Did you know that 80% of all skin cancer cases are caused by sunburn in childhood? What’s more, 86% of said cases are preventable by using good quality SPF. If you're part of a family that's struggling to afford the most basic of toiletries, saving enough to buy sufficient sun protection for everyone - SPF rarely comes cheap - can be a strain. No family should feel that they have to forsake sun protection for the sake of cutting costs. Here's where this year's #SunPoverty campaign comes in. Here to help eradicate the damage caused by #SunPoverty in the UK, Cardiff based beauty e-tailer Escentual have launched campaign to educate children on how to be sun safe as well as donating thousands of sunscreens to children who can’t afford it.
‘Our aim is to teach and establish good sun habits during youth, while providing equal opportunities to children eligible for free school meals through our #SunPoverty campaign,’ reads the campaign release. So, how does it work? The e-tailer have pledged to give away 30,000 sunscreens to Welsh primary school children this summer. ‘Due to Covid safety issues this year, we will be distributing the sun creams through food banks instead of direct to schools,’ says Escentual.com CEO and Founder Rakesh Aggarwal, ‘if the scheme is a success, we hope to be able to extend the campaign to all primary school children in the UK by 2022.’ With each sun cream, there will be a fun educational leaflet illustrating how to apply the lotion properly as well as how to be safe in the sun.
As well as donating 30,000 bottles, Escentual is calling on the government to abolish VAT on children’s sunscreen in order to make it more affordable. Leading the way, Tesco has just announced it will be covering the VAT on their own sun protection range across the board by permanently reducing the price of Tesco Soleil range by 20%.
Skincare guru and advocate of the campaign Caroline Hirons says, ‘skin cancer is very real, extremely dangerous and on the increase – that’s why I’m supporting Escentual's #SunPoverty campaign. 80% of sun damage happens before the age of 18. Escentual's initiative to abolish VAT on children's sun cream, educate young people on sun safety, and donate thousands of broad-spectrum SPF50+ to children in struggling families is incredibly important.’
How Can You Help?
Buy one of the below SPFs and Escentual will donate a bottle of SPF to someone in need...
SPFs Supporting #SunPoverty Campaign
1 of 4Escentual Sunscreen SPF50+, £6.95
2 of 4Bioderma Photoderm Kid Very High Protection Spray For Children SPF50+, £18.50
3 of 4Clarins Sun Care Cream for Body SPF50+, £19.35
4 of 4Eucerin Sensitive Protect Kids Sun Spray SPF50+, £19.50
READ MORE: News Flash! You Don't Need To Buy Separate Sunscreen For Your Kids