By NICKY CHAMP
Imagine this summertime scenario: you arrive early at the beach for a day of fun in the sun. Your (fictional) three-year-old is wearing a hat, rashie, sunglasses and you’ve also slathered sunscreen on to every exposed part of his body, twice.
You lay out your towel out with the intention of getting some ‘Vitamin D’ before slip, slop, slapping yourself and hope that little Sammy will be content building sandcastles under the umbrella to give you enough time to relax. You fish through your bag and dammit, in the rush to leave the house it looks like you’ve forgotten your hat. So there you are lying in the full sun without sunscreen or a hat while your three-year old has three layers of SPF protection to play in the shade.
Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Ultraceuticals. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words.
Why is it that we so steadfastly apply sunscreen to our children while we are more nonchalant about our own skin?
It’s been 32 years since Sid Seagull introduced the Slip Slop Slop campaign and the tanned look is no longer being touted as ‘healthy’ but record numbers of Australians are developing melanoma and dying from skin cancer than ever before.
According to the Cancer Council, Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. More than 1700 Australians die from skin cancer each year and 2 in 3 Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they are 70.
Two in three. That’s more than 65% of the population. Read on for some of the common sunscreen myths, excuses and mistakes people make about sunscreen.