Boots will no longer make its Soltan suncream with a sun protection level lower than SPF50 for children and SPF15 for adults to encourage sun safe behaviour, as applying high-factor creams lowers the risk of skin cancer.
The chain said it had ceased production of seven creams including Soltan SPF30 for children and an SPF8 lotion aimed at adults. The low-factor creams will disappear from its shelves once stocks have been exhausted.
Clare O’Connor, a Boots suncare expert, said using sunscreen was one of the main methods of keeping skin protected in the sun. “We want to support our customers to make a simple switch to protect their skin with higher SPF. This is particularly important for children, whose skin is more vulnerable to sun damage, so we want to help parents in choosing the highest protection available.”
Sun protection factor, or SPF, refers to the amount of UVB protection a product provides from the damaging effects of the sun. The higher the SPF, the greater the protection from UVB rays and sunburn and the lower the risk of developing skin cancer. UVA rays are associated with skin ageing. The move by Boots is linked to a tie-up with Macmillan Cancer Support.
Dr Anthony Cunliffe, a national clinical adviser for primary care at Macmillan Cancer Support, said these kind of initiatives were “really important because wearing higher-factor SPF, along with steps like spending time in the shade, can provide better protection from the sun and lower your risk of developing skin cancer.”
About half of all melanomas start with a new, abnormal-looking mole in normal-looking skin. This usually looks like a dark area or a new mole that changes over weeks or months. Other melanomas develop from a pre-existing mole.
The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for extreme heat across a large part of the UK this weekend, saying temperatures in the south-east could exceed 35C (95F), posing a potential risk to life.