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Today has been glorious hasn't it? It reminded me of long summer days when I was a child! What I don't remember is my mom constantly lathering me with suncream every hour like I seem to be doing with my own girls. Yesterday they were playing in the sand pit, so when it came to putting the sun cream on, it was like they were getting a mini exfoliation too!

The NHS recommends that you use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 but the higher the SPF, the better. They also remind you to make sure the product is not past its expiry date as most sunscreens have a shelf life of two to three years. I remember my Dad thinking factor 8 was high when we holidayed abroad as children and even using a tanning oil on the last few days. ( My mom is oblivious to expiry dates ... don't let me start on the tins we found when they moved house ... so the tanning oil was undoubtedly giving no protection whatsoever).

 

Awareness of skin cancer has made us all more conscious of looking after our skin, I shudder at the amount of sun bed sessions I had in my early twenties and the long term effects it has had on my skin. My girls get lathered in Factor 50 suncream to protect their beautiful skin as they are both fair English Roses and I am happy for them to stay that way but when they are babies, it is always best to keep them out of the sun wherever possible as babies skin is so delicate.

I was shocked to learn that there are almost 100,000 cases of non melanoma skin cancer diagnosed in the UK each year. This makes it the most common type of cancer by far and this type of cancer tends to be under reported. The actual number of cases could be more because non melanoma skin cancers are easy to treat and cure, they are often left out of national cancer statistics. *

I know that looking tanned and glowing is the ultimate goal for some sun worshippers but at what cost? I also know I probably go overboard with my daughters, especially on days like this. I love the sun and I do love having a sun tab but I am much more careful with my own skin as I get older with the only tanning I get, coming out of a bottle!!

What about you?

*research by Cancer UK.