in the long term.
Naturally, some of my coworkers think the same way, and were in for a bit of a rude awakening when they accepted our challenge to undergo a UV sun damage analysis.
Here's how they did:
Let's start with Jessica. First, Sohan asked her how much time she spends a week outdoors, to which Jessica answered about eight hours a week. Not massive, but that's definitely a good amount of time in the sun. Then she was asked to rate her sun protection out of 10, and she answered seven or eight — because she doesn't want to get wrinkles (MOOD!).
Next up, we've got Barry. He explained that he spends about $25 a month and 10 minutes on skincare in the morning and evening. He also mentioned that he'd been incorporating SPF in his routine over the past five years.
Then, we've got Lara, who spends about $80 a month on skincare — and also 10 minutes a day on her routine. She explained that she'd been using SPF every day since she was 11, but also admitted that she loves to lay out in the sun.
Finally, we had Josh take the test. As someone who surfs and has a dog that he often takes for walks, Josh spends a whopping 20 hours a week in the sun. On top of that, he admitted that his sun protection behaviours weren't exactly up to par — which is the answer I'm sure most of us would give.
You can watch the videos to see the full experience below.
Remember, these results are based on specific groups studied. Don't forget to stay sun safe, regardless!