July 2012
Featured in this insight: Medical & healthcare
Survey shows many Brits on holiday flaunting skin safety warnings: According to a recent survey by online travel agent On the Beach, many Britons are still defiantly ignoring health warnings by failing to protect their skin with adequate SPF protection while on holiday.
A worrying 13% of surveyants admitted they regularly use tanning oils with 10 SPF or less and 44% only use 15 SPF when visiting holiday destinations with blistering summer temperatures such as Cyprus, Egypt and Turkey.
Some Brits seem to be taking serious risks to achieve a quicker tan – many respondents said they frequently use oil instead of the 30 SPF sunscreen strongly recommended by The British Skin Foundation.
A spokesperson from The British Skin Foundation, Bevis Man, commented: “When abroad, we advise holidaymakers to be extra vigilant with sunscreen, as people are more likely to be out in the sun, swimming and drying off, all of which remove sunscreen from the skin, even those that are water resistant. Adults should be applying a sunscreen of SPF30 or higher, whilst children and those with pale skin should be using an SPF50.”
Despite sun care experts recommending people re-apply sunscreen at least every two hours, a massive 27% of Brits abroad said they only apply sun block once or twice during the day, while a further 7% of holidaymakers will only do so after they’ve been in the water.
Luckily however, although many British adults seem to flaunt skin health warnings when on holiday, the majority of parents take safety seriously when it comes to their children, as 54% confirmed they use at least the recommended SPF factor 50 to protect their kids in the sun.
View more of our sector specific insights: Medical & healthcare
