Beauty web site Glam.com — a quasi-beauty, celebrity web site — on Tuesday attempted to debunk myths about tanning. Instead, it published even more myths and mis-statements.

Beauty editor India-Jewel Jackson attempted to correct “myths” about tanning with “facts” but instead simply printed more unsupported myths. “It’s clear that Jackson is reading the party line of the cosmetic manufacturers who misrepresent sun care themselves,” Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy said. “But some of her statements were simply completely inaccurate.”

How much is Glam.com influenced by the multibillion-dollar manufacturers of sunscreen-laced cosmetics who promote sun abstinence instead of balanced sun care? Jackson — who describes herself as “a beauty product junkie” on the blog’s web site — says of beauty products, “I live for them. As a matter of fact, I won’t… no, I can’t survive without them. Lucky for me (and my addiction) I’ve fallen into a career that allows me to indulge my passion.”

Smart Tan’s response to the article is below. Click here to read the article.

Dear Glam:

How ironic and sad that most of the statements you list as “fact” have absolutely no research to support them.

Check the actual data from the U.S. National Cancer Institute and Health Canada and you’ll find:

• Melanoma mortality has decreased for women under age 50 in most of North America for the past 20 years.
• Melanoma mortality IS increasing in men over the age of 50. Yet mysteriously none of the public health messages about skin cancer target this group. (They don’t buy cosmetics).
• Men and women over 50 are substantially more at risk than young people.
• The allegation that melanoma is the most common cancer for women under 30 is completely misleading because there are so few cancers on any site in that age group.
• Dark-complected individuals with type V and VI skin almost never get melanoma. (The rates are less than 1 in 100,000). When they do one of the most common spots is on the soles of their feet – hardly a location that can be attributed to sunlight.
• Dark complected individuals DO have the highest rates of vitamin D deficiency and need the most sunlight to make vitamin D. Your advice is contributing to the cause of vitamin D deficiency, which we now know is linked to higher risks of most cancers, osteoporosis, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and many other disorders.

Come out of the dark. Teach people sunburn prevention – not sun avoidance.

Visit www.TanningTruth.com for more information.