Does Your Sunscreen Perform as Well as You Do?

Active Adults Not Choosing Sunscreens to Stand up to the Elements

Athletes and outdoor enthusiasts may know the importance of choosing high-performance equipment, but fewer than one in five always wear sunscreen when participating in outdoor sports, according to a recent survey by Zoomerang.com.
While 9 out of 10 respondents participate in outdoor sporting activities, approximately half indicated they only wear sunscreen sometimes, and approximately 3 in 10 rarely or never wear sunscreen. These statistics come as no surprise to Patricia Agin, PhD, a researcher at the Coppertone Solar Research Center.

"There is a barrier that prevents active adults from using sunscreens," Agin said. "Many are concerned that sunscreen will inhibit their performance and impede their game. This is precisely why we developed Coppertone Sport®, a sunscreen line to withstand the punishing conditions of outdoor athletes."

According to the survey, people have a number of excuses for not wearing sunscreen. Some respondents are concerned that sunscreens are messy to apply and inconvenient, while others fear that greasiness will interfere with participating in activities. Approximately 6 in 10 just don’t think about applying it.

Since many outdoor athletic activities take place on or near surfaces like concrete, sand, water or snow — which reflects 85 to 90 percent of UV rays — it is particularly important for athletes to wear sun protection, no matter at what level or intensity they compete. Hard-core athletes, weekend warriors and recreational adults alike will benefit from the properties that make Coppertone Sport the number-one preferred sports suncreen lotion.

All Coppertone Sport products have a unique ultra-sweat-proof formula that won't run into eyes and sting, even during vigorous activity. Plus, Coppertone Sport is specifically designed not to impede grip control and has an ultra-dry formula for fast absorption.

Coppertone Sport: What's New in 2002?

The Coppertone Sport brand is re-launching all of its products with a bold new look and custom-designed lotion bottle with a grip feature — a change overwhelmingly preferred by consumers. Recognizing that active adults often need a variety of sunscreen product variations, Coppertone Sport comes in four forms, all of which have the same great properties that make it the ultimate in performance and protection.

"Americans are aware of the dangers of sun exposure but typically limit their sunscreen use to the beach or pool," Agin explained. "People actually spend more time, however, involved in miscellaneous outdoor activities and should protect themselves from the sun's damaging rays."

Despite gowing awareness of sun safety, skin cancer rates in the U.S. continues to rise, with 1.3 million new cases diagnosed each year. Eighty percent of the sun's rays can penetrate light clouds, mist, and fog, so with or without the sun, applying sunscreen is critical with any outdoor activity.

To ensure high performance levels, Coppertone Sport products are clinically tested on people as they participate in strenuous athletic activities at the Coppertone Solar Research Center, one of the world's largest state-of-the-art facilities for testing the effectiveness of suncare products.

Coppertone and Coppertone Sport are registered trademarks of Schering-Plough HealthCare Products, Inc. of Memphis, TN, a subsidiary of Schlering-Plough Corporation of Kenilworth, NJ, a research-based company engaged primarily in the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals and health care products worldwide.

Coppertone Sport is an NATA official sponsor. For more information, please visit their web site, accessed through www.nata.org. Reprinted with permission from NATA News, May 2002.