Five in 10 Brits burn on the very first day of their summer holiday abroad, it was revealed yesterday.
The findings emerged in a study of 2,000 holidaymakers, and shows folks are so desperate to get a suntan they will ditch any form of sun protection. Even those people who start the holiday by religiously applying lotions and potions stop using them by day FOUR if they haven't achieved a perfect bronzed complexion. Incredibly, 68 per cent of people blame their addiction to the sunshine on the terrible British weather. And half of people travelling this summer will consider their holiday a complete and utter flop if they don't walk away with a decent tan.
Mel Wilson head of health at Superdrug, which commissioned the research to launch its 'What's Your Factor?' sun safer campaign said: "After weeks of enduring torrential downpours, it is easy to understand why British people are craving a bit of sunshine.
"But these findings show that people are taking their tanning to the extreme by forgetting the importance of applying sun protection on every day of their annual break.
"The idea that people would consider stopping all form of protection by day four of the holiday is ludicrous, they are risking a multitude of problems from burning, to heat stroke, to early ageing, and even worse, skin cancer."
The study shows 14 per cent of Brits don't even use sun tan protection on the very first day of their holiday, and 25 per cent use a really low factor. Only three per cent of people would consider using sun block of factor 50 and over, fearing they would return to the UK with no form of tan at all. And the research indicates people are going to ridiculous lengths to achieve a brown complexion, with 13 per cent opting for baby oil over sun protection.
A further 16 per cent make sure they sunbathe during the hottest part of the day, 13 per cent go without sunglasses and a fifth avoid all shade, parasols and umbrellas. One in 10 Brits try to get away with wearing the tiniest swimwear to expose maximum flesh, and 28 per cent frequently turn their body to ensure an even tan.
A fifth of ladies tie their hair up when sunbathing, and the same percentage of people try lying on a lilo in the middle of the pool or sea because they think it improves their chances of attracting the sun. Of the parents who completed the survey, a third admit they often forget to apply their own sun protection in favour of their children's, and 27 per cent of parents often return home from holiday burnt, while their children have retained their lily white complexion.
Mel Wilson continues: "The interesting thing about this new research is that people seem to associate the need for sun protection with summer holidays abroad, when in fact we should be wearing whenever there are signs of sunshine in the UK too, however rare these occasions may be.
"This summer we're launching the What's Your Factor campaign designed to show customers the SPF they should be using, how they should apply sun lotion and how much they should use. "We know that for a lot of people a tan is a holiday must-have which is why we've launched a new fake tan called Dark Tan which is our darkest colour."
This summer Superdrug is working with Teenage Cancer Trust on a sun safety campaign to give customers the information they need to ensure they don't take risks when enjoying the sun this summer.
The What's Your Factor campaign will launch its SAFER sun lotion message to ensure everyone is using sun protection in the right way:
- Slap on liberally
- Apply it regularly
- Face your factor
- Extra care for sensitive bits
- Reapply after swimming
TOP 10 WAYS OF SUN WORSHIPPING
1. Sunbathe during the hottest part of the day
2. Turn your body to ensure an even tan
3. Constantly move the bed to chase the sun
4. Sunbathe on a lilo in the pool or sea
5. Tie up hair
6. Avoid all shade, parasols or umbrellas
7. Alternate between pool and sun lounger
8. Don't wear sunglasses
9. Use baby oil instead of sun protection
10. Wear tiniest swimwear to expose maximum flesh
