Lululemon Under Fire for Irresponsible Health Message on Bags

If you’re at all into the workout scene, you know a Lululemon bag when you see one. The [...]

If you're at all into the workout scene, you know a Lululemon bag when you see one. The signature red bags with 'motivational' phrases tells you to "dance, sing, floss and travel" and to "do one thing a day that scares you."

But some people—experts included—are finding one piece of the luxury athleisure clothing brand's advice to be very scary indeed.

In a Reddit post, one user shares a close-up photo of a bag with the caption, "Wait, what? Interesting message about sunscreen on my Lululemon bag." The photo shows the quote in question, which reads, "Sunscreen absorbed into the skin might be worse for you than sunshine. Get the right amount of sunshine."

When commenters got their hands on this nugget of information, they didn't hold back in their criticism of Lululemon's message.

lululemon bag reddit paynowork
(Photo: Reddit / @paynowork)

"People with influence spreading pseudoscience and misinformation are the worst," one user wrote of the company's controversial quote.

Another pointed out the vague nature of the information, noting that it could be just as harmful in itself. "The language on this bag is a harmful blanket statement with no science or logic at all. How much is the 'right amount of sunshine,' anyway? When would sunscreen be worse than sunshine? It also depends on whether you use chemical or physical sunscreen. You can't just say 'Sunscreen is bad!' There are just too many variables, and people are going to see that and think it's okay to sunbathe all day every day."

While some agreed that vitamin D absorbed by the sun is necessary to the body, it shouldn't come at the expense of risking overexposure or skin cancer by avoiding sunscreen.

Similar to the commenters, one Yale dermatologist couldn't believe the advice was printed on the company's bags. "That is actually really scary, because according to the American Academy of Dermatology, there has thus far been no scientific proof that sunscreen is harmful or bad or carcinogenic when applied to the skin," says Mona Gahara to Marie Claire.

"There is, on the other hand, ample data that shows how just a few minutes of unprotected sun exposure can lead to skin cancer," she says. "It's like smoking half a cigarette and thinking, 'meh, it's just half.' No, a carcinogen is a carcinogen is a carcinogen, and sun is a carcinogen."

The Skin Cancer Foundation reports that one in five people will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, and since this cancer can be caused by even a limited amount of unprotected sun, it's best to stick to the advice of medicine professionals over the bag your yoga pants came in.

Go enjoy the sun, but protect your skin in the process. The Lululemon bags' 'advice' just below this piece of pseudoscience reads, "Visualize your eventual demise. It can have an amazing effect on how you live for the moment."

Don't let your demise be skin cancer. Wear the sunscreen.

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