An overwhelming number of tanning facility owners say they know more non-tanners who sunburned outdoors during July’s three-day holiday weekend as compared to better-protected indoor tanning clients, according to the results of a recent SmartTan.com survey.

Almost nine out of 10 tanning facility owners – 88 percent – say they know more non-tanners than tanners who sunburned outdoors during the long July 4 weekend. Only 7 percent said that more tanners sunburned outdoors as compared to non-tanners, and 5 percent said there was no difference between the two groups.

“This is further support to one of the cornerstones of professional indoor tanning: The establishment of a “base tan” makes skin more resilient naturally to sunburn. When combined with the proper usage of sunscreen outdoors for extended periods – such as a holiday weekend – the tan essentially multiplies the effectiveness of sunscreen,” Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy said. “There are millions of individual case studies to show that this works. Any indoor tanner can tell you that.”

The dermatology industry’s lobby continues to deny that a base tan helps to prevent sunburn. “They are burying their heads in the sand,” Levy said. “There can be no denying that a tan is nature’s sunscreen – a natural body function that your body is designed to do to prevent sunburn. We have maintained for years that the indoor tanning community does a better job at teaching sunburn prevention when compared to the dermatology lobby, which preaches the impractical and ill-advised approach of sun abstinence.”

For further information on Smart Tan’s position on the proper usage of sunscreens and sunburn prevention, visit Smart Tan’s consumer education web site, www.TanningTruth.com.