Sam Faiers has been slammed for an ‘irresponsible and dangerous’ admission.
The former The Only Way is Essex star, 34, shares three young children with her partner Paul Knightley.
Her family recently enjoyed a summer break in Mallorca, Spain, however Sam found herself under fire after engaging in a Q&A session with fans.
One of the questions the reality star and influencer was asked was: ‘What suntan lotion do you use as you have a good natural colour?’
However, Sam then admitted she and her partner – as well as their kids Paul, 5, Rosie, 5, and three-year-old Edward – don’t use sunscreen.
‘So this is always a bit of a controversial one, but honestly, me and my whole family don’t actually wear sunscreen,’ she wrote.
‘Over the years, the kids have built up a really good tolerance to being in the sun. Of course, if it’s really hot and the sun feels too harsh I’ll make sure we head into the shade.
‘Usually around lunchtime we’ll go in, have something to eat, and just avoid those peak hours.’
She continued: ‘I’m really careful about sunscreen in general, because a lot of them are actually pretty harmful and full of toxic ingredients.
‘If you do want to protect your kids, I think SPF swimwear is such a good and safer option. But also, don’t be afraid of the sun! Early in the morning or later in the afternoon when it’s not as strong, I love letting the kids run around and soak it up it’s so good for them.
‘That said, I do always bring a Tallow Zine SPF with me when I go away, just in case. And hats or caps are a must! Especially for us ladies, because no one wants extra sun damage (I’ve had my fair share over the years because I’m such a sun lover!).’
Dave Benett/ Getty Images)
Since her admission, Sam has been called out for her comments about her approach, with many pointing out her lack of medical expertise on her latest Instagram post – a dump of photos from the family holiday.
‘You need to delete your story about not wearing sunscreen I don’t think you understand the damage you can do to your followers by promoting this,’ Nicole urged.
‘I must have missed it, when did you go to years of school and become a dr, making you qualified to give out medical advice to millions of people? Silly me, I thought you left school to work on the door at faces. All the time you were a student, and now you’re a Dr!’ Nina commented.
Sunscreen and sun safety
As explained by the NHS, sunburn increases your risk of skin cancer. Sunburn does not just happen on holiday. You can burn in the UK, even when it’s cloudy.
There’s no safe or healthy way to get a tan. A tan does not protect your skin from the sun’s harmful effects.
Sun safety tips
Spend time in the shade when the sun is strongest. In the UK, this is between 11am and 3pm from March to October.
Make sure you:
- spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm
- never burn
- cover up with suitable clothing and sunglasses
- take extra care with children
- use at least factor 30 sunscreen
What factor sunscreen (SPF) is advised?
Do not rely on sunscreen alone to protect yourself from the sun. Wear suitable clothing and spend time in the shade when the sun’s at its hottest.
When buying sunscreen, the label should have:
at least 4-star UVA protection
a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 to protect against UVB
Why children need to be protected from the sun
Take extra care to protect babies and children. Their skin is much more sensitive than adult skin, and damage caused by repeated exposure to sunlight could lead to skin cancer developing in later life.
Children aged under 6 months should be kept out of direct strong sunlight.
‘Sunscreen is not toxic and full of harmful ingredients. There are cosmetic regulations that do not allow toxic products or harmful ingredients. And everything is a chemical…even tallow. This is irresponsible and dangerous, disappointing from someone with a large audience,’ Helen added.
Kelsey Parker was also recently called out after claiming her children ‘don’t burn’ and incorrectly claimed SPF ‘causes skin cancer’.
The 34-year-old actress shares two children with late Wanted singer Tom Parker, Aurelia, five, and Bodhi, four.
But last month she admitted on her Mum’s The Word! podcast with Georgia Jones that her kids ‘do not wear sun cream’.
‘Sun cream is so bad,’ she said, adding that she ‘never’ wore it growing up.
‘The only thing that I may put on them is an organic sun cream. My kids, we went on holiday, I never put sun cream on them, and they do not burn,’ she added.
Meanwhile last year Lauryn Goodman claimed skin was ‘so much better in the sun’.
Metro has contacted representatives for Sam Faiers for comment.
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