There are over 1 million cases of skin cancer each year in the US alone, despite the fact that it is the most preventable type of cancer. Using SPF 30 sunscreen reduces your chances of skin cancer by 80%, the problem is most people don’t apply enough and don’t realize when it has worn off. After Sunscreenr creators David Cohen and Jon Meyer watched family members struggle with the disease, they knew something needed to be done to help protect their loved ones from easily avoidable skin damage. Combining their extensive experience in management, design and product development, they formed Voxelight in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and began working on Sunscreenr and other light based technology.
What is Sunscreenr?
Sunscreenr is a special camera that shows you how much sunscreen someone is wearing. Just turn it on and look through the viewfinder and you can see areas with thin coverage or spots that were missed. Through the Sunscreenr camera, protected skin looks dark and unprotected skin looks light. Areas that have some but not enough sunscreen will be somewhere in between the dark and light tones. It’s quick and easy so you can have a look while you’re applying sunscreen and again a little later to see spots where water, sand, sweat or toweling off has worn away coverage.
The device is small and lightweight which means it’s easy to carry with you, but also rugged enough to stand up to all your outdoor adventures. Sunscreenr is waterproof, sand proof, and built to last. It’s powered by a USB rechargeable battery that will last all weekend on a full charge. It can be mounted on a tripod/selfie stick which makes it easy to inspect yourself when alone. Sunscreenr can record up to 30 seconds of video so you can check your face and back and playback the results. It works on all skin colors and can see any sunscreen cream, spray or powder that’s at least SPF 15.
How it works
Human eyesight can only detect a small portion of the light coming from the sun. This visible light is made up of the colors of the rainbow. Other wavelengths like UV light, the type that cause skin cancer and sunburns, can’t be seen by the eye or by a standard camera. Typical sunscreens work by absorbing UV light before it hits your skin. The Sunscreenr camera can detect how much UV light is being properly blocked and how much is actually cooking your skin. The device uses a custom filter that removes all light except the spectrum that sunscreen absorbs. A highly precise lens focuses the UV light and a specialized sensor captures the UV data. It’s a lot of innovation packed into a tiny, user-friendly gadget that is a new must-have for anyone who loves spending time in the sunshine.
UPDATE: Sunscreenr is no longer available.