Encourage your teens to protect themselves against the sun

A survey by Cancer Research UK found that 60 per cent of 16 to 24 year olds thought they were likely to get sunburnt on holiday. This is a frightening statistic when you consider that sunburn can double your risk of skin cancer. Excessive sun exposure and sunburn during early life affect melanoma risk later on in life according to Cancer Research.

Parents are keen to protect their young babies and children from the sun when they are growing up, but once they have left home and are holidaying with their friends it’s all very easy for them to lose the responsibility of applying sun cream as often as their parents would like them to.

By encouraging your teens to stay protected by turning sun protection into a routine from a very early age will help to promote safety in the sun later in life. In theory if parents have been consistent with the message of applying suncream often then this will hopefully become second nature.

Teenagers and young adults are a key sun-seeking group and less likely to stay safe in the sun. If your teen’s obsession is with achieving a tan then try experimenting with the wide range of fake tan products on the market such as Green People’s Self Tan Lotion. Self tan doesn’t offer protection against UV light therefore using a sun lotion is essential.