Is Your Child Safe From The Sun?
With volcanic ash and airline strikes still a concern, more families will be enjoying summer holidays on a UK beach this year.
And while many parents will be longing for warm weather, how many will be thinking about their children’s skin?
New research from Nivea Sun reveals a relaxed attitude to sun safety at home; with a startling 1 in 5 parents believing the UK sun is less damaging than the sun abroad.
The comprehensive research amongst 1500 UK parents reveals a lack of concern and awareness regarding sun safety, which may be putting their children’s skin at risk.
Around 40% of parents do not use suncream on their families during the UK summer and half don’t take any fresh water, hats or sunglasses for their kids on UK beach holidays.
These figures are quite alarming. "Nivea Sun wants families to enjoy the sun this summer and we want to encourage parents to protect their children when out in the sun to reduce the risk of long term skin damage" says brand manager, Richard Duplock. W
hile the UK isn’t famous for its sunny, clear blue skies, there is still a risk of sunburn even on cloudy days, as up to 80% of the sun’s rays can penetrate through light clouds.
Worryingly, 1 in 5 parents don’t realise their children’s skin is sensitive to sun, and over half of all parents surveyed are unaware that repeated sunburn can cause long lasting damage to their children’s skin.
77% of parents don’t think pink or sore skin necessarily means sun damage, and over 1/3 of parents are unaware about the damage caused by peeling, red skin or blisters.
Half of all parents don’t reapply suncream each time their children come out of the water - when their children’s skin is most vulnerable and 71% of parents wish there were long-lasting water resistant suncreams available for kids.
Around 56% of families have experienced sunburn 1-3 times in the past 2 years. Part of the problem is that 1 in 3 parents believe suncreams provide complete 100% protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays.
"Children’s skin is sensitive to sun damage so parents need to choose a higher Sun Protective Factor (SPF) for kids than they do for themselves, and apply it very liberally," says Professor Antony Young from King’s College London.
"Take into consideration their age and skin tone - children with fairer skin need higher protection and a baby’s skin is extremely sensitive to the sun."
Despite this advice, 70% of parents don’t consider their kid’s age or skin tone when using suncream, with many using the same SPF for all the family.
Tagged in Parenting