Mum shares genius a trick to prevent your kids getting sunburnt in the heatwave
AS temperatures continue to rise this week it's important to use sun cream to avoid damaging your skin.
That's easier said than done with little ones who might not want to be dragged away from the park for a quick lotion top up.
Now one mum has revealed her genius trick that will help prevent your children from sunburn - as Brits are set to bake in 35C heat.
Leah Mussell recently shared advice to prevent the sun’s rays from damaging her children’s skin – UV stickers.
Her determination for better sun care for Brits came after the 30-year-old's friend Zoe Law died at 26, following a heart-breaking skin cancer diagnosis in 2020.
Determined to let everyone know the dangers of sun exposure, the mum from the Isle of Wight has been hailing the products on social media.
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When the stickers change colour, this an alert that you need to reapply sun cream to your child.
She has been posting them on Facebook as she says they are 'undermarketed'.
Leah is now campaigning for change when it comes to moles after she said her friend Zoe's concerns around a mole were dismissed.
Zoe had a mole on her back, but by the time she suffered any symptoms she was beyond help.
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Leah has launched a which would see all moles and marks removed and tested for cancer, after Zoe was told to get hers removed at a beauty clinic.
"We need to make this change, we need to save other families heartbreak, and we need to do this, to honour Zoe," Leah said.
In her most recent post on sun safety, Leah got over 23,000 shares and thousands more praised the sticker hack.
She said: “I don't want to preach, I just want people to understand the risks and the consequences involved with poor sun safety.
“A recent study showed that a large number of parents would reapply sun cream their child, but then not do themselves.
“We matter too, and if one person reads our posts changes the way they look at situation, then that's great.
“Zoe was very passionate about us doing what we could, so I hope I'm doing her proud.”
The UV stickers are currently only available in Boots stores, not online, and are sold in packs of eight.
They were launched in 2020 and Clare O’Connor, Soltan sun care specialist at the time said the patches are both waterproof and sweat resistant.
"After discovering that 39% of parents find it hard to estimate the right time to reapply sun protection on their children, the Soltan Learn to Reapply UV Detection Stickers will reassure you that enough sunscreen has been applied for optimum protection, turning from purple to clear to let you know when your child is fully protected.
"The sticker will remain clear when skin is protected and fade back to purple as the sunscreen becomes less effective - particularly handy if you’ve forgotten to reapply after swimming and towelling dry."
STAY PROTECTED
It's important to note that you should always stay well protected in the sun, using a high factor sun lotion, a hat and sunglasses.
Using lotion is particularly important and Dr Sarah Carlick previously said that once sunburned as a child, it can increase your risk of skin cancer by over 50 per cent as an adult.
"Unfortunately, once the damage is done, it's done, but there are ways you can protect your children from sun damage," she said.
Dr Carlick said one of the best ways to protect your little ones is to use a high factor sun cream.
"This needs to be at least factor 50 and should be reapplied after a few hours.
"Stay out of the sun between 11am-3pm and if you can't, make sure the sun lotion is handy.
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"Make sure it's a reputable brand and that there is sun cream on every part of flesh that is going to be exposed to the sun."
Make sure you stay hydrated through the day and that you have adequate time in the shade to cool down.
