Enjoy summer weather safely with new book

Despite having the message about sun safety and children’s skin being rammed home to parents, a whopping 48 per cent of kids in the UK have suffered sunburn.

They aren’t the only ones. New research from Boots, found that 72 per cent of us are likely to get sunburn in the UK because we don’t think it is sunny enough to require any protection.

The research found a general lack of cover- up knowledge, with 80 per cent of parents unaware that a good four tablespoons of sun cream are needed to cover a child’s body. Half of mums also did not know the difference between SPF or UVB.

The ignorance continued with children. Only 56 per cent of kids were aware that covering up with clothes will protect them from the sun, and more than one in ten children think the reason to wear sun protection is to get a good suntan.

In response to the findings, Boots is launching an initiative to educate children about the dangers of the sun. Teaming up with celebrity mum Edith Bowman, Boots are launching a children’s story and targeting 25,000 primary schools across the UK.

Edith Bowman said: “Being fair skinned myself, I’ve always been very conscious about getting sunburnt and now I have my son Rudy, it’s on my mind even more. It’s really important for both children and parents to be educated about the dangers of the sun. The Boots ‘Fun in the Sun’ story is a great way to bring families together and talk about how to enjoy the summer weather safely – that’s hoping we get some lovely sunshine this year!”

Boots Suncare Scientific Advisor, Mike Brown said: “Children tend to spend lots of time playing outside during the summer months so they are particularly at risk of sun damage. Much of our sun exposure happens before the age of 21 and just one instance of sunburn can double the risk of skin cancer in later life, so it’s essential to protect our children and teach them how to practice sun safety throughout their lives.”

The ‘Fun in the Sun with Sunshine Sam’ story sees Sunshine Sam, a friendly bear, help teach children to think about sun protection when they go outside in the sun. Parents can download an interactive version of the storybook and listen to Edith Bowman telling the story by visiting www.boots.com from 17th June.